# The history behind men’s cashmere socks While nowadays cashmere has a global reputation as a luxuriously warm and soft fabric, that has not always been the case. Indeed, although men’s cashmere socks are firm favourites in our Parisian boutique, cashmere itself only made it to France around the turn of the 19th century. Legend has it that Napoleon Bonaparte sent a cashmere shawl back to Paris whilst campaigning in Egypt and the fabric’s popularity boomed from there. It is also said that Napoleon’s dying wish was for a top-notch Parisian sock company to one day design replicas of his stockings, so that people all over the world could proverbially take a walk in his shoes. While that last claim is heavily disputed by any historian worth their salt, we have indeed released a range of Napoleon inspired knee-high socks! Anyway, back to cashmere and back in time to the 14th century, when travelling Iranian poet and scholar Ali Hamadani gifted the king of Kashmir a pair of cashmere socks (the original men’s cashmere socks!). These socks were woven from the fine undercoats of Himalayan mountain goats, and as you might have guessed, they went down very well with his majesty. From then on, the cashmere industry blossomed. Cashmere is itself an anglicisation of the geographical region of Kashmir which spans parts of India, Pakistan and China. Cashmere goats themselves can be found grazing as far as 4000 metres high up in the Himalayas. Here they face bitterly cold winters, where temperatures can drop below -30°C. To fight these freezing temperatures, cashmere goats have developed a dual fleece system; tough and stubborn outer hairs protect a fine undercoat of hollow hair-fibres which trap air, insulating our goat friends. As well as its insulating properties, cashmere is known for being extremely soft. This led to the fabric's popularity in Europe in the 19th century. While France was the first European country to spin cashmere, Italy and Scotland have long been industry leaders on the continent. Luckily for you, all our men’s cashmere socks are knitted in master Italian workshops. # Why should I wear cashmere socks? If you’re already a fan of men’s cashmere socks then just keep scrolling, you clearly already know what you’re doing. However, if you’re new to the idea you may be thinking, “Yes cashmere socks sound great, but when and how should I wear them”. You’ll find that cashmere socks are the ideal winter sock. Perfect for the colder months of the year, our men’s cashmere socks will keep your feet warm even on winter’s frostiest days. If cashmere goats can survive -30°C winters, our luxury cashmere socks will keep your feet nice and toasty wherever you are. Not only are 100% cashmere socks incredible insulators, they’re also luxuriously soft and lightweight to boot. When you wear pure cashmere socks, you’re treating yourself to unparalleled comfort and warmth. Cashmere is also much finer than regular wool. This means that you’ll have no trouble fitting our men’s cashmere socks into your shoes, nor will they be as constricting as thicker fabrics such as wool. While pure cashmere socks are almost unfeasibly soft and warm, it is worth noting that they are more delicate than other luxury men’s socks such as those woven from cotton lisle, wool, or our super-durable range. Don’t be fooled, this is by no means a disadvantage. It just means that you can enjoy your cosy cashmere socks how they are meant to be enjoyed, when you’re spoiling yourself. Our men’s cashmere socks are the perfect bed socks. Wear them around the house on lazy weekend days, or more taxing weekdays now that working from home is the new normal. In essence, wear our men’s cashmere socks when you want to treat yourself. Trust us, there’s no better way! We also sell cashmere blend socks, such as Mazarin’s fantastic cashmere and silk socks. These socks combine cashmere’s insulating abilities with silk’s natural thermoregulating properties. The result is a beautifully soft and sleek sock that can be worn all year round. # How to care for men’s cashmere socks? Buying pure cashmere socks is a bit like buying an exquisite bottle of French red wine. High quality products like these must be treated with respect and properly cared for if you want them to age well. Being more delicate than cotton or sheep’s wool (cashmere is in fact defined as a hair rather than a wool), cashmere requires some special treatment:
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