From farm, to factory, to your front door...
Learn how we’re building a transparent,
sustainable cashmere supply chain.
Responsible farms
The cashmere in our sweaters and accessories comes from over 1,000 farms in Inner Mongolia, which are all certified to The Good Cashmere Standard® by the Aid by Trade Foundation (AbTF)—an independent standard that supports the welfare of cashmere goats, the lives of farmers and farming communities, and the environment in which they live.
In 2022, we launched our first model farm program in partnership with The Good Cashmere Standard. We’re investing in two farms in Inner Mongolia to help them develop best-in-class practices for animal welfare, human rights and sustainability, and then share their knowledge with neighboring farms.
In addition to our work in Inner Mongolia, we also founded a program in partnership with the Sustainable Fibre Alliance (SFA) to empower women in the broader cashmere industry. Through this program, we support over 1,000 female herders across Mongolia by providing education, financial incentives and techniques for elevating quality (and adding value) to their products.
Responsible
cleaning &
processing
Raw cashmere (called “tops”) is sent from farms to local facilities to be washed and processed into our famously soft fibers. Our facilities are also members of The Good Cashmere Standard, and work to ensure only cashmere from our certified farms makes it into our products.
Responsible mills
Our cashmere then travels to a mill where it’s dyed with custom-developed colors and spun into the luxurious yarns we use for our sweaters. Our mills test all our cashmere fibers for quality and durability to make sure they’re as soft and long-lasting as possible.
Responsible factories
The next step in the process takes place at a factory where the yarns are knit into the sweaters you know and love. As of fall 2023, 100 percent of our cashmere sweaters are made at Fair Trade Certified™ factories that provide additional income and better conditions for the people who work there.
For each product produced in a Fair Trade Certified factory, J.Crew pays a premium that goes directly to a fund overseen by the people who work there. Last spring, the committee at one of our cashmere factories voted to spend their premium on physical examinations for all their employees. Over three days, doctors visited the factory to perform health checkups and answer questions.
Responsible
packing & shipping
Now, it’s time for our cashmere to be shipped out to you. We partner with UPS to provide carbon-neutral shipping. Through credible, verified emissions projects, UPS helps us offset the greenhouse-gas emissions for every shipment we make.
By 2025, our goal is to sustainably source 100 percent of the paper and plastic in our packaging. Currently, our polybags are made of 100 percent recycled content, and we’re constantly seeking out even more sustainable packaging alternatives.
And here’s where you come in…
We want our cashmere to last for decades, and maybe even be handed down one day—because the most sustainable option is what’s already in your closet. That’s why we created a guide to help you care for your cashmere and the planet (at the same time!).
Make it last
