I was the Creative Product Coordinator working for a luxury Cashmere Company for two years and in that time I was absorbed in the world of knitwear and learnt how to appreciate the luxurious yarns I was working with.
Cashmere is a wardrobe staple and if treated with love will last a lifetime, a very sustainable garment to have in your wardrobes.
Once you invest in a piece of Cashmere top tips to keep it looking amazing are as follows:
Wash: Hand wash the delicate yarn in a very soft washing powder or even an organic hair shampoo, this will be gentle on the yarn and keep the hand feel super soft. Don’t over wash, gently push through the warm water, once you feel it is clean then again gently squeeze the excess water out, then place your garment on a towel to dry, if you hang it will come out of shape.
Now some people do not handwash and they put their cashmere in the machine – all I can say if you do this method then do it on a cold wash, do not spin heavily and do NOT put in the dryer. If any cashmere has neon pops it is best to put in machine on a cold wash as the neon then doesn’t tend to run, but there are no guarantees!! AND if in doubt send to the Dry Cleaners.
Moths:- Now anyone with lovely knitwear will know that the moths love a taste of cashmere and there is nothing more disappointing when reaching for your next seasons jumper and it has little holes in it – they are a nightmare. Ways that I try and eradicate this problem is I keep all my cashmere in garment bags with springs of Lavender, it will not kill the moths, but the actual smell is a deterrent. When I am switching seasons, I will put my jumpers in container boxes which again I have sprigs of lavender in, this has tended in the past year or so to keep moths out of my cashmere. There are also some very good natural Moth repellents out there now which smell amazing and do work.
A company who I was going to be dealing with was working on a Moth Spray and would be worth a call @4160 Tuesdays. Their combination of Eucalyptus and Lavender smelt amazing, I am keeping my eye out for when it becomes available and will keep you all posted.
Pilling:- Pilling on all knitwear is acceptable, how to deal with piling is to invest in a de-bobbling comb approx. £8 and use it on the arms and hems of your knitwear, this bobbling is easily removed, this will just rejuvenate your garment and it will look like new again.
Wardrobe:- Storing your cashmere is a very personal topic as some people would place on hangers in their wardrobes in colour coordinated fashion, however we would not recommend this for your pieces as it does make the knitwear hang and become misshaped. We would however advocate the Marie Kondo method of rolling your knitwear as this keeps the shape without having the folds and creases noticeable. Also, the jumpers are stored vertically rather than horizontally so easily located. I did this practice on my wardrobe and it felt liberating to be able to locate all my cashmere and knitwear without having to overturn lots of garments to then find a piece which was scrunched up. By keeping your cashmere folded or rolled season by season this will keep the longevity in your investment.
Enjoy your Cashmere everyone, and fashion it through the decades, the garments feel your love.