When it comes to winter garments, warmth is one of the most important factors. Cashmere and Wool are popular for warm winter clothing but have different properties and characteristics. In this post, we’ll go over the difference between wool and cashmere.

What is Wool?

Wool is a natural fiber from the fleece of sheep, goats, and alpacas. It is known for its warming properties and versatility, making it a popular choice for high quality wool clothes. Wool fibers are made up of protein, which is naturally bacteria-resistant. The fibers are also naturally absorbent, allowing the skin to breathe and keeping the body warm in cold weather. Get to know about the benefits of wool.

What is cashmere?

Cashmere is a wool type that comes from the fine hairs of goats (Cashmere goats, including Kashmir goats). These goats are typically found in the Himalayas, and their fleece is used to make cashmere wool. The cashmere fibers are much finer than regular wool, making it softer and lighter. Thus, cashmere is a popular choice for winter clothing, as it can trap heat without adding extra weight or heaviness to the garment itself.

Although both cashmere and wool come from sheep, they actually come from different types of sheep. The wool comes from sheep and the cashmere from goats.

Cotton wool is known as "shearing wool". Cashmere is naturally shed from the roots of goats and is gathered by "wool wool".

Cashmere accounts for only 0.2% of the total production of animal fibers, so it is called "soft gold" because of its scarcity. 70% of the world's cashmere raw materials are produced in Inner Mongolia.

Wool and cashmere scale structure

The scales of wool are closely spaced from the cortex layer, and the surface of the fiber presents a prominent jagged shape. Compared with cashmere, the scales are wider and smoother in oval shape. Therefore, there is a big difference between the two in terms of skin affinity and touch.

Cashmere is 8 times as warm as wool for the same coverage area. And the weight of cashmere is only one-fifth of that of wool. Cashmere is thinner and warmer.

Wool and cashmere identification method

1. Washing mark: (CA) Cashmere cashmere (W) Wool wool
2. Catch: the wool fiber has a medulla, solid. Cashmere fibers are unmyelinated and hollow. Cashmere is more elastic and soft to the touch.
3. Laying: Cashmere will quickly return to flatness after being picked up and laid flat, and it is not easy to wrinkle.
4. Burning: Cashmere fiber will be powdery after burning, and it will break when touched. Wool fibers shrink and curl quickly after burning.

Wool and cashmere are both quality natural fibers with a wide variety of uses. As it’s more difficult to harvest and process, cashmere is more expensive.

Whether you choose to buy a cashmere or wool garment depends on your needs and preferences, as well as your budget. Now you know the differences between these two fibers, you can make the best decision the next time you go shopping.