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YOU GOAT, GIRLS! ‘TIS THE SEASON TO CASH IN ON BARGAIN CASHMERE

FOR years, cashmere has been a fabric only the rich could enjoy.

Now’s your chance to stock your closet, too.

Stores like Ann Taylor and the Gap sell 100 percent cashmere clothes and accessories at prices more suited for synthetic blends.

Even discount giant Target has gotten in the action, rolling out $19.99 cashmere scarves and hats.

Blame it on the economy: This sudden crush of reasonably priced cashmere is one of the only good things to come out of a lousy financial climate.

“We’ve been in a recession, and so prices for raw material is down,” explains Karl Spilhaus, president of the Cashmere and Camel Hair Manufacturers Institute in Boston.

“The demand [for cashmere] is smaller, so lower-priced goods are more available.”

That’s the reason Express, a midprice chain with over 1,000 stores nationwide, decided to roll out its first extensive cashmere line earlier this fall – trendy hoodies, drawstring pants, fitted sweaters and tank tops from $58 to $99.

“We’ve always toyed with it,” says Pam Seidman, the company’s p.r. spokeswoman. “This is the first time we’ve done it in a big way.”

And the decision has paid off. “Sales have exceeded expectation,” she reports, “and we’ve already reordered.”

Also helping drive prices down is that factories in new source countries like China are perfecting the careful weaving process used to make cashmere, which was once the domain of Italy and Scotland.

Cashmere is expensive because there are a finite number of goats growing their costly coats at any one time – and it takes one goat up to four years to make enough cashmere for one women’s sweater.

“Cashmere is like gold or diamonds,” says Spilhaus. “If you find a sweater for an unbelievably low price, I’d be suspicious.”

Impatient and spendthrift companies who want to produce cashmere quickly often scrimp on quality.

Cashmere fibers are priced by their length – longer threads are more expensive, but they make stronger yarn and they last longer and resist pilling.

When manufacturers are pressed to make a less expensive garment, they do two things – use cheaper cashmere and use less of it.

Instead of buying fur from the belly of the goats, they’ll bid on the coarser hair found higher on the goats’ sides. Though it’s not nearly as soft, it can still be labeled 100 percent cashmere.

Sometimes they’ll lie outright, labeling sweaters that include wool blends that sag and don’t last as long as “pure” cashmere.

Despite CCMI’s best efforts – Spilhaus has sued companies for mislabeling – some still fudge their fabric content.

Since you can’t rely on the honesty of the parent company, cashmere buyers must learn to go on their own instincts (see sidebar).

But thanks to the drop in prices, you’ll have a wider range of styles, colors and brands to choose from.

“You really have to be a careful shopper,” says Spilhaus. “Go to a reputable store, ask questions and look for quality.”

Kid stuff

1. Cashmere is made from the hair of goats that live in the coldest regions of northern China and Mongolia.

2. The most expensive cashmere comes from long, soft hairs found on the underbelly of the goat. Cheaper cashmere is made from the hairs higher on the goat’s side.

3. An average goat produces only 4 to 6 ounces of under-down a year. It takes one goat up to four years to grow enough fiber for a high-quality women’s sweater.

4. Cashmere fibers are harvested by brushing the hair on the goat’s belly. This is done each spring.

5. The name cashmere comes from the Kashmir, the mountainous land bordering India and Pakistan.