Cashmere is one of the finest but, at the same time, most delicate yarns that exist. It is therefore important to take care of your Cashmere garments to enjoy them for a long time.
One of the phenomena that most commonly occur on Cashmere garments is the “pilling effect”.
What is pilling?
Pilling is a natural and typical aspect of wool and, in particular, of cashmere and consists in small dots (pills) on the surface of the garment. These dots are formed because, once the garment is worn, the heat of the body heats it and consequently the yarn (especially if it is not so twisted) tends to widen and make the very small surface fibers come out and roll up on themselves.
Pilling is therefore not an indication of the low quality of the yarn, as is erroneously thought, but it is an absolutely common peculiarity of Cashmere and fine wool.
In any case, it remains visually unpleasant and, for this reason, it is interesting to know how to reduce the phenomenon and extend the life of your garment.
Why does pilling occur?
As mentioned, the tendency to form dots on Cashmere and wool garments is not only natural but even accentuated the softer and lighter the garment is. For what reason? A yarn obtained by many twisting turns of the yarn will lead to the creation of a heavy garment which, however, will have more closed and dense fibers so as to limit, even if not completely, the appearance of the dots; on the other hand, a garment obtained with a few turns of twisting the yarn will lead to the creation of a light, soft and swollen garment but more subject to the formation of pills.
There is also a scale that measures the resistance to pilling of a garment and goes from 1 (very bad) to 5 (excellent).
A good cashmere garment has a resistance between 3 and 4.
In conclusion, it is therefore important not to sacrifice the softness of the garment, by virtue of the fact that pilling will occur whether it is cashmere or wool and, in any case, it is a preventable and solvable phenomenon.
Find out how to prevent and treat the problem of pilling, download our guide.
