Cashmere Explained by Janet Carlisle

 

What is Cashmere?

Cashmere was named after the former princely state of Kashmir in the Himalayas, a region that today is divided into three parts of which India, Pakistan and the People's Republic of China all lay claim to in equal measures. The raw material is obtained from the very fine, fluffy, body-hugging undercoat of the cashmere goat, which makes its home in the remote plateaus of Mongolia, China, Afghanistan and Iran. Living in a mountainous landscape, at an altitude of up to 5000 metres, the goat has to endure hot summers and freezing winter temperatures that plunge to -50°­C. It copes with such extreme conditions by growing a particularly delicate yet also very dense coat. The coat is combed by hand once a year, in spring, the season when it is naturally shed.

Compared to merino wool which is sheared off the animal, cashmere is combed off, in spring, during their moulting season. The seasonality, the skilled labour intensive process and the fact that the cashmere goats are bred only in some parts of the planet, all adds up in the long run, influencing the final price.

 

Premium Quality You Can Trust

The quality of the raw material often matters most. Lengthier cashmere fibres maintain their integrity for a longer time, allowing garments to retain their structure. Piling- the small balls that form on the fabric as it chafes- is more common in garments made of shorter cashmere strands.

The thickness of the yarn used for the fabric determines its durability. So-called single-ply yarn is the weakest and can quickly lead to holes in a favourite sweater. Higher-quality cashmere pieces are typically two or three strands thick. At Mimi & Thomas® cashmere, we use a minimum of 2-ply on all our cashmere garments.

We select only the finest inner cashmere fibre from the undercoat of famous Chyangra goats who live in the high altitude of the Himalayas in Nepal. Only the longest fibres are selected for Mimi & Thomas to produce the garments last longer. Our garments obtains the Chyangra Pashmina trademark which authenticates stringent quality standards, environment friendly and no child labour. Our products are hand finished with dedicated craftsmanship in Nepal. Our pure cashmere knitwear range are Oeko-Tex® certified which is free of harmful chemicals and are safe for human use. 

 

 

Buy now, wear forever

Cashmere is a luxurious fibre and buying cashmere is a wonderful investment. Nothing can compare with its luxury texture and quality. It is a special experience wearing cashmere, it feels smooth and fluid against the skin.

Not only in our manufacturing process and selecting the finest raw cashmere fibre guarantee its long lasting feature. Mimi & Thomas® design philosophy is fewer, better wardrobe which is the opposite to the fast fashion as seen on the high street. We create timeless cashmere accessories for the modern women through easy to wear design, easy care machine washable properties in the fabric, its versatility and simply functionality. For instance, our cashmere wraps and multi-ways button ponchos that you can wear as a poncho, a scarf, a snood or bolero etc and yet provides warmth and comfort. Our customer testimonials from all walks of life reflect that they enjoy wearing Mimi & Thomas® cashmere at work, on their travels, during school runs, as a beautiful layer at a wedding, going to yoga, lounging at the weekend and during nursing!

Our new cashmere Baby Heirloom Collection consists of basic baby essentials, gift sets and everyday blankets that will be appreciated by the new parents and babies. It is a lovely addition to the little one's first wardrobe from casual to special occasions like christenings. With the unisex design and colour tone, the garments can be passed onto other siblings.

 

Our service promise

We offer complimentary UK Royal Mail first class tracked delivery service. For all the overseas orders, we always ship with International tracked delivery service.

New presentation box is being designed currently and will be available for free to each cashmere purchase as from Spring 2020 which serves as a fantastic storage box for your cherished cashmere from moths damage. It is the perfect gift choice during birthdays, anniversary, mothers day, Christmas, baby showers and christenings.

Personalisation is offered by monogram embroidery service in house we can embroider up to 6 initials or letters to make your cashmere extra special.

No hassle customer return policy (except personalised cashmere) at Mimi & Thomas® to give you a complete peace of mind shopping experience with us.  

 

Cashmere Care:

All our cashmere garments are machine washable at delicate wool cycle at 3­0°C. We also recommend hand wash with a dash of baby shampoo or special cashmere detergent. Never wring the cashmere item. Dry flat. Cashmere should not be ironed directly. Make sure you have pressing cloth at the ready and avoid pressing too hard. We recommend steaming to smooth out the wrinkles in cashmere, which tolerates moisture well. If you don't have a steamer, lay your cashmere flat on the ironing board, hold the iron about a half-inch above the garment, and direct bursts of steam from the iron onto the wrinkles. Do no tumble dry.

Even the best cashmere is prone to pilling, but it's not a sign of poor quality. It can be removed by hand or with a cashmere comb when the fabric is dry. 

You may fold your cashmere wrap or jumper and put in on a shelf in our lovely presentation box. Make sure you use some kind of protection against moths, such as scented sachets or cedar balls. Cashmere wool fabric needs to breath, so avoid using plastic bags for storage.

Enjoy your cashmere for the many years to come!