Cashmere Buyer Checklist

A working checklist for brands, retailers and gifting buyers sourcing cashmere. Use it to compare suppliers on the same terms, test a sample properly and get the right things in writing before you pay. No sign-up needed.

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Written by Pashmina Studio, a family-led cashmere manufacturer in Kathmandu since 1982. We are a supplier, so read it with that in mind: every question here applies to us too, and our own answers are on the supplier guide. Last reviewed October 2026.

1. Before you contact anyone

• Product and constructionWoven or knitted, rough dimensions, and a reference piece or photograph if you have one.
• Quantity per style and colourNot just a total. Suppliers price and schedule by line, and minimums usually apply per style and per colour.
• The date the goods must be in your handsThen count backwards: freight, then production, then sampling and corrections.
• Your marketDestination country decides labelling rules, documents and import duty.
• What you will claim to your customers“100% cashmere”, “made in Nepal”, “sustainable”. Each claim needs evidence you can request in advance.

2. Questions every supplier should answer clearly

• Who actually makes it?Their own production, partner workshops they coordinate, or a trader buying finished goods. All can work. You need to know which.
• What is the minimum per style and per colour?A real manufacturer gives the numbers straight away and explains what changes them.
• How is sampling charged, and is it credited against bulk?Get the policy in writing, including how long development samples take.
• When does the lead time start?From order, from deposit, or from sample approval. These are different dates.
• Payment terms and IncotermsFor example EXW or FOB, and what share is paid before production and before dispatch.
• Whose certificate is it?Yarn certificates usually belong to the spinner, not the manufacturer. Ask for the certificate for your specific yarn and lot.
• Where is quality checked?Yarn intake, first piece off the machine or loom, in-line, after finishing, and final packing.
• What is the rejection tolerance, and what happens beyond it?
• Who will you be dealing with?The same person from enquiry to dispatch, or a hand-over between sales and production.

3. Testing a sample properly

• Check the composition labelAnd ask what fibre test the supplier relies on if you plan to make composition claims.
• Weigh it and measure itBefore and after one gentle hand wash. Record both.
• Agree tolerances in writingWeight and dimensions as a range, not a single figure.
• Judge colour in daylightAgainst your physical reference or lab dip, not a screen.
• Rub-test for pillingSome surface pilling on cashmere is normal; heavy pilling after light rubbing is not.
• Inspect the finishingEdges, fringes, seams, mending, labels and pressing.
• Seal one approved pieceSign and date it. It becomes the production standard and the reference for any dispute.
• For a repeat style, ask for a second sampleConsistency between two samples tells you more than either sample alone.

4. Put the production requirements in writing

• Technical sheetYarn count, ply, gauge or weave, dimensions, weight and finishing.
• Colour referencesApproved lab dip for every colour, and whether each colour is one dye lot.
• Labels and packagingWoven label, care label, hang tag, polybag, carton marks and barcodes, with artwork deadlines.
• Inspection standardAgainst the sealed sample, with an AQL level if you use one, and whether you will send a third-party inspector.
• Documents you needCommercial invoice, packing list, certificate of origin and any composition declaration your market requires.
• Payment milestones and delivery terms

5. Importing

• ClassificationDuty depends on the product’s HS classification, its fibre content and its origin. Confirm with your customs broker for your exact product.
• PreferencesWhether goods of Nepali origin qualify for a preferential rate depends on your country’s current rules and the origin documents. Check official sources at the time you import.
• Landed costUnit price plus freight, insurance, duty, local taxes and clearance. Compare suppliers on this figure, not the invoice price.

Our importing guide links to the official customs sources for the main markets.

6. Red flags

• No clear minimum, or a minimum that changes depending on who asks
• Unlimited free samplesSomeone pays for them, usually through the unit price.
• Certificates in the supplier’s name that the issuing body cannot confirm
• A single duty rate quoted without asking where you are importing to
• Raw fibre origin claims that do not match how the supplier describes its yarn sourcing
• Reluctance to put specifications and tolerances in writing