|
|
|
 |
 |
 |
 |
   |
View items related to this story
CASHMERE SHOPPERS BEWAREBest way to cheer me, cashmere me.--Dave Frishberg, ''Peel Me A Grape'' Sam Ramirez gets great cheer from cashmere. Made from the downy hairs of several breeds of mountain goat, the fabric is so soft that wearing it ''makes you fall in love with yourself,'' says Ramirez, who runs a health-care billing service in Houston. Ramirez has a closet full of cashmere--and her husband always finds a new cashmere cardigan under their Christmas tree. But shopping for cashmere isn't as simple as it used to be. Once a luxury item found only on the shelves of tony retailers, cashmere has found its way into such mass-market outlets as Banana Republic and the Lands' End catalog. While sweater prices of less than $100 may indicate inferior quality, even expensive cashmere clothing can be ''horrendous junk,'' says Richard Forte, president of Dawson Forte Cashmere, a major importer of cashmere sweaters. With the prices of some similarly fashioned sweaters differing by as much as $2,000, it's important to know how fine cashmere should look and feel. First, ignore the hanging tag. It may read ''cashmere'' or ''cashmere blend,'' even though the label on the inside of the garment may say it contains only 10% of the soft stuff. And while more cashmere attire now comes from China, where labor is cheap, that doesn't mean the garments made there are any less desirable than those from Scotland or Italy. It also doesn't matter where the fibers originate. Some designers such as Donnatella Versace and Carolina Herrera have taken a shine to pashmina. Because the wool is shorn from Himalayan goats that live at altitudes of 12,000 to 15,000 feet, pashmina marketers contend that theirs is the warmest, softest cashmere around. Experts, however, don't buy that claim. ''Location doesn't tell you much about the quality,'' says Christopher Lupton, professor of wool and mohair research at Texas A&M University in San Angelo. Lupton contends that ''you can raise identical animals just about anywhere.'' You can discern the quality in the look and feel of the garment. Good cashmere ''should have a luster to it,'' says Karl Spilhaus, president of the Cashmere & Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute (617 542-7481; www.cashmere.org), an industry group in Boston. Eyeball the tailoring, too. Seams should be tight, with no stray strings. The fabric should also be ''light and bouncy,'' says Ann Dooling, proprietor of Montana Knits, which markets products made of cashmere from her herd of 700 goats in Dillon, Mont. You shouldn't see any coarse, spiky hairs sticking out. These strands come from a goat's outer hair and are supposed to be separated from the fluffy underlayer before weaving. Otherwise, the garment may be itchy. ''Good cashmere can be worn right next to your skin without irritation,'' Dooling says. And with great pleasure.
By Kate Murphy RELATED ITEMS
|
Updated Dec. 17, 1998 by bwwebmaster
Copyright 1998, by The McGraw-Hill Companies Inc. All rights reserved.
Terms of Use