What Is Pashmina Made From?

During the 1990s, cashmere burst on the scene of the global fashion industry. Since then, pashmina, the high-end product of the cashmere family, has come to be readily available for consumers.

Definition

Pashmina is made from high-end cashmere, which is a type of fine wool that comes from the downy, soft fibers of a goat's undercoat.

Wool Production

The goat that produces the wool used to make pashmina is only found in the upper-elevations of the Himalayas. The goat makes approximately 7 oz. of cashmere fibers every six months.

Pashmina Production

The undercoat of the goat is spun into cashmere, and that cashmere is shipped to Nepal and Kashmir to produce pashmina products.

Pashmina

Pashmina is used to make a wide range of products from scarves to shawls to table linens.

History

The first knowledge of pashmina comes from third-century B.C. Kashmir, where it was used in the traditional wool shawls for Kashmirian women.

Business

Zayn-ul-Abidin, a Kashmirian ruler from the fifth century, is the first-known industry provider of cashmere. He is said to have brought weavers and artisans from Central Asia to mass-produce and export pashmina and other cashmere products.

Resources

• "Silk, Mohair, Cashmere and Other Luxury Fibres," Robert R. Franck