The suitcase for a holiday in the mountains: in the name of cashmere and natural fibres

Summer. Desire for vacation and relaxation, to disconnect for a moment from the city, from its frenetic rhythms. To discover new places, even better if immersed in nature. The mountain, with its lush greenery and pure air, responds perfectly to all this. A pleasure for the senses, an oasis of peace.

There is no shortage of peaks in Italy, between the Alps and the Apennines, not to mention the Dolomites, not surprisingly a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Wonderful peaks in all seasons, perfect for any time of the year.

And the suitcase? Preparing what you need to take with you is anything but simple, on the contrary, it is a real art. Also because the risk is to exaggerate, in one sense as in the other, perhaps leaving at home those garments that in hindsight turn out to be useful and important to have with you.

The suitcase of the mountain can reserve particular pitfalls, especially when it comes to summer. Because for the winter you know, the temperatures are cold and cold, you need to cover up and that’s it. But in the summer? The mountains can present sudden climatic changes, with temperatures that can already be milder than the sea or the city in August and even bring snow to important altitudes. How to solve these doubts? Simple! Packing natural fibers such as linen, silk and cotton and an unexpected yarn, cashmere, perfect for all seasons, including summer.

1stAmerican cashmere garments are designed in this sense, so that they can be used all the time, not just in winter. With attention not only to the quality of the raw material, a high-level cashmere, but also to styling, with colors that match practically everything, and a look also at the price, generally not exactly cheap but which with 1stAmerican is definitely more affordable for different budgets.

Not only that. On 1stAmerican you can find other fabrics that look great in combination with cashmere, fine natural fibers such as linen, silk and cotton. 1stAmerican combines an informal style perfect for everyday life, winning over the businessman as well as the university student. For outfits that can be worn all the time. In the city as well as on vacation.

The hircus goat and its natural habitat

The cashmere goat or hircus is normally raised on the highlands of Asia in countries such as Mongolia, Tibet, Afghanistan and Kashmir and the latter is its country of origin. Territories that are characterized by a climate that has strong temperature variations with temperatures that are very cold at night and milder, often decidedly torrid. The hircus goat therefore does not have an easy life and that is why it has naturally developed its fine yarn, cashmere, capable of adapting to the difficulties of its natural habitat. A factor that makes cashmere in itself a material that lends itself to being worn in all temperatures: cold, mild and muggy.

At the same time, producing cashmere is not easy. The hircus goat is a particular breed that requires specific conditions, those of the desert areas of Asia from which it originates. But the strong demand for the precious yarn has also led the breeding of these animals outside the primordial border. The currently leading countries in production are Mongolia and China but they are not the only ones to be active in the creation of cashmere, of which there is also a direct branch in Italy, which with its varied climate is also ideal for the Hircus goat (for example in the Aosta Valley territory).

Cashmere: what characteristics make it perfect for summer

The reasons for choosing to wear cashmere in summer are many and they all lie in the basic characteristics of the yarn, capable of keeping warm in winter and at the same time guaranteeing the feeling of freshness in summer. Cashmere, in fact, is characterized by being a natural thermoregulator of the skin, as evidenced by its origin.

Another reason is in the quality of the workmanship. Being a very thin yarn, it is this element that guarantees its softness, it requires a lot of quantity to produce a garment. Suffice it to say that a goat can produce up to a maximum of 200 g of yarn and to obtain a 100% cashmere sweater it takes the shearing of two goats.

In any case , the efforts are really worth it. Cashmere is naturally insulating, soft like no other material, only silk can compete with it but remains more rigid, fantastic despite being a wool even in contact with bare skin, never bristly, free of smudges.

In common with silk it has not only softness, but also shine and resistance. If well maintained, cashmere can last a lifetime, maintaining its main characteristics over time.

1stAmerican has made it its hallmark for all these elements, with garments with a dynamic and at the same time reliable, young and experienced, generous and cheerful personality: this is cashmere, this is 1stAmerican.

Linen and silk: always perfect

Linen needs no introduction. Or maybe yes, being sometimes an underestimated fiber whose history is lost in ancient times, even in Prehistory, the oldest textile material in the world, traditional even in Europe. A simple and thin fabric that protects without thinking, worked by primitive man and venerated for its infinite qualities by the Ancient Egyptians, who used it to preserve the mummies of the pharaohs who thought a divine condition matured through linen.

Linen has never had a period of decadence and its use has never failed, managing to be handed down over the centuries. In the nineteenth century it entered the machine of the industrial revolution following the introduction in France of the mechanical weaving procedure; The consequence is that linen becomes easier to produce and spreads in mass culture.

Linen is pleasant to the touch and is a material that allows the skin to breathe. It is resistant, as demonstrated by its state of preservation in Egyptian mummies, fresh, able to absorb moisture, has thermoregulatory properties and is hypoallergenic. For these reasons, it is suitable for everyday life, including that of the holiday, even more so in the mountains where it allows you to face the different temperatures of the day in the best way.

Silk is equally versatile , also with a history that is lost in the weaves of time and has a well-defined place of origin: China, where silkworms were jealously guarded (exactly for 5000 years) and the precious fabric used to make the peoples of Mongolia more malleable, stronger and more prepared on a military level but not insensitive to the charm of silk, used as a diplomatic weapon.

Silk is seductive, expensive to produce as well as to buy, a fine fabric beautiful to the eye and to the touch, breathable and thermoregulating, very similar to cashmere in terms of peculiarities, although with different results. 1stAmerican loves silk and offers it, like cashmere, at reasonable prices without sacrificing quality; in fabrics where it is the protagonist alone or together with other materials such as cotton and cashmere itself. Making everything in its path precious.

What do I bring on holiday? The suitcase for him

And we are back to the initial question: what do I pack, what do I take with me to the mountains? In addition to personal accessories of various kinds, remember that a Kobo or a Kindle takes up much less space (and weight) than paper books but can carry much more, the most important part is given to clothes. That’s why choice is vitally important.

Let’s start with the bosses for him. Of course, hiking shoes and backpack, technical clothing if you want to walk or do physical activity and then… The cashmere sweater! Which fits in the suitcase gladly: it is perfect for cool weather and also for higher temperatures and above all it fits in a small space. 1stAmerican also offers it in cashmere-wool and cashmere-silk variants. And it is precisely this last combination that is perfect for the mountains in summer, in a fabric that combines the best aspects of both materials.

Cashmere-silk is durable, lightweight, soft to the touch, heat-insulating and at the same time breathable. In short, a bit like the mountains: an intense breath of clean air. It can be found both thicker and lighter, in fashion colors ranging from blue to gray to burnt. In the suitcase of the mountain it would be good to have a piece of both grains to be really ready for anything.

You cannot miss the 100% linen 1stAmerican shirts that are characterized by their casual and elegant style in both light white and light blue colors and darker ones such as the navy blue shade. A garment that can be worn in summer as well as in the summer and if desired also in winter, under a warm sweater, even better if in cashmere.

In combination with the linen shirt in the mountain suitcase for him we add the inevitable jeans, a swimsuit that can never be missing, indeed, better to wear two and… Are we forgetting something? A cotton and silk sweater by 1stAmerican to alternate with the cashmere-silk one. If we have chosen a basic color at the beginning, this time we can dare with a bolder fashion shade such as a yellow, an electric blue and even a cherry: with a classic shirt and jeans the combination is guaranteed!

Let’s now move on to see her suitcase. Where personal items cannot be missing including sunscreen (the one also for him, in the mountains with UV rays is no joke) and a personal touch in terms of style, perhaps with a pair of simple earrings and a bag for the evening. And the clothes? A moment of patience!

The suitcase for her in the mountains

So, all that’s missing are the clothes. Swimsuit, pajamas, jeans and comfortable trousers in basic colors in jeans but also in 100% linen, practical and elegant, to be combined both with the cotton t-shirt and with an ultrasilk sweater by 1stAmerican, light, soft and at the same time practical to take on vacation: it still leaves plenty of room for other garments.

It is also better to add an ultrasilk cardigan, a garment that is worn elegantly over T-shirts and shirts, capable of giving that extra warmth that tastes like pampering, after all, in the mountains understanding how to dress is difficult to predict and the onion solution is a winner.

A silk dress is ideal for adding an elegant touch and can be worn both day and night, a light caress on the skin that at the same time protects from that fresh evening air and that goes well with the cardigan we mentioned earlier.

We can also pack a silk blouse , to give an alternative to the dress for the outfit of the day as well as the evening. Silk is a material that is a bit like a butterfly: it looks fragile but can fly, it remains resistant. That’s why we will also put a scarf of this material in our suitcase, ideal not only for being stylish but also for protecting yourself from the elements both in the sun and during a walk.

The silk scarves that 1stAmerican offers are beautiful, wide and at the same time able to shrink while taking up little space. A touch of style to wear not only around the neck, but also on the hair, taking inspiration from Grace Kelly and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, who have made it a hallmark of their personality.

Her suitcase is also ready. But are we sure we have put everything? Maybe we forgot something… The poncho that makes mountains all year round. To stay on the veranda feeling surrounded and loved by the wonderful essence of cashmere, without the need to bring another jacket in addition to the sports one for walking.

Ready to go?

His suitcase is ready. Her suitcase, too. Are you afraid that you have put too much clothing and that you need a larger luggage to carry everything? Don’t worry, thanks to cashmere and natural linen and silk fibers you have trendy outfits in just a few compartments. Your suitcase will reserve you a pleasant surprise: not only will it close easily but, unless you have added several books, it will weigh very little. In fact, natural fibers such as linen and silk have a very low specific weight that can be felt both in contact with the skin and when the suitcase is closed and it is time to load it into the car. The time has come to leave, the holiday has arrived. The mountain has never moved: it remains there waiting for us. Ready to go in style, comfort and… Natural fibers?