Keep it long, treasure it long.

Light yet warm Mongolian cashmere

When did the allure of cashmere sweaters begin? Cashmere's image as a high-quality, delicate material seems like a mark of sophistication. It becomes an item you want to acquire when you've refined your sense of choosing what you like and what suits you, while also recognizing what you "should own." ZUTTO aimed to create a "Cashmere cardigan that can be loved for a long time." We pursued a balance between quality, design, and price.

A Material with Natural Functions

Let's explore why cashmere is considered such a precious material. Cashmere comes from the natural down of cashmere goats living in harsh mountainous regions with extreme temperature differences between summer and winter, such as Mongolia, China, and Iran. To survive winter temperatures as low as -30°C, cashmere goats have coarse outer hair, but underneath lies fine, long, soft down. This down is only collected by combing during spring molting, with each goat producing just 150-200g. While this scarcity has earned it the name "fiber jewel," its pleasant feel and characteristics stem from various factors:

1. The fibers are fine, causing minimal skin irritation. Fiber thickness is about 14-16 microns (1 micron = 1/1000mm). Compared to regular wool at 25-30 microns, you can see how fine cashmere is. This fineness creates multiple microscopic layers that trap air, providing excellent insulation while maintaining lightness and thinness.

2. Mongolian cashmere fibers average over 40mm in length, 6-8mm longer than typical cashmere. This length creates an extremely smooth surface with elegant luster. Longer fibers also interlock more strongly, reducing fiber loss and pilling while maintaining the product's appearance longer. The longer fiber length also reduces production waste, keeping costs and final prices lower.

3. The material has a natural sheen and smoothness. Natural oils coating the fibers create cashmere's uniquely smooth texture. It's flexible with excellent moisture absorption and heat retention properties.

Additionally, cashmere's superior elasticity is unique, contributing to the fabric's flexibility and smoothness, with strong "recovery power" in the yarn itself. With proper care and rest between wears, this allows for long-term use while minimizing shape distortion, sagging, and stretching.

Everyday Luxury

Despite its luxury image, we created this classic design hoping it would become an everyday piece rather than just for special occasions. The Mongolian Cashmere Button-less Cardigan features slightly rounded sleeves, emphasizing a silhouette that complements cashmere's gentle feel. We intentionally omitted buttons to create clean vertical lines and added pockets on both sides.
Paired with our Mongolian Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater in matching colors, you can create a set that offers exceptional warmth.

Both items use this Mongolian cashmere knit material, constructed with 26-count two-ply yarn in 12-gauge single rib. The 12-gauge knit is neither too thin nor too thick, providing necessary winter warmth while avoiding bulk under coats and maintaining a smooth silhouette.

The single rib knit gives texture to the garment, creating a somewhat casual impression with its three-dimensional stitches. The stretch provided by this knitting method is particularly useful for shoulder movement during cold seasons.

Cashmere Born from Mongolia's Nomadic Traditions

For Mongolian nomads, cashmere goats are family members they live and migrate with. Preserving traditional nomadic life is essential for the goats' stress-free existence. We were fortunate to create sweaters using Mongolian cashmere, specifically using wool purchased from nomads and knitted in Mongolian cashmere factories. These factories are members of the Sustainable Fiber Alliance, which monitors sustainability and traceability in Mongolian and Chinese cashmere production. They work to minimize environmental impact from goat breeding and related factories, monitor animal welfare activities, and promote fair employment conditions, prevent child labor, and protect traditional communities.