I’m So Wild about Cashmere

Happy New Year everybody! I hope everyone had a blast bringing the in the new year with their loved ones.

Remember when I shared the gifts I got for Christmas in Blogmas Day 25: What I Got For Christmas? Well, I’ve had my nose in the book Parisian Street Style: A Guide to Effortless Chic. The book did happen to get pretty snobby the more I got into it, but it was still a pretty great read.

One thing that caught my attention in the book was owning a cashmere pullover or sweater. Now I love a nice soft cashmere scarf and never really thought about having a sweater made of cashmere.

I began looking for places to buy one and oh my those prices can be steep. One of the things I told myself was to not get so shocked by the price of something. I can always save my money or sell something of mine. There’s always a reason for the high prices whether it’s because of the name or the textile. In the case of cashmere, the price is higher because of the textile. Cashmere comes from the underbelly (or neck) of a Cashmere Goat. So, automatically cashmere anything will be more expensive.

Luckily, when I was searching for a sweater, pretty much every store was having a 50% off after Christmas sale. How convenient! What would normally be a $150 purchase was only $84 after sales tax. That’s still up there, but I’ll take the reduced price over full price any day.

Instead of purchasing online, I decided to go to the store since the item is so specific. I could get a feel for it and see if it’s actually 100% cashmere and not rough or itchy. I initially wanted a dark blue one, but they sold out of that color so I settled for the gray. I have an abundance of gray sweaters at this point but at least I’m consistent.

Tips & Tricks for Cashmere

1. Spot clean if stains are present
2. For deep cleaning – dry clean or soak in tepid water with lanolin soap or baby shampoo for 5-10 minutes. Rinse with cool water and gently squeeze (do not wring) out water. Fold into a towel and press out excess water and lay flat on a dry towel to air dry. Reshape if necessary
3. Avoid wearing in rainy weather, but lay flat or hang to dry if it becomes exposed to water. Reshape if necessary
4. Air out if garment starts to smell
5. Purchase cashmere (or any wool) after Christmas or off-season for a decent price

Needless to say, I’m yet again very happy with my purchase. I just bought it on New Year’s Eve and I can’t seem to stay away from it. The sweater is soft, warm and cozy. If taken care of correctly, this sweater should last me a few if not several falls and winters. I’ve given my cashmere scarves the love they deserve over the last three years and they’re still holding on.

I purchased my cashmere sweater from Bloomingdales and will most likely purchase another one in the summer months. I hope this was a good post to start off 2017 because I had no clue what to write about today. I decided on this topic because it was something that made me happy these last few days. Thanks for reading!

ChelsiKay