Not all cashmere is born equal
From the plateaus of Inner Mongolia to the borders of Scotland, highly skilled craftsmen and hundreds of years of expertise go into every garment.
Robert Old cashmere comes from the most precious sources and is painstakingly created. Our men’s cashmere sweaters and cardigans are knitted to become super soft and yet hold their shape time after time. There are many different grades of cashmere to choose from and our cashmere is created with only the highest quality ingredients that can be found anywhere in the world. We delight in sharing these luxurious garments with our customers.
Robert Old offers one of the largest collections of styles and colours that you will find anywhere. Take a look here to browse our selection or read on for more information about how our cashmere is produced and what makes Robert Old cashmere special.
Where does Robert Old cashmere come from?
Not every cashmere garment is of equal quality. The finest cashmere is gathered from the Cashmere goat that inhabits the plateaus of Inner Mongolia. Many grades of cashmere can be taken from these goats but Robert Old cashmere only uses the finest underhair that lies beneath the thick exterior coat. It actually takes the underhair of three goats to make just one sweater.
How are the fibres spun into garments?
By the time this cashmere reaches the Scottish borders, just a fraction of these raw fibres have been selected by the yarn spinners to form one of our garments. Only the highest quality strands will suffice. The spinners only use cashmere fibres that are a minimum of 34mm in length and a maximum thickness of 16.5 micron. So the resulting yarn has strength and stability from the length of the fibre and softness from the width.
The highly skilled craftsmen from the small town of Hawick in Scotland then apply a combination of traditional techniques and modern technology aided by the soft, pure Scottish waters of the Teviot to knit Robert Old cashmere.
This is the reason why Robert Old cashmere is so precious.
Why does the finest cashmere come from Inner Mongolia?
The cashmere goats that inhabit this region have to live in extremely cold temperatures, often around -40C degrees. To survive, the goats grow a thick coat with coarser hairs on the outside and very fine inner hairs. Cashmere goats brought to live in other parts of the world, including New Zealand, India and the USA, live in much milder environments this subtly changes the quality of their hair.
How is the cashmere hair gathered?
Each spring the herdsmen brush the animals’ coats to encourage the natural moulting process. They then gather the hairs and separate them into the different quality grades. Only the highest quality grade cashmere is purchased by the spinners to ensure super-soft cashmere garments.
What is difference between Robert Old “Premium” and “Super Premium Cashmere”?
Robert Old men’s cashmere sweaters are knitted using many different gauges or stitch sizes. The knitters select the gauge to create the particular characteristics desired; similarly they choose the yarn to suit those characteristics. Our most important yarn is technically called a 1/28 and to add stability in wear two of these are twisted together and used as 2/28s. The garments made from these yarns are often described as One Ply and are relatively light in weight and used as indoor or spring time wear, we call this our “Premium” quality. At Robert Old we have specialised in garments that are knitted combining two of the 2/28s yarn (i.e. 4 of the 1/28s). These are often called Two Ply, however we prefer to describe them as “Super Premium”, this yarn makes for a wonderfully robust and warm garment that seems to get softer the more it is worn. A connoisseur’s delight.
Another of our favourite yarns is a 2/16s yarn, the fibres are the same quality but the yarn is a little plumper depending how many ply are used they produce a slightly more casual characteristic in the final product.
How should I look after my Robert Old cashmere?
Although we would always recommend hand washing, dry cleaning is perfectly acceptable. We also recommend that it is washed after it has been worn three or four times, this helps soften the garment by spreading the fibres in the yarn and helps to remove any surplus fibres that have naturally come to the surface
When hand washing luke warm water should be used (30c) and just a little quality soap. Gently kneed the soap through the garment and if you have to rub it all use another part of the fabric gently. Rinse the garment in clean tepid water and remove the soap then gently squeeze out the most of the water; a delicate spin in a warm dryer for a short while will remove most of the rest of the water. Avoid twisting, wringing or a hot tumble dryer which may cause distortion or worse.
Whilst still damp, spend a little time smoothing the garment into its intended shape and then let it dry on a towel away from sunlight and direct heat. A light press with a cool iron will complete the process.
Once you have made an investment in a Robert Old cashmere garment, you want to keep it looking its best. See our Care Guide for general care advice.