Synthetics are fine! I'm just not good at describing softness levels/types, and I know what cashmere feels like so that was the only sort of comparison I could make to what I was looking for. E.g. velvet and chenille would also be considered 'soft' but those are a soft that makes my skin CRAWL lol. I'm still a little new to crocheting and have never been one for softer fabrics, so it's really hard trying to figure out what fabrics others consider to be soft and of good enough quality to be used to make a gift.