At DMI, we not only get orders and offers from silk and cotton buyers and suppliers but also receive enquires for cashmere fabrics. In this blog, we will talk about Cashmere, one of the most popular and revered naturally produced luxury textile fibers in the world found in and around India’s Kashmir region. If you are interested in top textile companies in India and China exporting cashmere fabrics, continue reading this blog.
What is Cashmere Fabric?
Cashmere fabric, also known as Kashmir or Pashmina fabric, is a type of natural fiber produced from the undercoat hairs of Pashmina or Cashmere goats. These goats are native to Central Asia and the Gobi Desert. The soft, light, and warm fiber, along with its long and complex production process, makes it a high-prized textile product in the world. Due to its luxurious sheen, moderate insulating properties, and durability, Cashmere fiber is popularly used for making warm clothes, like sweaters, shawls, scarves, socks, and other light thermal wear.
The exceptional softness of cashmere comes from its fine diameter of fibers, which is less than 19 microns.
While cashmere is not as insulative as its fellow natural fibers like Sheep wool, Angora, and Alpaca, it produces a much softer fiber, making weaving it into highly dense but thin fabric possible. For instance, unlike sheep wool, you can wear cashmere directly next to the skin. This makes it a perfect material for high-end winter fashion.
Cashmere fabric suppliers charge 100X more than cotton suppliers as their production process is highly labor intrusive. Besides, the supply of raw cashmere fiber is limited to only certain parts of the world.
Cashmere Today in Textile Industry
At present, China is the biggest producer and exporter of Cashmere and will remain the same in the future despite increased production worldwide. However, a sizeable market exists in India and other Central Asian regions.
While many animal rights activists have raised concerns about how the Pashmina goats are treated, at DMI, we have partnered with only ethical and sustainable cashmere manufacturers in India and China.
The world economy is gradually moving toward fair, ethical, and sustainable textile production and manufacturing processes. And since no synthetic fiber can replace the goodness of Cashmere, the fabric will continue to have an undying impact on textile trading, thanks to the cruelty-free manufacturing standards and demand for organic textiles.
Meanwhile, if you are looking for organic top textile companies in India, click here to enquire.
Uses of Cashmere Fabric
Cashmere fabric is used in a variety of textile and accessories production. It is a highly versatile fabric that adds warmth, softness, and luxury to any design or product.
Here are some of the uses of Cashmere in the textile industry:
Garment and Apparel: Cashmere is used to fashion impressive and beautiful garments, such as shawls, kurtas, shirts, coats, scarves, hats, gloves, jackets, underwear, and sweaters. It can last for many decades and is perfect for people living in colder regions like Kashmir.
Fashion Designing: The fabric is a popular choice for coveted and luxurious clothing, such as wedding gowns, skirts, trousers, and other intricate formal wear. In fact, it was a popular textile adorned by the European nobility for years.
Interior Design and Bed: Cashmere wool is also used to make various accessories, like pillows, blankets, bedsheets, and throws. They are also used for creating gorgeous upholsteries for drapes, curtains, blinds, and furniture. They add a great touch of luxury to any home décor. Using Cashmere accessories and home decor is prideful in many Indian homes.
Sports: Cashmere underwear, thermal wear, and sweaters are popular for winter sports enthusiasts. You will see many sportspeople flaunting Cashmere in their skiing and snowboarding activities.
Since cashmere wool is lightweight and delicate, it is not used for industrial applications or outdoor and heavy garments, such as trench coats.
If you are also looking for top textile companies in India to buy cotton fabric online in India, download TEXchange Global, an online portal created by the experts of DMI Pvt. Ltd.
Different Types and Grades of Cashmere Fabric
There are several types of cashmere fiber available with their own qualities and properties. Some of the common types include:
- Chinese Cashmere
- Mongolian Cashmere
- Indian Cashmere
- Tibetan Cashmere
- Iranian Cashmere
Mongolian cashmere is known for its long, thin fiber, and hence it is the most prized cashmere fiber.
Indian Cashmere or Pashmina is produced in the states of Jammu and Kashmir. Pashmina is known for its soft and warm fibers and is often used to make traditional garments, like Shawls.
Cashmere’s grading is based on fiber quality, determined by thickness, length, and softness. Cashmere’s grades are classified into five types in the textile industry, including:
- Cashmere wool
- Pashmina
- Grade C
- Grade B
- Grade A
Grade C is the lowest, roughest, and cheapest quality, while Grade A is deemed a luxury and is quite expensive.
However, Cashmere grading is not standardized and may vary with each manufacturer. The grading system also does not reflect the final textile product.
Cashmere Production and Cost
Cashmere is produced in several countries, but China is the largest supplier, followed by Mongolia. Cashmere or Pashmina goat is native to the Kashmir region of China and the Gobi Desert. Most of the Gobi Desert lies within China’s borders. The goats are well adapted to the cold and harsh climate of the Kashmir ranges.
Gobi Desert is the epicenter for the production of contemporary cashmere textiles.
In addition to these regions, India, Iran, and Afghanistan are major suppliers of Cashmere. Top textile companies in India produce high-quality Pashmina fabrics in their relatively small manufacturing units.
Since the manufacturing of cashmere is labor-intensive, the production process is often carried out by small farmers, who raise the goats and farm the coat using traditional methods.
How Much Does Cashmere Cost?
Cashmere’s cost can vary significantly depending on the production source, and fiber grade and quality, manufacturing process, country, and brand. Generally, Cashmere is more expensive than sheep wool due to its limited supply of raw materials and complex production.
Traditional cashmere manufacturers charge higher as they follow an ethical and sustainable production process.
Mass-producing Chinese manufacturers’ prices might be lower than the traditionally produced Cashmere fabric.
In addition, the lower the fiber grade, the lower the price. Higher-grade pashmina fibers are much thinner, providing a natural sheen to the wool, which increases the price. For instance, a quality cashmere sweater can cost anywhere from $150 to $600, while a scarf costs $50 to $200. Cashmere bedsheets and linen cost even more.
Cashmere is a versatile and beautiful natural fiber, and India has a good market for it. You can trade cashmere, cotton, and other natural and synthetic fiber at DMI.
