After the first few times you’ve worn your cashmere garment, you may find small balls of fibre gathering on the surface. These small balls, known as “pills, are caused by some of the loose fibre tangling together as areas of your garment are rubbed during wear.

The “pilling” is not symptomatic of inferior quality but rather an inevitable consequence of the careful processing of this fine fibre. Pills can be easily removed by hand or by using a ‘de-bobbler’ comb available from most haberdashers. You will find that, removing the pills in this way, the garment will actually consolidate and soften in handle and touch. Like fine wine, cashmere will improve with age if cared for properly, and will last for years.

Moths are a hazard for most natural fibre garments. A great method to keep them away from your wardrobe is to use scented deterrents such as cedar balls, or hanging sachets of lavender, rosemary or clove. Although they smell lovely to us, moths in fact hate the smell. To help keep the moths away hang the cedar balls around your hangers or dot them around in amongst your folded cashmere. Do remember to replace these products when their smell diminishes.

The lifecycle of a moth is about 21 days so it’s a wise idea to shake-out your cashmere once per month. If you suspect you have moths, air your garments in daylight as the larvae are repelled by this (if you have any, they will drop off your clothing).