The wool is a costly commodity, partly to do with the labor-intensive rigmarole of gathering and processing the yarn, and therefore considered a luxury in the modern market.

A cashmere goat’s natural fleece is made of up fine, soft under-down hairs mixed in with coarser hairs known as ‘guard hair’. To produce the super-soft cashmere yarn we’re all familiar with, the fine hairs must be extracted and processed.

This is achieved by combing the goat’s fleece by hand during the moulting season, when it can take up to two weeks to procure all the fine cashmere hairs. A single goat yields only 150 grams of cashmere yarn per year, which is just about enough to make a single scarf.

Despite the costly and time-consuming production techniques, cashmere has been steadily gaining popularity across all markets, and demand this season is greater than ever.

From the illustrious Paris and Milan design houses to high street stalwarts, cashmere has appeared in nearly every label’s winter 2013/14 collections and used widely for knitwear, coats and accessories.

Larger-scale production has brought prices down, with brands such as Uniqlo offering cashmere at more wallet-friendly prices, dispelling the popular belief that cashmere is exclusively for those with deep pockets. Of course, high-end designers continue to create garments at eye-watering prices from ‘pure cashmere’, which has been further treated to remove impurities and coarser hairs.

Lookbook Inspiration

Key Pieces

• Allsaints Elba Cashmere Cardigan
• Allsaints Elba Cashmere Crew Jumper
• Jaeger Luxury Cashmere Overcoat
• Uniqlo Men Cashmere Turtle Neck Sweater
• Uniqlo Men Cashmere V Neck Sweater Colour Block
• Uniqlo Men Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater
• Reiss Herald Crew Neck Cashmere Jumper Aubergine
• Reiss Harp Cashmere V-neck Jumper Duck Egg
• Burberry Brit Cashmere Zipped Hoodie
• J.crew Ribbed Cashmere Beanie Hat
• Exemplaire Zipped Cashmere Cardigan
• Jaeger Shawl Neck Cashmere Cardigan

3. Merino Wool

Second only to cashmere, merino wool is also prized for its refined texture. The softest type of sheep’s wool, it has the added benefit of being non-irritating when worn against the skin.