How are cashmere jumpers made

 

Silky, soft and a dream to wear: there’s a reason cashmere clothing is so popular. There’s nothing better than layering up in cosy cashmere for ultimate comfort.

At Lavender Hill Clothing we have a range of carefully curated luxury cashmere items. As cashmere is a sustainable, renewable, biodegradable and natural fibre, it perfectly suits our need to be as sustainable and ethical as possible with our clothing and production. 

We believe cashmere is hard to beat - not only is it a sustainable option for fabric, it is durable and retains its warmth brilliantly. Find out more about our cashmere clothing below.

SOURCING OUR CASHMERE

Our cashmere is carefully blended from fibres that are sourced from nomadic communities in Mongolia and Afghanistan. Skilled herders carefully comb the cashmere from the underside of their goats, a practice that is steeped in tradition and has been their main source of income for hundreds of years.

The goats are used to living in -30c, meaning they develop a light, downy undercoat that is used for our cashmere. Sourcing from these herders helps sustain their nomadic way of life and preserve their communities, and as a member of the Sustainable Fibre Alliance, we are able to contribute directly to these communities, improving conditions for both the goats and herders.

NOT ALL CASHMERE IS EQUAL

Whilst cashmere is a highly popular product for clothing brands, not all cashmere is equal. We are incredibly selective in the qualities we use, combining fifteen types of cashmere to produce a long-lasting, durable end product and taking the greatest care with our sourcing.

When a consumer buys low cost cashmere, this is often produced in high volume factories that take little care with their sourcing or production methods. The fibres may be too thick or heavily bleached to save time and money, delivering a poor quality end product that simply won’t last.

WHAT MAKES SCOTTISH CASHMERE DIFFERENT

With the art of making Scottish cashmere, a focus on being gentle with the fibres is key. That means we add as few chemicals as possible and use soft Scottish water as the basis of the manufacturing process - the same water that gives Scotch whisky its unique properties.

Having such great quality water means Scottish cashmere can be treated more gently than cashmere produced in other parts of the world. The fibres stay soft and last longer due to not being damaged through harsh water and dying, and we take time to produce the garments, unlike high speed factories who want greater output efficiency, resulting in damaged fibres.

OUR SCOTTISH FACTORY

All of our cashmere products are made under one roof, so we know what goes into every stage of the process. We work with a Scottish factory that matches our sustainability values and has been working with cashmere for 150 years; many of their workers have also been with them for 20 years or more. 

 

Behind the scenes at our scottish cashmere factory

 

They have a strong focus on reducing their carbon footprint which includes:

- Prioritising energy-efficient equipment
- Using organic dyes
- Re-using batch-ends of fibres and fabric cut-offs for scarves and other accessories
- Using heat exchangers in their dye vats to reduce energy use

Over two dozen hands will work on every one of our cashmere products. You can see and feel the difference in the small things such as the raise of a brushed cashmere scarf. The collective skill of the employees, the perfection of their craft and dedication to making beautiful products  pours into each of our products, something we are really proud of.

To view our cashmere clothing collection, please click here