Good News for Scottish Cashmere
Scottish cashmere got a boost today when, according to the BBC, Todd and Duncan bought back their Loch Leven factory. The Beeb went on to say:
The deal will secure the future of the company’s 200 employees and allow it to invest in the site.
The cashmere yard spinner was sold by Dawson International last year to China’s Zhongyin Cashmere Company.
The firm’s site was sold off to a developer two years ago but was bought back for an undisclosed sum.
Todd & Duncan supplies yarn to some to some of the world’s largest fashion houses, including Gucci, Prada and Chanel.
Of course it sources most of the cashmere from China so there is a slight down side. Still I expect there are some pretty relieved people in Loch Leven today!
Cashmere Jumper – this season is all about sparkle
Cashmere jumpers from Sara Berman
Cashmere jumpers, gorgeous, classic, but not exactly bang on trend until now! I just love this sparkling cashmere jumper collection from Sara Berman. Aren’t they stunning? I’m sure even someone of my advanced years could get away with the bows cardi, which is probably my total favourite, whilst the more daring might go for the pink flamingo and really work that rock chic look. (BTW Those bags are gorgeous too and selling like hot cakes I hear!) The company says:
Here comes the sun!
Now that the spring sunshine has arrived it’s time to add some shimmer and shine to your wardrobe with these fabulous sequin cashmere tops from Sara Berman. Go for kitsch fun with flamingos, old school glamour with a Rolls Royce, playful with a cat and his handsomely over sized bow or release your inner Bow Peep and bat those lashes with sequined bows. These charming appliqués are available on sweaters, cardigans and t shirts made of the highest quality cashmere, so are super soft to touch – so much so it’s extremely tempting to spend all day stroking its sumptuousness!
Hard to argue with that 
Just because the sun is shining don’t think it’s all over for cashmere. This is just the right time to be treating yourself to some fine cashmere. There will still be chilly days ahead and any excuse to wear cashmere is a good one! Every Spring wardrobe needs at least one cashmere jumper and this season Sara Berman has some of the best.
Update – 20% off cashmere jumpers (and everything else) from Sara Berman!
Just as I posted this I got a lovely surprise from Sara Berman’s site. If you do a short survey you can get a 20% discount for completing it! Sara Berman are looking to to re-design their site to make it even more user-friendly so they want to see what you like and don’t like about the current site and what you would want from a new site. The survey is 25 questions long and takes under 5 minutes to complete. Take the survey
Bargain Cashmere – 5 tips
Bargain cashmere can fool the unwary and still feel lovely. Touch is not enough to be sure your bargain won’t pill or loose its shape the first time you wear it. (Actually pilling can happen on good quality cashmere too and there is a solution. Get a cashmere comb.)
When you buy cashmere there are a five tips that can help you :
- Look at the tension in the knitting:gently (very gently!) stretch a small part of the fabric. If the quality is good it should return quickly to shape and not leave a mark.
- Hold it up to the light with your hand behind it. If you can see your hand clearly leave it and try somewhere else. The best cashmere has a density to it.
- Look at the surface of the fabric. The fluffier it seems the more it will pill as it is probably made from shorter hairs.
- That wonderful softness we all crave can be a trap too. Softness can be achieved by over-milling which makes an inferior cashmere seem silky. Over-milled fabrics will form bigger pills and and lose shape.
- Best quality cashmere may actually feel less soft and silky in the shop! It matures and softens with wear and even gentle hand-washing. The best quality cashmere improves with age so vintage is always an option.
If you are buying cashmere online and can’t touch look for sites that explain exactly where their cashmere comes from and the lengths of fibers used. Sites like Pure Collection, Brora, or Hush are all good value and score well on sustainability too. Brunello Cucinelli, or Loro Piana’s “baby cashmere” are gorgeous if you have more to spend. Try their sale sections for bargain cashmere.
How to Buy Bargain Cashmere
Bargain cashmere sometimes comes at a cost that isn’t just paid by the consumer. Cheap cashmere doesn’t, cannot, last like the best quality cashmere. But more than that it is not good for the planet! As I’ve said before overgrazing in Mongolia is causing desertification, low prices are costing the goat owners their land and their living! So do think twice before you buy the cheapest cashmere, even if the quality seems good.
On the other hand, good quality cashmere, like many premium products, is likely to be reduced in the sales. Look out for high quality brands and ask where it’s come from or as she suggests look for gorgeous vintage cashmere. Buying cashmere online can help you bag some really good bargains and protect the planet.
Cashmere – 5 quick links
- Aromascope » Perfume Review: Cashmere for Men by Cristiano Fissore – Perfume Review: Cashmere for Men by Cristiano Fissore. February 18th, 2007. Cashmere for Men is a mate to Cashmere for Women, created for an Italian luxury cashmere designer Cristiano Fissore. The scents are meant to represent cashmere, …
- UNIQLO x PANTONE Cashmere Sweaters – Follow an earlier team-up this year that produced t-shirts, Japanese discount style house Uniqlo and Pantone are producing a line of cashmere sweaters in a palette of 20 official Pantone colors. The color scheme should appeal to design …
- Doll » Blog Archive » 2 more cashmere scarfs – A scarf for Ben- 1228bscarf.jpg. the beige cashmere is from a vintage sweater and is the softest thing I’ve ever touched. It is so soft that I didn’t think it would make a good scarf, all by itself. I used the blue cashmere to give it a …
- Godammit, I’m Mad! » Blog Archive » Cashmere – helen-bond.jpg. I can’t remember how I first discovered Cashmere Shampoo, a product made by a company called The Laundress. I’ve gone through several bottles of it, though, because I love my cashmere sweaters and want them to last …
- Value For Money In Cashmere – Cashmere used to be universally expensive because its import into the European Union was limited. I don’t know the facts in the US, but a few years ago there seemed to be a flood of cheap cashmere here in Europe. …
