Nine Facts
About Cashmere
Find out more about the fairest, most sustainable and most affordable top-of-the-line cashmere the world has ever seen.
01
The Best Cashmere Goats Come From Mongolia
If you want the best cashmere in the world, you need to go to Mongolia. NAADAM sources its cashmere from the Zalaa Jinst white goat, the only entirely white breed of cashmere goat in Mongolia. These softies live waaaay out there in Mongolia's Gobi Desert (we're talking 400 miles off-road from the nearest city within 500k square miles of desert). In our book, it's worth the trek.
02
Old School Hand Combing is the Mongolian Tradition because it's Best for the Goats
Cashmere goats naturally live in extremely cold and harsh climates. To survive, they grow long, fine fibers to protect themselves, which our herders hand comb! Even though it takes more time & effort to hand comb, our herders have over 2,000 years of passed down knowledge, and this old-school approach is still the best thing for their goats and for the fibers for our sweaters.
03
Long Fibers = Maximum Softness
Did we mention how friggin' cold the temperatures can get where our cashmere comes from? (Think -40 degrees in the winter.) This relentless cold can last longer than most places in the world (icy sandstorms are actually a thing there), giving the goats we source from a fiber length about a third longer than others. Score!
04
Organic Cashmere Is Common, Environmentally Sustainable Cashmere Isn't
Almost all cashmere sourced from Mongolia is organic, but not all cashmere is environmentally sustainable and that matters a lot. Bonus points: NAADAM's Gobi Revival Fund supports 1,000 nomadic herding families in Mongolia and has provided veterinary care to over 250,000 goats.
05
Four Goats = One Sweater
The harsh geography of this area means that only a very limited number of goats are combed by hand every spring. To make an average-sized sweater, you will need wool from approximately 4 adult goats.
06
Cashmere Is A Super Fiber, Baby!
Cashmere fibers are some of the only fibers in the world that are hollow. This means that the fiber is actually very good for blending with other materials. It instantly makes the material lighter and softer than it would be otherwise. It's a super fiber, baby!
07
Your Hair Might Be Soft, But It's Not As Soft As Cashmere
In fact, cashmere fibers are six times finer than strands of human hair. Cashmere fineness starts from 14 microns and goes up to 19 microns. Thinner cashmere is softer, and ours are around 15 microns. Your hair is around 100 microns (goats: 1, humans: 0).
08
You Can Wash Cashmere With Your Shampoo
We recommend baby shampoo, it works like a charm! Use lukewarm water, gently swirl your sweater, and let it soak for up to 30 minutes. To dry, the trick is to lay out your sweater on a bath towel and gently roll the sweater in the towel, absorbing all the water in a cashmere sushi roll of sorts.
09
Sweater Pilling Is Not Entirely Your Fault (Or The Sweater's)
Pilling is a natural occurrence in cashmere and is usually caused by friction. A seat belt, purse strap, or even the synthetic lining of a jacket can all contribute. Persistent pilling happens when lower quality manufacturers use short fibers. A NAADAM cashmere sweater pills only once (think of it like shedding a layer of skin). Since the fibers we use are longer, it will never happen again after you clean the sweater. Remember, longer fibers = stronger cashmere.