There are a number of little ways to ensure your favorite cashmere sweater lives a long and healthy life, retaining its shape and style even as it becomes vintage.
Never hang cashmere.
Hanging your cashmere with the rest of your clothes is a surefire way to draw the ire of gravity and turn your favorite cashmere sweater into a lanky, stretched out mess. It's best to fold and store cashmere flat in a dresser or on a shelf.
Always wash cashmere before long-term storage to prevent moths and bugs.
Stored, clean cashmere is unappealing to critters searching for their next meal. Moths and other bugs are attracted to lingering smells like sweat, deodorant, and perfumes. To prevent surprise closet guests, always wash your cashmere before putting it away for the season.
Store cashmere in fabric bags.
Plastic clothing bags seal in moisture, creating the perfect environment for mildew and sweater-stink. Fabric bags provide natural airflow, creating an airy, but protective, environment for garment storage.
Don’t use razors or scissors to remove pills.
Razors and scissors may be good for grooming human hair, but they’re not great for cashmere. Both run the risk of yanking more than just pills, taking sturdy pieces of the garment with them during the depilling process. Instead, use a lint brush or sweater stone. Both simply scoop off existing pills without grabbing onto or cutting into the main cashmere weave.
Keep cashmere away from rough items like jewelry.
While beautiful, jewelry rubs against your clothes constantly throughout the day. For cashmere, that means guaranteed pills, as the friction created by your jewelry will catch, snag, and irritate the natural cashmere fibres. In particular, avoid wearing cashmere and jewelry made with rough-cut stones or small chains.