Is this the end for mass cheap cashmere?

If you’ve ever found yourself thinking they don’t make cashmere like they used to… you’re not wrong. What used to be a durable heirloom (“proper cashmere shouldn’t be fluffy and soft when you first buy it,” one specialist told me) often now looks like a Disney cloud, and passes across the horizon just as quickly.

Cheap cashmere has come at huge cost. Combed, fluffed (and weakened) in order to have instant shelf-appeal, much cashmere dissolves into holes faster than your prized sourdough.

Goat hair (native to Mongolia and China) used to be harvested once a year. Combing the goat’s bellies and collecting the loose, super fine, super strong hair was done by hand during the moulting period, when the hair was loose and best-practice process was painless. In order to satisfy global demand for soft, cheap cashmere however, the farming process has been sped up.

Waiting for the goats’ moulting period is a luxury. All four legs are often tied up; combs are sharp, and the slow process can be extremely painful and stressful, resulting in bruising and injuries. Goats are also often given inadequate food and shelter.

This is an issue the more enlightened luxury houses, such as Stella Mccartney, Gucci and latterly Chanel, have been addressing.

Just as the world was being distracted by a certain virus, The Good Cashmere Standard was launched in January by the not-forprofit organisation Aid by Trade Foundation. Working with 2,000 farmers so far, GCS monitors livestockkeeping practices to ensure they’re sustainable and humane and hopes many British names will sign up to its pledge. It’s had a big boost from The White Company.

“We’re thrilled to be the first British brand to be working with The Good Cashmere Standard,” says Chrissie Rucker, The White Company’s founder. Making her supply chain across all White Company products as transparent as she can is the goal. “There’s no end point to our goal for sustainability. This is something we’re passionate about.”

Cashmere cardigan in chocolate, £149; Wide-leg trouser, £119. Cashmere crew neck with rib detail, £129; A-line satin skirt, £110, all The White Company