1. Different sources
Cashmere: Comes from goats, from the thin layer of cashmere closest to the base of their skin. Goats will grow fine velvet to keep warm in cold climates according to changes in temperature. The best cashmere in the world comes from Inner Mongolia, and 70% of the world's cashmere is produced in Inner Mongolia, and its quality is better than that of other countries.
Tip: Cashmere is a very precious and scarce resource, and only a dozen grams of cashmere can be harvested from each goat.
Wool: Sheep do not produce wool! It comes from sheep. Even if the sheep's wool is very fine, it is called wool in the industry. Anything that says sheep wool, lambs wool, or merino cashmere is fake. The best wool in the world comes from Australia, and Merino wool is recognized as the best wool in the world.
2. Different warmth retention properties: cashmere > wool
Under the same coverage area, finer cashmere has a larger surface area, and more static air can be trapped between the cashmere, so it has better warmth retention. Cashmere is eight times as warm as wool and is lighter than wool, weighing only one-fifth of it. It is the best choice for winter clothing fabrics, but it is also more expensive.
3. Different hygroscopicity: cashmere > wool
Cashmere is more hygroscopic than wool, which is reflected in its color. Cashmere does not fade after dyeing and has full colors. Cashmere also has the best water absorption among fibers, making the upper body breathable, comfortable and light. If you immerse a cashmere sweater in water, it will be completely wet in a few seconds, while a woolen sweater will take more than half a minute to get wet.
4. Different pilling resistance: wool > cashmere
Wool is relatively durable and does not lose its shape and elasticity quickly, even after prolonged use and washing. Cashmere sweaters are more prone to deformation and pilling than wool sweaters. If you don't pay special attention to daily care, cashmere sweaters will become very unwearable.
5. Different skin-friendliness: cashmere > wool
The cashmere scale layer is round, and its original structure determines that its surface will be smoother and more delicate, making it skin-friendly and comfortable to wear. So those who feel a little prickly can just pass it, it is definitely not pure cashmere. There are layers of jagged ridges on the side of the wool, and the scale layer is pointed. The original structure determines that its surface is rougher. It is recommended to add a base layer when wearing it.
6. Different outputs: wool > cashmere
Each sheep can produce several kilograms of wool per year. Only a few dozen grams of cashmere can be harvested from each goat each year. In 2017, global wool production was about 1.1 million tons, while cashmere was about 20,000 tons. It can be said that cashmere has become a "luxury product".
7. Different prices: cashmere > wool
It takes about 5 goats to make a cashmere sweater, and the wool of one sheep can produce about 5 sweaters. It can be seen that the price of cashmere is much higher than that of wool
8. Different shrinkage resistance: cashmere > wool
Cashmere sweaters basically do not shrink after washing, while wool sweaters shrink more or less.