Cashmere Care
On my first visit to Dr Dre's family three years ago today, his mother, Renata, laid out a fraction of her treasury of cashmere sweaters, jackets, shawls, and dresses, and told me stories behind many of the pieces. The blue cardigan with the cream trim and pearl buttons was worn to Dr Dre's first day of nursery school some thirty years ago. The smart navy sweater dress was worn on election night when she ran for a post on the city council. Renata then urged me to get a cashmere sweater custom made as a souvenir of my visit to Lombardia. A luxury material anywhere else, cashmere is key element of the Northern Italian uniform; it's classic, hardy, and it keeps you toasty. Plus, for those of us who are not from the region, it's super chic. I was tempted to buy six sweaters in one go, but Dr Dre stopped me.
"When you grow up here, you get a new cashmere sweater every one or two years. Over time, you accumulate a wardrobe of cashmere, and each piece lasts. If you get a hole or a fray, you get it fixed," he explained, "Cashmere can really last you the rest of your life." The ultra soft lime green sweater he was wearing, he had had since his late teens; the contrasting beige stripes at the cuffs were added when the original cuff started to fray; the utilitarian-chic beige elbow patches were installed reinforcements when one of the elbows had worn thin and threatened to become a hole. And his grandfather, Gino, still wears a khaki-colored crew neck that was made in the '70s.
I started my cashmere collection with two sweaters: a round-collar in tomato red, and v-neck in turquoise. Dr Dre selected the actual spools of yarn that were used, and I was measured and fitted at the production site. When the sweaters were delivered to the house, Renata explained to me how to care for cashmere.
That was the first indication that I was being invited into the family, and in the moment, I was aware of the sentimental import as well as the practical one. That was my first lesson in keeping a home that followed the traditions Renata had learned from her mother (the beloved Pinuccia), that had most likely been taught by her grandmother and great-grandmother as well. There was a double-cultural impact for me. In the Philippines, it's a sign of great affection to wash the clothing of a loved one. Even in wealthy families that employ sizable staff, a grandmother or even a grandfather will often launder the clothes of a favorite grandchild who has returned home from university for the holidays. It's a lesson that Renata's own sister, la Zia, must not have mastered, or an important role that Renata has assumed in the family, because cousin Gaia trusts only Renata to wash her sweaters.
Currently, I own three cashmere sweaters and two cashmere capes. Anytime I wear them, I feel like I am literally cloaked in tradition.
CASHMERE DON'Ts
- Don't take your cashmere to the dry cleaner; it's too risky. The chemicals could damage the fibers or cook the proteins in the fiber, and the garment will smell weird forever.
- Don't wash your cashmere too often. I tend to wear mine five or six times between washings, as long as they feel and smell clean.
- Don't use a shaver or anything else to cut the pills or lint. Just brush it away with your hand or use a gentle lint brush. Also, accept that some pilling is natural for any sweater made from natural fibers.
- Don't store your cashmere on a hanger that could misshape it; fold it and put it away in a drawer to protect it from intense light, dust and moths.
CASHMERE LAUNDERING
- Keep the laundry load small. At most, 3 sweaters (of similar colors) in one load.
- You can use laundry soap specially formulated for delicates, but I am now using market brand baby shampoo to wash my cashmere. I also use baby shampoo to wash other wools, as well as my lingerie and other delicate clothes. It's cheaper, better, and nicer smelling than Woolite. Use 1 1/2 capfulls of shampoo per sweater.
- Use the gentlest cold setting on the washing machine,
- Only do a short (2-5 minutes), gentle spin cycle.
- To dry, roll each piece into a clean, dry towel, and place the roll somewhere indoors where air can circulate well. After a day, unfurl the roll, turn the piece inside out, move it to the opposite end of the towel, re-roll, and leave to dry. The next day, unroll and check if the item is dry; if it's mostly dry but still a little damp, you can either re-roll it, or hang it to dry.
Note: Merino wool can be washed using the same method as cashmere.
"When you grow up here, you get a new cashmere sweater every one or two years. Over time, you accumulate a wardrobe of cashmere, and each piece lasts. If you get a hole or a fray, you get it fixed," he explained, "Cashmere can really last you the rest of your life." The ultra soft lime green sweater he was wearing, he had had since his late teens; the contrasting beige stripes at the cuffs were added when the original cuff started to fray; the utilitarian-chic beige elbow patches were installed reinforcements when one of the elbows had worn thin and threatened to become a hole. And his grandfather, Gino, still wears a khaki-colored crew neck that was made in the '70s.
I started my cashmere collection with two sweaters: a round-collar in tomato red, and v-neck in turquoise. Dr Dre selected the actual spools of yarn that were used, and I was measured and fitted at the production site. When the sweaters were delivered to the house, Renata explained to me how to care for cashmere.
That was the first indication that I was being invited into the family, and in the moment, I was aware of the sentimental import as well as the practical one. That was my first lesson in keeping a home that followed the traditions Renata had learned from her mother (the beloved Pinuccia), that had most likely been taught by her grandmother and great-grandmother as well. There was a double-cultural impact for me. In the Philippines, it's a sign of great affection to wash the clothing of a loved one. Even in wealthy families that employ sizable staff, a grandmother or even a grandfather will often launder the clothes of a favorite grandchild who has returned home from university for the holidays. It's a lesson that Renata's own sister, la Zia, must not have mastered, or an important role that Renata has assumed in the family, because cousin Gaia trusts only Renata to wash her sweaters.
Currently, I own three cashmere sweaters and two cashmere capes. Anytime I wear them, I feel like I am literally cloaked in tradition.
CASHMERE DON'Ts
- Don't take your cashmere to the dry cleaner; it's too risky. The chemicals could damage the fibers or cook the proteins in the fiber, and the garment will smell weird forever.
- Don't wash your cashmere too often. I tend to wear mine five or six times between washings, as long as they feel and smell clean.
- Don't use a shaver or anything else to cut the pills or lint. Just brush it away with your hand or use a gentle lint brush. Also, accept that some pilling is natural for any sweater made from natural fibers.
- Don't store your cashmere on a hanger that could misshape it; fold it and put it away in a drawer to protect it from intense light, dust and moths.
- Keep the laundry load small. At most, 3 sweaters (of similar colors) in one load.
- You can use laundry soap specially formulated for delicates, but I am now using market brand baby shampoo to wash my cashmere. I also use baby shampoo to wash other wools, as well as my lingerie and other delicate clothes. It's cheaper, better, and nicer smelling than Woolite. Use 1 1/2 capfulls of shampoo per sweater.
- Use the gentlest cold setting on the washing machine,
- Only do a short (2-5 minutes), gentle spin cycle.
- To dry, roll each piece into a clean, dry towel, and place the roll somewhere indoors where air can circulate well. After a day, unfurl the roll, turn the piece inside out, move it to the opposite end of the towel, re-roll, and leave to dry. The next day, unroll and check if the item is dry; if it's mostly dry but still a little damp, you can either re-roll it, or hang it to dry.
Note: Merino wool can be washed using the same method as cashmere.
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