Animal-hair fibre forming the downy undercoat of the Kashmir goat .
The fibre became known for its use in beautiful shawls and other handmade items produced in Kashmir, India. The fibres have diameters finer than those of the best wool s. Natural colour is usually gray or tan but ranges from white to black. Cashmere fabric is warm and comfortable and has excellent draping qualities and soft texture; it is used mainly for fine coat, dress, and suit fabrics and for high-quality knitwear and hosiery. A sweater requires the fleece of 4–6 goats; an overcoat uses that of 30–40. Because world production is small and gathering and processing are costly, cashmere is a luxury fibre.