Pure cashmere or a cashmere blend – which should you choose?
“Pure cashmere” is used as a mark of quality, and a blend is often taken to be the cheaper version. It isn't that simple. The two solve different problems, and which is better depends entirely on what the garment has to do.
What pure cashmere can and cannot do
Cashmere is the undercoat of the cashmere goat. The fibres are extremely fine, which gives it a softness and a warmth-to-weight ratio no synthetic fibre matches.
But those same properties come at a cost. Pure cashmere pills more, tolerates less abrasion, loses its shape more readily under frequent wear, and rarely survives machine washing. It is a material that rewards careful and occasional use.
What a blend changes
Blending cashmere with another fibre trades some of the softness and warmth for durability, recovery and breathability.
Modal is a cellulose fibre made from beech wood. It is smooth, highly breathable, absorbs moisture better than cotton and handles washing far better than wool. It contributes the cool, silk-like surface.
Elastane is added in small amounts – typically 2–5% – and is what makes a garment return to shape rather than bagging at the elbows and waist.
Pay attention to the percentages
Worth being blunt about: a high cashmere percentage gives you more of cashmere's character, and a low one gives you less. A piece with 10% cashmere does not feel like a piece with 90%.
But that isn't the same as worse – it is a different job. In a thick knit meant to keep you warm, a high percentage makes sense. In a thin inner layer worn against the skin and washed often, a high cashmere percentage would be a problem: it would pill, stretch and fail in the wash.
So don't ask "how much cashmere is in it" in isolation. Ask what the garment is for.
When pure cashmere is the right choice
- Knits and cardigans, where warmth and softness are the whole point
- Pieces worn occasionally rather than weekly
- Outer layers that don't sit directly against the skin
- If you accept hand washing and careful storage
When a blend is the right choice
- Inner layers and baselayers worn against the skin
- Pieces you want to wear often and wash often
- When the garment needs to hold its shape all day
- When you want to layer without adding bulk
What to look for
Whichever type: look for the composition stated in percentages – not just "cashmere blend". Look for a specific care instruction. And look for whether the maker explains why the blend is composed as it is. If they can't, the composition was probably chosen on price rather than on function.
Our own choice
For Alea Baselayer we use 10% cashmere, 85% modal and 5% elastane. The low cashmere percentage is deliberate: the piece is designed as an inner layer to be worn and washed often, and the modal is what makes that possible without the garment pilling or losing shape. The cashmere is there for the surface and the drape.
If what you need is a warm knit, this isn't the piece to buy – you want something with a higher cashmere content. See also our guide to caring for cashmere.