Cashmere gloves – things you didn’t know

I have to say that when I tried on a pair of Johnstons cashmere gloves recently, I was really quite surprised at how comfortable they were. Then I realised my ignorance as to what made cashmere such a high end product. It’s something I suspect a few of us have wondered about.

So courtesy of Johnstons of Elgin I have been able to come up with some interesting factoids that throw light on the allure of cashmere:

• Cashmere was prized by Rome’s political leaders

• Sir Edmund Hilary wore cashmere when climbing Mount Everest

• Cashmere is sourced from the cashmere goat

• The cashmere goat fleece is combed or plucked by hand

• The limited supply of cashmere adds to it’s exclusivity – the average goat only yields around 125 grams of underfleece per year.

• The hair from one goat can make one scarf

• The fibre is so fine that its diameter is measured in microns

• The finest underfleece comes from goats subject to extreme hot and cold temperatures