FALL 2009
celebratedliving.com
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GREAT FINDS
ACashmereQualityCheck
Cashmere comes in all price points now. But before you are
tempted to save instead of splurge on this fine fabric, know
that all cashmere is not created equal. Although it may be
hard to tell the difference between the department-store
and discount variety without a textile degree, any fine
knitter will tell you it’s all amatter of microns. The
finest cashmere is made from goat fiber measuring
amere 13 to 16microns, about five times finer
than human hair. Moreover, for the finest baby
cashmere knitwear, “It takes the fiber from 19
animals tomake just onemedium-weight
sweater,” says Pier Luigi Loro Piana, chair-
man of Loro Piana, the world’s largest
cashmere supplier (sweaters shown at right).
Other top cashmeremakers such as
Avon Celli, Gran Sasso, and Brunello
Cucinelli, among others, spendmonths
testing for fineness, color (the whiter, the bet-
ter), and length (the longer, the stronger) to en-
sure the rawmaterials meet their rigid
standards. Although they might not say so on the
label, inferior cashmere knits are oftenmixed
withwool, mohair, and other fibers to keep the
price low.When shopping for cashmere, experts
say it’s best to look for a consistent, tight weave
and a butter-soft feel to the touch. But not too
soft. The best cashmere knits softenwith age;
those that start out with a slippery surface can in-
dicate over-processing of the fiber that may result
in easy pilling. —W.K.
WINTERESSENTIALS
Here’s what you need to welcome winter in style.
BespokeSkis
For ski racers, designing one’s own skis is
a necessity. For leisure skiers, it’s a luxury
that cannowbe realized, thanks toWagner
Custom. The custom-design team, who
work in a totally solar- andwind-powered
shop in beautiful Telluride, Colorado, will
create the best skis for you, right down to
the length, flare angles, flex profile, sidecut
radius, andwaist width. You’ll get 30 days
to evaluate the skis, lest they need addi-
tional tweaking. $1,695 a pair, wagner
skis.com
—
Lori Stacy
WINTER 2009
celebratedliving.com
BrightenYourWinterDays
Wecouldallusea littleextraglow in thewin-
ter, especiallyas thedaysget shorterand the
weathercolder. PhilipsDynamicLighting
bringsvirtual sunshine indoorsbycreatinga
stimulatingambience thatmatches thenatu-
ral rhythmofyourdailyactivities.Meaning
asyoustart todrag in theafternoon, youcan
up the lighting intensity tomakeyou feel
morealert. philips.com/because —L.S
.
