The three fibers

Cashmere, yak, and camel wool are all natural fibers sourced from animals on the Mongolian steppe, and caring for them follows the same basic principles we cover on our main care page. But each fiber has its own history and unique characteristics that are worth knowing—both to understand what you’re wearing and to get the most out of it.

Cashmere

Cashmere comes from the undercoat of cashmere goats—the fine, short layer that grows close to the skin to keep the animal warm in winter. When spring arrives and the frost subsides, the goats naturally shed their undercoat. At the producers we work with, it is collected by combing the goats (the goats are not sheared). A single animal yields about 200 grams of usable cashmere per year, and it typically takes cashmere from three goats to knit one sweater.

Cashmere has the finest fiber of the three types of wool, measuring about 14–16 microns. That is what makes it so soft. But it is also why cashmere requires gentler care than regular wool: the finer the “base fiber,” the more easily it loses its shape when washed roughly. So it is important to use cold or lukewarm water, mild soap, and avoid vigorous wringing.

Yak

The yak is a large, long-haired bovine that lives higher up on the Mongolian steppe, in the mountainous regions to the north. Yak wool comes from its undercoat—the innermost layer beneath the coarse outer guard hairs—and is also sheared in the spring. Yaks are adapted to some of the world’s harshest winters, with temperatures dropping as low as -40°C, and it is this ability—just like with goats and camels—that makes the wool so warm.

In practice, yak wool is somewhat more durable than cashmere. The fibers are slightly coarser (typically 17–19 microns), which results in less pilling and makes it a bit more durable. Yak wool should be cared for in the same way as cashmere—cold water, mild soap, and drying flat on a towel.

Finally, yak is the least damaging of the three fibers to the landscape. Yaks graze less intensively than goats and therefore do not wear down the steppe’s grass in the same way.

Camel wool

Camel wool comes from Mongolian camels—Bactrian camels with two humps—that live in the Gobi Desert in southern Mongolia. These camels can withstand one of the world’s most extreme climates: winters as cold as -40°C and summers as hot as +40°C, and their wool has evolved to withstand both extremes. The innermost undercoat is what becomes camel wool in clothing.

Camel fiber is unique in that it is hollow inside—it has a small air channel at its core—which makes it exceptionally insulating. A thin layer of camel wool keeps you just as warm as a thicker layer of regular wool. The fibers are typically 19–22 micrometers in diameter, which is slightly coarser than cashmere but finer than regular sheep’s wool.

The natural color is a warm beige-brown shade that makes camel wool beautiful to look at as a raw, undyed fabric. That is also why our camel wool products come in natural colors. The care instructions are the same as for cashmere and yak wool: lukewarm or cold water, mild soap, and drying flat on a towel.

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