Cloth Question--Loro Piana Cashmere & Goat Hair

[Mark Seitelman]

My tailor has saved for me an end bolt of Loro Piana. It is 90% cashmere and 10% goat hair. It is suitable for a sportscoat.

It is a lovely brown with a slightly rough texture with some tan/gray hairs interwoven in the cloth. I have been told that other customers have expressed interest in the cloth.

Are any of you familar with this cloth? Are any of you familar with the use of goat hair mixed with cashmere?

Your advices and recommendations are always appreciated.

[T4phage]

Is it the "Cashmere Coarsehair"? Looks somewhat 'tweedy', like a Shetland? If so, it is not blended with goathair, it is actually cashmere with a bit of the leftover hairs that are usually discarded when combing the fleece of the Cashmere goat. I like the relatively decandent feel of the fabric combined with the varigation of colour, but it will in all likelihood not last as long as a shetland wool, and maybe not retain it's shape after a few years.

[Mark Seitelman]

Yes, T4phage, you have described it. I believed that it is called "Cashmere Coarsehair" on the label that Loro Piana provides.

Incidentally, the shop has another "Cashmere Coarsehair" in an oatmeal brown. It has been suggested as trousers to the darker brown sportscoat, but I am passing on this. I have heard that cashmere is too delicate for trousers.

Thank you for your response.

[lancepryor]

I should think that the 90% Cashmere/10% Goat hair fabric description is in fact correct, in that Cashmere comes from a specific type of goat; hairs that don't meet the technical standards to be called Cashmere (presumably because of size, coarseness, or some other attribute) would correctly be called goat hair. Of course, I presume that you could also just call the fabric 100% Goat hair, but somehow I don't think LP would want to do that!

[T4phage]

You're right Lance since cashmere is a goat... I think it is a bit crazy for LP to be labelling it 'cashmere and goat'... since it comes from the same animal.

[Mark Seitelman]

I passed by Bergdorf Goodman today, and I spoke to the Loro Piana custom salesman.

He said that Coarsehair Cashmere has some of the corse hairs of the goat in order to give the cloth some interesting texture. LP also makes it for sweaters.

He did not have any swatches in the LP books, therefore, I wonder if the end bolt was an experiment or limited run?

[T4phage]

I passed by Bergdorf Goodman today, and I spoke to the Loro Piana custom salesman.

He said that Coarsehair Cashmere has some of the corse hairs of the goat in order to give the cloth some interesting texture. LP also makes it for sweaters.

He did not have any swatches in the LP books, therefore, I wonder if the end bolt was an experiment or limited run?

I have seen swatches of the "Cashmere Coarsehair" in Italy this year, so I don't think it is an 'experiment'... maybe a limited run? Most of their 'experimental' fabrics never really make it into the market and they sometimes sell it off in their outlets.