Cashmere vs Wool: Six Interesting Facts

It's good to know the difference between cashmere vs wool, and understand which one to pick and why.

1. Cashmere is eight times warmer than sheep's wool. It is also significantly lighter if the garment is made of high-quality, 100-percent cashmere.

2. All-wool is the fabric of any description in which yarns are 100 percent wool from sheep. Other wools, such as angora, alpaca, camel, cashmere, mink, and rabbit are named for the animal providing the fiber. They must be present in amounts of 25 percent or more to alter the properties of the blend.

3. Cashmere comes from the hair of goats and alpaca from alpacas. Merino used to denote the wool of Merino sheep but now is used in a wider sense. It's generally very soft wool, though still not as soft as cashmere or alpaca.

4. Durability will depend heavily on the quality. In general, merino wool is the sturdiest, though the least soft, and is usually the cheapest. High-quality cashmere is durable but very expensive, and cheap cashmere tends to be very shoddy.

5. The softer the wool the more likely it is to pill because the fibers are shorter.

6. The common factor of both these woolen items is that they are warm, stylish, and very expensive. So, if you are investing in either, treat them well and use them rightly.