You might wonder why some cashmere garments particularly cashmere socks are quite expensive and could reach up to fifty to a hundred dollars. Cashmere socks are quite expensive even when compared to other articles of clothing. Their price range is closer to snow caps. Why is this so?
The explanation behind this is the very source of cashmere. The term cashmere came from the word Kashmir which is the name of the specific breed of goats that originated from the Himalayas. Kashmir goats are snow-adapted animals that are physically distinct in feature due to their long and fibrous fur.
The fibers that were woven in cashmere garments came from these furs of Kashmir goats. Many of these goats are now bred for this particular purpose. The fur grows to a particular length for a certain time frame. After that, the furs are harvested by shaving it off the goat’s skin. Over time the furs grow back and harvested once again in a cycle. The furs are further processed through cleaning it would probably take as long as five years for one particular Kashmir goat to produce enough fur to be able to produce one cashmere garment. This time constraint is also part of the reason why cashmere is very expensive. The manufacturers have to consider the cost of production which is naturally high due to the long years of waiting.
Wool derived from the throat down to the stomach of the goat is actually of better quality and have softer texture than those wool derived from the back and legs of the goat. Cashmere socks are usually manufactured from the stomach and throat of the goat which is why they are of finer quality when it comes to heat containment. But this does not mean that wool from the back or legs of the goat is not effective at keeping you warm.