Herringbone Cashmere Scarf in Grey Orange - Fort Belvedere

Once among the princeliest of Classic accessories, scarves are too regularly neglected in modern menswear as buyers turn to boring, dark solid colors or uninteresting patterns, all in cheap materials. Fort Belvedere, however, is eager to revive the grand tradition of colorful and interesting scarves that elevate, and never drag down, your Classic ensembles. Mindful of the fact that scarves are also meant to keep you warm, our scarves are made from only the finest materials and each is perfectly sized to fully insulate your body while allowing for many stylish and visually interesting scarf knots.

Often considered one of the kings of fabrics, cashmere is regularly celebrated for its incredibly soft feel, its decadent texture, and its startling reputation. But the fact of the matter is, while only 6000 tons of cashmere are harvested internationally annually, there is a great difference between quotidian cashmere and genuinely exceptional cashmere.

In keeping with our values, we here at Fort Belvedere are dedicated to bringing you the very best cashmere and explaining why it is so exceptional so that you can make informed decisions.  

The length and width of a scarf massively impact not only its look but also how well it functions as an insulator. Most men’s scarves on the market today are 150 cm x 30 cm, or 60” x 12.” This sizing was selected only to save money on costly resources, and as such, it is too short to provide sufficient warmth or protection from the elements.

We extensively researched and tested various scarf lengths to find the perfect dimensions. We found that traditional Scottish scarves were 180 cm x 35 cm, or 72” x 14,” and while the length was ideal, the width felt too stuffy and constricting. Therefore, we settled on the perfect format of 180 cm x 30 cm, or 72” x 12” for all of our scarves: these dimensions provided the perfect union of warmth, coverage, convenience, and styling potential.

The Finest Goats. To find the best possible cashmere, we started at the very beginning with the best possible cashmere goats in Mongolia and China. The raw material for our scarves is derived from the fine under hair of the cashmere goat. Each goat produces only about 150 to 200 grams of hair annually, enough for about one single scarf.

Superior Quality Cashmere. To ensure softness, we source only the finest, thinnest cashmere hairs, which are between 14 and 16.5 microns wide. We also ensure that each hair has a staple length of 35 to 55mm, which reduces the likelihood of pilling.

Imported from China and Mongolia. To secure cashmere with our desired widths of between 14 and 16.5 microns, we went straight to the source for the best varieties of cashmere goats: Mongolia and China. Other nations known for raising cashmere goats, such as Iran and Afghanistan, produce inferior cashmere, usually of 17.5 to 19 and 16.5 to 18 microns thickness, respectively. These thicker, shorter, hairs tend to be rougher and have a higher propensity to pill.    

Perfectly Chosen for Vibrant Colors. To ensure that our scarves have rich, bold colors that aren’t muddy or faded, we source naturally white or lighter-colored cashmere hairs, rather than the cheaper gray or brown hairs. Lighter hairs can be dyed a wider array of colors while maintaining vivid, beautiful hues, unlike darker hairs, which can only be used for dark colors.  

Minimal Guard Hairs. Cashmere goat hairs come in two varieties: the delicately soft and fine under hair and the rougher, tougher guard hairs. For maximum softness, as many guard hairs as possible must be removed. The exact process our suppliers employ is a well-kept secret known to only a few experts left in the world today. Because this process entails both handiwork and mechanics, it is impossible to guarantee the removal of 100% of the guard hairs. However, our quality standards allow for less than 0.5% of guard hairs to remain, while many other cashmere scarves contain over 5% guard hairs, producing an overall rough and less desirable scarf.

Thistle-Treated Cashmere. Rather than relying on synthetic chemicals to artificially, and only temporarily, soften cashmere, as many other makers do, we employ a natural process that unlocks the true softness potential of cashmere. Genuine thistles are run over the cashmere to roughen up the fibers, giving the surface an airy, especially soft feel. Utilizing real thistles this way is expensive, but it is the best and most traditional way to guarantee top-quality cashmere.

Super Soft Cashmere. Following the weaving of our cashmere scarfs, the milling process ensures that they are as full and soft as possible, thanks in part to our use of traditional wooden rollers. At every step of the way, our scarves are carefully monitored by skilled weavers and inspectors to guarantee that the finished product is worthy of the Fort Belvedere name.