Article: Why is cashmere so expensive? The simple explanation
Why is cashmere so expensive? The simple explanation
There are some materials whose price raises questions.
Cashmere is one of them.
Soft, light, warm… but also naturally rare.
Here is the simple explanation , without jargon — to understand why this precious material can never be “cheap”.
1. A rare fiber: only 50 to 70 g usable per goat
It all begins in the spring, when the goats of the high plateaus naturally lose their down.
This down is harvested by hand — never sheared — then sorted.
Out of nearly 150g of raw down , only the following remain:
➡️ 50 to 70 g of usable fiber .
That's very little.
And that already explains a large part of the price.
2. A slow, manual harvest, at the animal's pace
Unlike sheep's wool, cashmere:
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does not shear
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does not grow all year round
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is harvested only once a year
The down is combed delicately, strand by strand.
This action takes time, requires expertise and respects the animal's natural rhythm.
The more respectful the process → the higher the price.
3. Sorting and spinning: meticulous work
Before being transformed into yarn, cashmere goes through several essential stages:
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Sorting of fibers by length and fineness
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elimination of short fibers
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spinning into ultra-fine yarns
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Regular checks to prevent irregularities
👉 The longer the fiber, the better it ages, the less it pills, and the softer it is.
👉 But long fibers are also the rarest… therefore the most expensive.
4. Organic cashmere: even rarer
When the livestock farming is organic:
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the herds are smaller,
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the soils are protected from overgrazing,
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The natural rhythm is respected.
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the fiber is often longer and thinner .
Result :
✔ better quality,
✔ softer touch,
✔ Superior durability,
✔ Slower production → higher price.
Organic cashmere is not a marketing label:
It is a concrete commitment to the land and to animals.
5. Why does a kimono naturally cost more than a sweater?
A kimono requires:
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much more material than a classic sweater
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a longer, more enveloping cut
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large pieces to knit
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a dense knit to maintain its shape
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a premium finish (pockets, belt, clean edges)
It's an interior piece that requires real expertise.
This is reflected in its price.
6. Simple summary:
Cashmere is expensive because it is naturally rare .
because it is harvested by hand ,
because it requires a demanding sorting process ,
and because a kimono requires much more material than a short garment.
Cashmere isn't expensive "just for the sake of being expensive".
It is expensive because it is not abundant .
And when it is organic, it becomes even more valuable.
