Pilling is a natural characteristic of soft, fine yarns — not a defect. It happens when everyday friction (arm swing, bag straps, seatbelts, layering with coats) lifts short surface fibers and tangles them into small balls. You'll see it most where there's the most contact: under the arms, along the sides, at cuffs and elbows, and at the neckline when layered.
Here's something most people don't know about high-grade cashmere: it pills at first like any cashmere — but the difference is, ours pills much less over time. The ultra-fine hairs in our Royal Cashmere (14–15.5 microns) are spun tighter and packed more densely into the yarn. So once the loose surface fibers shed in the first few wears, there are far fewer left to come loose. The piece settles into a smooth, long-wearing finish — and from there, it pills less and less over time.
Lower-grade cashmere doesn't behave this way. Because the fibers are coarser and less tightly spun, loose hairs keep working their way out at roughly the same pace for the life of the garment, so the pilling continues year after year.
Our cashmere does most of its shedding in the first few wears, then settles in for the long haul. A quick de-pill with a cashmere comb in those first weeks is the small investment that pays off for years.
For full care guidance, see Care & Storage.