When I was in college, I remember my Mom coming home with sweaters for me. Although I lived in the freezing Chicago weather, I didn’t wear sweaters very much, nor did I appreciate a nice winter scarf. The sweaters my Mom would show me were made of Cashmere and she always told me how soft they were. I never accepted her offers, until one time when I chose two sweaters, one light blue, the other black. Both were Cashmere cardigans and they were different brands. Terrible decision! After wearing the sweaters only a few times, both started to pill terribly. And, piling is one of my pet-peeves so I was not happy. One sweater actually stretched until it looked funny on me. Needless to say, I gave it away and have stayed away from Cashmere ever since.

Fortunately, my experience in the Peace Corps in Peru introduced me to something that would become my life saver during the cold Chicago winters; Alpaca Fiber! The Peruvians really know how to do it right, especially those who are living high in the Andes Mountains (without heat).

Alpaca is definitely as soft (if not softer in many cases) as Cashmere and therefore they are competing materials. However, most people are unfamiliar with the true qualities of Alpaca which make it a better choice than Cashmere.

Let me briefly explain.

Alpaca is warmer, more durable, wear resistant (it won’t pill and it will look new forever), wrinkle resistant, stretch resistant, hypo-allergenic, and shinier. And, what many consumers are not aware of is that biodegradable Alpaca is an eco-friendly and renewable resource, unlike Cashmere. In fact, the raising of Cashmere goats has increased rapidly over the past decades in order to produce mass quantities of wool. This production is extremely harmful to the environment as it causes dust storms and contributes to the desertification of land in Asia.

Give Alpaca a try. I promise, you won’t go back. Alpaca or Cashmere?

For more on Alpaca, watch Mayu’s video or visit www.whatisalpaca.com.