Environmental degradation, pollution, and starving animals are not usually the words associated with a fabric as exclusive and luxurious as cashmere. However, cashmere products have recently fallen victim to China’s “big box retail revolution”. Previously a luxury afforded only by the elite, present-day consumers can now find cashmere garments as cheap as 19.99 (USD) in stores like Wal-Mart.  While this may seem great for the consumer, there are many other factors that are affected by the recent mass production of low-cost cashmere.

Quality vs. Price

Even though China and Mongolia supply most of the world’s cashmere even for the most expensive brands, the difference in quality come from manufacturing. Scotland and Italy are well known traditional centers of excellence when it comes to spinning and knitting cashmere. In these countries cashmere production is a centuries old trade. Companies in China often lack the design capabilities of high-end luxury mills that produce the world’s finest cashmere.