Definition of Pashmina
Pashmina refers to a type of luxurious cashmere wool and the textiles made from it. Pashmina has also come to refer generically to the fashionable shawls that are hand-spun, woven and embroidered in Kashmir, from fine cashmere yarn.
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History
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For thousands of years, cashmere shawls have been made in Kashmir and Nepal. As early as the third century B.C., shawls made from wool in Kashmir are mentioned in ancient texts or depicted in artwork. The founder of the cashmere wool industry is considered to be Zayn-ul-Abidin, the 15th century ruler of Kashmir. He introduced Central Asian weavers to his kingdom on the northern tip of the Indian peninsula.
Features
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Cashmere goats shed their winter coats every spring. Each goat sheds 3 to 8 ounces of inner wool, which is made into cashmere fiber, during this molting season. The coat regrows and is collected again the following spring. Cashmere goats produce wool that is chocolate brown, cream, white, or grey. Cashmere fiber can be dyed a wide variety of colors and is sometimes woven into patterns.
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Quality
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The test for a quality Pashmina is warmth and a soft, silken feel. Manufacturers of 100 percent Pashmina products use a softening process. Pashmina can also be a blend of Pashmina wood and silk. This blend gives additional strength to Pashmina. The higher the content of Pashmina wool in a product, the more expensive it is.
Style
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As a fashion accessory, Pashminas are ideal light cover ups for spring and fall. A Pashmina can be thrown over casual, business or evening wear with equal style. Pashminas provide warmth without bulk.
Versatility
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Pashminas are most simply worn over the shoulders as a shawl or stole. Worn this way, a Pashmina can be accented and secured with a shawl clip or brooch. They can also be worn as a belt, by folding into a narrow strip and wrapping around the hips or waist, as a head wrap, or as a sash over one shoulder, secured with a wide belt.
Fun Fact
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Cashmere goats are hardy and easy to raise. Cashmere goat farms are now found around the world, including in the United States.
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References
- Photo Credit Photo credit: Flickr sarae
