If the building blocks of the modern wardrobe were to be ranked from 1-10, a cashmere sweater would score highly as an item with the utmost longevity. From a simple crew-neck in black to a button-up cardigan in schoolhouse grey and an exquisitely wearable navy turtleneck, a cashmere sweater is one of those items you can reach for and instantly feel polished, put-together and, more importantly, practical.
Cashmere exudes a must-have quality, not just in feel but in phonetics. The word itself has become code for adding luxury and comfort to your every day: the act of slipping on a cashmere sweater on a cold morning warms not just the body, but arguably, stirs something in one’s soul. To say the word — cashmere — sounds supreme. It curls off the tongue, incandescent. It’s one of the finest fibres in the world, and it sounds like it.
A major factor in cashmere’s appeal is the fact that it is also so rare. Grown primarily in remote regions of Mongolia and Peru, the cosy wool is sourced from the underbellies of cashmere goats — a painstaking method that involves gentle combing, rather than shearing, to collect each spring. These superfine fibres are sumptuously soft, with its silky-feel handle; cashmere is more delicate than other wools but far smoother against the skin and much warmer. The fact you can’t just throw a cashmere in the washing machine somehow adds to the appeal: this is a garment to be cared for, stored properly, and dry cleaned. To own a cashmere knit requires a commitment to preservation: perhaps another reason as to why they hold such a fond place in the contemporary wardrobe.
John Smedley sources its cashmere responsibly from small families of nomadic herders in the Alashan Mountains in Mongolia — an area renowned for its premium fibres, thanks to its super cold climate which makes the goats fleece tighter, to protect them from the cold during the winter months. In turn, it makes the cashmere stronger and softer. Thanks to the specialist breeding techniques employed by the herders, which have been in existence for centuries, the fleece sourced from Mongolia is also pure white in colour: it means it better absorbs dyes, resulting in a depth of hue and a rich colour-fastness that makes each John Smedley knit look brand new for longer.
It’s reported in fashion history that the earliest cashmere ever recorded hailed from the Himalayas. Marco Polo, the Venetian merchant and explorer, discovered goats reared by man in some caves deep in the expansive East Asian region — the herders were trading meat and wool. Exported from Kashmir in India, the fibre became known in the Western world as cashmere, and by the late 18th century, the cashmere industry in France and Britain had taken off. Empress Josephine, the first wife of Napoleon I, was rumoured to own countless cashmere shawls, which then became a style statement and adopted by wealthy women across Europe, draped around their shoulders and atop their finery.
Dress codes over time shifted, and cashmere went from a fashionable accessory to a ready-to-wear garment. In the 20th century, it was adopted in hats, sweaters, and cardigans. But in recent years, as society has become increasingly casual, cashmere has become a texture more associated with ready-to-wear: today, it’s just as likely to be used in trousers, dresses, and coats. Perfect for those at-home days, on overnight flights or in smart-casual offices, its appropriateness is boundless.
And aligned with the notion of longevity, as the world has woken up to the climate crisis, cashmere cloth and its craft have evolved to align with these more conscious times. Recycled cashmere is increasingly available, where old garments are shredded and turned into new fibres and new garments to give existing materials a new life — and a renewed chance to be cherished.
And John Smedley’s Eco cashmere collection blends 50% recycled cashmere with 50% merino wool to create sleek, everyday staples that prove sturdier than 100% cashmere garments. The robustness of merino wool mixed with the delicacy of cashmere offers super soft pieces, from zip-up jackets to sweaters, scarves, and coats, that will last a lifetime.
