"100% cashmere" on a replica? How to tell if a Loro Piana-style jumper is really cashmere

Clothing Luxury
1

Hi! I see lots of Loro Piana-style jumpers with a “100% cashmere” label. Is it really cashmere or just a good label? :thinking:

Related threads: Acne-style fringe scarf: the face patch, the wool feel and the length, what to check, The preppy heritage look: cable knits and fine-gauge sweaters, where the reps fall short and Wool overcoat reps: why the composition label isn’t the whole story.

2

The short answer from most review threads: usually not pure cashmere. Reviewers tend to describe these as wool–cashmere blends or plain wool, even when the label says 100%. A composition label on a replica is just another printed detail. It isn’t a lab certificate.

3

So the label is useless? :thinking:

4

It works as a clue, not as proof. A composition label (the one giving the fibre percentages) is just as easy to print with one number as with another.

5

What about the burn test? I see it suggested every time.

6

It’s useful, but it has an important limit. The burn test (burning a loose strand from an inside seam) tells animal fibre from synthetic fibre:

  • Animal fibre: burns slowly, smells of burnt hair and leaves an ash that crumbles.
  • Synthetic: melts into a hard little bead and smells of plastic.

But it can’t tell cashmere from wool: both are animal fibres.

7

And watch out for safety: a single fibre, pulled from an inside seam, over a sink, never on the jumper itself. And an “animal” result still doesn’t prove it’s cashmere.

8

OK, but then what’s left? If neither the label nor the burn test proves it, you’re basically buying blind.

9

Practical summary, from most reliable to least:

1. What proves NOTHING

  • The composition label: just another printed detail.
  • QC photos: cashmere can’t be told from good wool in a photo.

2. Burn test (carefully)

  • It only tells you animal vs synthetic.
  • If it comes out synthetic → the “100% cashmere” is false.
  • If it comes out animal → it could be cashmere, wool or a blend.

3. Feel and look (compared with a reference)

  • Cashmere is very soft, light for its warmth and has a fluid drape (how the fabric falls on the body).
  • A coarser wool is itchier, stiffer and has less “bounce”.

If you have a garment like this, post a close-up of the knit in raking light: it clearly shows how fine the fibre is and how dense the knit.

4. Wear

  • Short fibres pill sooner. A little pilling in areas of friction is normal even on genuine cashmere, so it doesn’t prove anything either way.

Conclusion: a replica can be a lovely garment, but it’s best chosen for how it feels and how it fits you, not for what the label says.

Care tip: hand wash in cold water with a gentle shampoo and dry flat on a towel, never hung up.

10

Crystal clear, thank you! I’ll go with the drape and the feel. :sparkles:

11

A sober answer to a question usually met with wishful thinking. Well put.