Why is cashmere so expensive? The simple explanation
There are materials whose price is questionable.
Cashmere is one of them.
Soft, light, warm... but also naturally rare.
Here is the simple explanation, jargon-free — to understand why this precious material can never be "cheap".
1. A rare fiber: only 50 to 70 g usable per goat
It all starts in spring, when the high-plateau goats naturally shed their down.
This down is harvested by hand — never shorn — then sorted.
Out of nearly 150 g of raw down, only:
➡️ 50 to 70 g of usable fibers remain.
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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is not shorn
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does not grow all year round
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is harvested only once a year
The down is delicately combed, strand by strand.
This process 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 steps:
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sorting fibers by length and fineness
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removal of short fibers
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spinning into ultra-fine yarns
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regular checks to avoid irregularities
The longer the fiber, the better it ages, the less it pills, the softer it is.
But long fibers are also the rarest... and therefore the most expensive.
4. Organic cashmere: even rarer
When breeding is organic:
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herds are smaller,
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soils are protected from overgrazing,
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the natural rhythm is respected,
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the fiber is often longer and finer.
Result:
✔ better quality,
✔ softer feel,
✔ superior durability,
✔ slower production → higher price.
Organic cashmere is not a marketing label:
it is a concrete commitment to the land and the animal.
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 and more enveloping cut
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large pieces to knit
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dense knitting to maintain its shape
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a premium finish (pockets, belt, clean edges)
It is an indoor 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 demanding sorting,
and because a kimono requires much more material than a short garment.
Cashmere is not expensive "to be expensive."
It is expensive because it is not abundant.
And when it's organic, it becomes even more precious.