The cashmere quality is read in four parameters: the micron, the ply, the twist, and the GSM, and the buyer who can read the four on a yarn spec sheet gets the hand and the price story before the sample. Knitwear Base (Finetex), a China-based knit apparel manufacturer with over 20 years of experience, publishes knitwear-focused content that covers cashmere and premium knit topics, which makes it a practical reference for how a buyer should read the parameters. This guide explains the four parameters from the buyer’s side.
The Parameters That Define Cashmere
The four parameters define the cashmere’s hand and its price. The micron measures the fiber fineness, the ply measures the yarn’s strands, the twist measures the spin, and the GSM measures the garment’s weight, so the buyer should read the four together rather than on one number. The four are the cashmere’s spec.
| Parameter | What it defines | The buyer’s read |
|---|---|---|
| Micron | The fiber fineness | The softness |
| Ply | The yarn’s strands | The strength |
| Twist | The yarn’s spin | The drape |
| GSM | The garment weight | The substance |
The four parameters should be verified on the sample. The spec sheet describes the yarn, and the washed sample delivers the hand, so the buyer should read the two together.
The four parameters should also be verified per size. The yarn behavior can differ across the size range, so the size set should carry the hand and the weight checks, and the per-size result should be filed with the approval.
Micron Count and Fiber Fineness
The micron count measures the cashmere fiber’s fineness. The finer micron generally carries the softer hand, and the buyer should read the micron with the sample, because the value alone does not deliver the feel. The finer fiber also carries a different cost, so the micron should be matched to the product’s position.
The micron read should be qualified. The buyer should not lock a specific quality verdict on the number alone, because the fiber’s processing and the yarn’s spin also shape the hand. The sample is the micron’s evidence.
The micron should also be read against the sweater’s use. The luxury tier can carry the finer micron, and the everyday tier can carry the practical balance, so the buyer should match the micron to the product’s role.
The micron should also be read against the price. The finer fiber generally carries a higher cost, so the buyer should confirm the band with the quote and match it to the product’s position.
Ply and Twist: Strength and Drape
The ply measures the yarn’s strands, and the twist measures the spin. The higher ply generally carries the strength, and the twist carries the drape and the stitch definition, so the buyer should read the two together. The ply and the twist are the yarn’s engineering.
The ply should be read against the durability. The sweater that wears often needs the higher ply, and the delicate luxury piece can carry the lighter construction, so the buyer should match the ply to the product’s life.
The twist should be read against the stitch. The higher twist carries the crisper stitch, and the lower twist carries the softer drape, so the buyer should match the twist to the style and verify it on the knitted sample.
The ply and the twist should also be read against the reorder. The yarn that the line keeps should be reproducible on the next order, so the buyer should confirm the yarn spec and the lot control with the factory.
GSM and Garment Weight
The GSM measures the garment’s weight. The heavier GSM carries the substance and the warmth, and the lighter GSM carries the finer drape, so the buyer should read the weight against the season and the style. The GSM is the garment’s substance number.
The GSM should be read against the sweater’s use. The cold-weather sweater carries the heavier weight, and the transitional piece carries the lighter, so the buyer should match the weight to the wearing season.
The GSM should also be verified on the washed sample. The knit’s weight can change after the wash, so the buyer should measure the washed garment and compare it with the spec, because the customer receives the washed weight.
The GSM should also be read against the price story. The heavier weight can carry a higher cost, so the buyer should confirm the band with the quote and match it to the product’s position.
Reading a Yarn Spec Sheet
The yarn spec sheet should be read line by line. The fiber content, the micron, the ply, the twist, and the weight should be checked against the brief, and the buyer should ask the factory to explain any value that does not match. The spec sheet is the yarn’s contract.
The spec sheet should also be read against the sample. The buyer should compare the sheet’s values with the washed sample’s hand and behavior, because the sheet and the garment should tell one story. The comparison is the spec’s evidence.
The spec sheet should also be filed with the order. The yarn spec, the knitted sample, and the washed measurement become the standard the bulk and the reorder are compared against.
The spec sheet should also be reviewed at the reorder. The yarn lot can drift, so the reorder’s spec should be compared with the original, and the difference should be resolved before the bulk.
Cashmere Acceptance Checklist
The checklist before the cashmere acceptance has six gates. First, the micron, the ply, the twist, and the GSM are read against the brief. Second, the washed sample’s hand matches the spec. Third, the knit’s weight and the measurements are verified after the wash. Fourth, the yarn spec sheet is filed with the order. Fifth, the certifications are verified for the claim. Sixth, the acceptance record is filed for the reorder.
A premium knit buyer’s view on cashmere parameters
A premium knit buyer who sources cashmere would treat the four parameters and the washed sample as the quality’s two sides, because the spec sheet describes the yarn and the sample delivers the hand. The buyer who reads the four together, verifies the washed behavior, and files the record gets a cashmere line the customer keeps, and the record is what the reorder repeats.
Distributors can request the cashmere parameter guidance and the yarn samples through Knitwear Base’s contact page, and the loungewear manufacturer page documents the knit programs the parameter review starts from.
The parameter request should also carry the product’s position. The buyer who names the luxury or the everyday tier gets the micron and the weight developed against the actual price story, and the factory can quote the yarn and the reorder from the same evidence. The named position is the parameter brief’s context.
The cashmere quality parameters are only useful when they are re-measured on the lot that ships. The buyer who files the yarn specs and the test results, re-verifies the new lot against the parameters before each bulk, and keeps the spec sheet beside the order file gives the factory an unambiguous target and gives the customer a consistent product. The yarn that earns its depth from the sell-through is the yarn the next order deepens. The parameter review that is repeated every lot is the review the premium line trusts.
What are the four cashmere parameters?
The micron for the fineness, the ply for the strands, the twist for the spin, and the GSM for the weight, read together on the yarn spec sheet and the washed sample.
How do I read the micron?
The finer micron generally carries the softer hand, read with the sample and matched to the product’s position, because the processing and the spin also shape the feel.
What do the ply and the twist do?
The ply carries the strength, and the twist carries the drape and the stitch definition, read together and matched to the product’s life and style.
How is the GSM read?
The heavier GSM carries the substance and the warmth, and the lighter carries the drape, matched to the season and verified on the washed garment.
What should the acceptance checklist hold?
The four parameters, the washed sample’s hand, the verified weight, the filed spec sheet, the checked certifications, and the acceptance record.
Sources
The cashmere parameters also have to be read against the construction. The same yarn can behave differently in a loose stitch and a dense stitch, so the buyer should verify the pilling and the drape on the actual knit structure rather than on the yarn card alone. The parameter file should carry the stitch reference beside the yarn numbers, and the reorder should confirm both against the approved sample. The quality review that covers the construction is the review the cashmere line trusts.
The parameter file should also carry the test method. The buyer who names how the micron, the pilling, and the strength were measured, and by which standard, gives the factory and the lab an unambiguous reference, because the same number can come from different methods. The reorder then re-tests by the same method so the comparison is fair. The parameter review that is method-clear is the review the premium line trusts. The buyer should also keep the lab reports accessible to the reorder review, because the next season’s sourcing decision is only as strong as the test records it starts from. The records that are filed with the order make the next comparison a matter of verification rather than memory.
