Cashmere Grades Explained: How to Tell Real Quality From Cheap Blends

Cashmere is the most abused word in knitwear. It is also one of the most profitable words — which is exactly why the market is full of garments labelled cashmere that contain very little of it. If you buy or sell cashmere knitwear, understanding grades and testing is not optional.

What Cashmere Actually Is

Cashmere wool — usually just called cashmere — is a fibre obtained from cashmere goats, pashmina goats, and some other breeds of goat. Both the soft undercoat and the guard hairs can be used; the softer undercoat is reserved for textiles, while coarse guard hair goes into brushes and other non-apparel uses.

The fibre is hygroscopic, absorbing and releasing moisture from the air depending on the surrounding environment, which helps regulate body temperature in both warm and cool conditions. That is the physical basis for the comfort claim.

On supply: a number of countries produce cashmere, but China and Mongolia are two of the leading producers, with Afghanistan ranked third as of 2019.

The Grade Vocabulary (And What It Hides)

The single most important fact: "A grade" is not a regulated term. It is a trading convention, and different traders apply it differently. Fibre diameter and length are the metrics that actually predict how the garment will feel and wear.

Why 100% Is Not Automatically Good

Two 100% cashmere sweaters can perform completely differently:

• A short-fibre, 19-micron 100% cashmere sweater pills within a month
• A long-fibre, 15-micron 100% cashmere sweater stays smooth for years

Both are legitimately "100% cashmere." The difference is in the raw fibre, which is exactly where cost gets cut. When a supplier quotes 100% cashmere at a price that seems too good, the explanation is almost always fibre length and diameter, not a bargain.

The Blend Problem

Because cashmere commands a premium, blends are marketed aggressively. A 5% cashmere / 95% wool blend is sometimes called a "cashmere blend" sweater — technically true, functionally misleading.

There is a documented integrity issue here: some yarns and clothing marketed as containing cashmere have been found to contain little to no cashmere fibre, which is why the industry has seen calls for more stringent testing to ensure items are fairly represented.

Practical protections for buyers:

• Test before you commit. Fibre composition testing on the yarn or finished garment costs little relative to the risk of a mislabelled container.
• Specify percentage in the contract, not just the word "cashmere." Write "70% wool / 30% cashmere" and require the label to match.
• Match the label to the test. Composition labels must be accurate within market tolerance — a mismatch is a compliance problem, not a cosmetic one.
• Ask where the fibre came from. Traceable sourcing is both a quality signal and an increasingly common retail requirement.

How to Judge Cashmere in a Sample

The hands-on checks a buyer can run on a sample:

Nothing replaces a fibre test for composition, but these checks catch the obvious problems before you commit to a run.

Sustainability Reality Check

There is a real environmental issue in cashmere production that brands should know before making claims: poor land management and overgrazing to increase production of the valuable fibre has contributed to grassland degradation in parts of Asia. If your brand is building a sustainability story around cashmere, look for traceable, certified sourcing rather than assuming natural equals sustainable.

FAQ

Is 100% cashmere always better than a blend?

Not automatically. A long-fibre 15-micron 100% cashmere is excellent; a short-fibre 19-micron 100% cashmere pills quickly. Meanwhile a well-made 70/30 wool-cashmere blend can outperform a poor 100% garment at a lower price. Judge the fibre, not the percentage alone.

What does cashmere grade A mean?

Grade A is a trader convention based mainly on fibre length, not a regulated or universally defined standard. Different traders apply the term differently, so grade letters should never substitute for actual fibre diameter and length specifications.

How can I verify the cashmere content in a garment?

Commission a fibre composition test on the yarn or finished garment. Composition labelling must be accurate within market tolerance, and independent testing is the only reliable way to confirm that a "cashmere blend" contains the percentage claimed.

Where does most cashmere come from?

China and Mongolia are two of the leading producers, with Afghanistan ranked third as of 2019. Origin matters for traceability and increasingly for retail compliance requirements.

Sources

• Cashmere fibre characteristics, leading producer countries and documented composition-integrity issues (textile fibre reference material, 2019–2026)
• Textile fibre composition labelling and testing requirements (US, EU, UK markets)

The Bottom Line

Cashmere quality is decided at the fibre, not on the label. Know the difference between grade letters and micron counts, test composition before you commit to bulk, specify percentages in writing, and treat "cashmere blend" as a question rather than a claim. Brands that do this protect both their margin and their reviews.

LINFAIR produces cashmere blend and pure cashmere knitwear from Dalang, Dongguan with documented fibre sourcing, photo and video QC at every stage, and Oeko-Tex certified production. Send us your cashmere brief and we will specify the fibre honestly — including when a blend is the better commercial choice.