Why is Cashmere Expensive?

There are myriad reasons for the higher cost of cashmere when compared to other wools and clothing materials generally. In this article, we’ll break this subject down into shorter, more targeted questions and answers, hopefully giving you a good justification for the higher expense of our top quality cashmere.

Slow fashion - does cashmere cost more than other options?

As opposed to the inexpensive, synthetic materials that make up garments often described as fast fashion, the ethical harvesting of cashmere takes time and care. In order to make the yarn used in all our products, the finer belly hairs underneath the Mongolian goat’s outer coats are combed through precisely to garner the special, fine fibres found there. This is done during one season of the year (spring) and takes time and skill - two things which add to the cost. So, as keen and proud proponents of slow fashion, Loop’s sustainably made garments have care and ethics priced in.

Is cashmere luxury?

Yes and yes! Not only do our cashmere fibres take time to acquire, a cashmere goat produces no more than 200-300 grams of cashmere in a year. If harvested ethically, it can only be collected in springtime, during the natural moulting season. It takes the fibre from around three goats to make one large garment, such as a coatigan.

The feel of our Mongolian cashmere is unmatched. It’s beautiful to look at, soft to touch and cosy and warming thanks to the amazing range of gauges and weights we offer.

Why is cashmere more expensive than merino wool?

Cashmere is expensive compared to merino for three reasons:

1. The longer harvesting process, it takes much longer to comb the cashmere from each goat than it does to shear a sheep.

2. Cashmere is in much shorter supply than wool.  Cashmere accounts for only 0.5% of the worlds wool production.

3. The yield of fibre from a cashmere goat is much smaller than from a sheep, each goat provides 200-300 grams of cashmere, whereas an average sheep provides 3-6 kilograms of wool.

So, is cashmere worth it?

We feel that the luxury clothing items like cashmere, something that will feel as good in many, many years as it does today, are well worth it.   Buying less but buying better and taking the time to care for your clothes to preserve their longevity are the best ways to look good and feel good whilst doing good.