How to Care for Loro Piana Cashmere and Fine Knitwear
Loro Piana isn't a logo brand — it's a fabric house that became a fashion label. Founded in 1924 in Piedmont, on a wool-trading family going back to the early 1800s, its reputation rests entirely on rare, ultra-fine fibres: baby cashmere from goat kids, live-shorn vicuña, and Gift of Kings merino among the finest wool on earth. So you're not caring for ordinary knitwear — you're caring for some of the most delicate natural fibre ever made into clothing. Treat it as the fine textile it is and it lasts for decades.
Key takeaways
- Loro Piana knits are ultra-fine natural fibre (baby cashmere ~13.5 micron) — treat them as fine textiles, not everyday clothing.
- Don't wear a piece two days in a row; the fibres need a day to recover, and you only need to wash every ~4–5 wears.
- Hand-wash cool with a mild wool detergent and dry flat away from sunlight — never wring or hang a wet knit.
- Professional-clean baby cashmere, vicuña, and delicate pieces; store knits folded, clean, with moth protection.
What You're Actually Caring For
Loro Piana's value lives in the fibre, and the finer the fibre the more delicately it must be handled.
| Fibre | Why it's exceptional | Care demand |
|---|---|---|
| Baby cashmere | Under-fleece of goat kids under a year — ~30g of ~13.5-micron fibre per kid | Highest; professional-clean the best pieces |
| Vicuña | Live-shorn under CITES rules; extraordinarily rare | Professional care only |
| Gift of Kings merino | Among the finest wool on earth (Australia/NZ flocks) | Fine-knit gentle care |
| Pecora Nera | Naturally dark merino, left undyed | Gentle; protect colour from sun |
The common thread: extreme fineness means the fibre is soft but fragile — it abrades, felts, and stretches more easily than everyday cashmere.
Let It Rest Between Wears
Loro Piana's own guidance is that fine knitwear should not be worn two days in a row — the fibres need a day to recover their structure and loft, and constant wear flattens them. Wash far less often than you'd think: roughly every four to five wears, not after each outing. Between wears, air the piece on a wide padded hanger (or lay it flat) so it recovers, and lift off surface fuzz with a soft garment brush rather than washing.
Washing: Hand-Wash Cool, Dry Flat
When it does need washing, hand-wash — or use a machine hand-wash/wool cycle — in cool water with a mild wool or cashmere detergent. Never wring or twist: press the water out gently, roll the piece in a towel to blot, then dry it flat, away from direct sunlight and heat. Sun fades undyed and dark fibres; heat felts and shrinks them; hanging a wet knit stretches it out of shape. For baby cashmere, vicuña, or anything with delicate detailing or embellishment, skip home washing entirely and use a cleaner experienced with fine fibres.
Storage, Moths, and Rainwear
Store knits folded, never hung — hanging distorts fine-gauge pieces under their own weight. Keep them somewhere dry and breathable, and add cedar or another moth deterrent: clothes moths target exactly this kind of fine animal fibre, and they follow body oils, so clean pieces before long storage. For outerwear in Loro Piana's Rain/Storm System, remember it is water-repellent, not fully waterproof — it sheds light rain and wind but isn't a technical shell, so don't push it like hard-weather gear.