Differences Between Pashmina & Shawl
Shawls have been worn for hundreds of years by men and women alike, both for protection and for ornament or fashion. They can be worn around the shoulders like a wrap, around the neck like a scarf, or around the head, like a hijab, turban or head wrap, making them very versatile. Shawls are also varied in their shape; they can be square, oblong or triangular. In contrast, a pashmina is merely a type of shawl. Does this Spark an idea?
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Wool
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The word pashmina comes from the Persian word Pashm, meaning the fine downy hair that sheds from the mountain goats of Changthang in the Kashmir region, a plateau located in a mountain stretch that goes from Ladakh, India, to Tibet. The pashmina fiber is very fine; it is just 12 to 14 microns thick, compared to cashmere, which is 16 to 18 microns thick, or human hair, which is around 75 microns thick.
History
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Pashmina weaving began around 400 years ago. Originally, the word pashmina referred to the material and the word shawl referred only to the garment. Pashmina shawls, as they were originally known, were prized by royal families and nobility around the world. Over time, pashmina shawls began to be referred to simply as pashminas.
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Processing
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Each Changthangi goat produces 90 to 100 g of pashmina every year, and it takes the wool from three goats to make a pashmina shawl. Processing the pashmina wool is also a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. As a result, true pashmina shawls can be very expensive. To save on costs, many shawls sold today are made from polyester, viscose, sheep wool or Changthangi wool taken from the top and sides of the goat as opposed to the underbelly, from which pashmina wool comes. In some cases, this produces a material that is not as soft nor as warm as true pashmina shawls. Cheaper shawls tend to also be itchy, especially around the neck, and wrinkle more easily.
Blends
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Pashmina is also blended with other fibers; usually silk is used in a ratio of 70 percent pashmina wool to 30 percent silk. More specifically, the pashmina threads are woven on lengths of silk. This produces a shawl that is stronger and shinier than a 100 percent pashmina shawl and much less expensive.
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References
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