What (Really) is a Pashmina?

Creative Commons, Labeled for Reuse

In general, the term "pashmina" gets used pretty loosely. Without thinking about it, any large format shawl or wrap tends to be referred to as a pashmina.

But that's wrong!

Pashmina is actually a special kind of wool that only comes from the outer skin of goats living in the high altitude Himalayas. As only approximately 4 to 8 ounces of Pashmina fibre is shed by each goal annually, it takes a lot of goats to make true pashminas! While we undoubtedly admire the quality of well-crafted true pashmina or cashmere (kashmir) pashmina shawls, they can be very expensive. The pashmina-style shawl or wrap is now often made from blends of materials that create a silky soft fabric without the high price! Our pashmina-style shawls and wraps are finely woven from a smooth, soft cotton poly/viscose blend and are so fine, they can be drawn through a ring with ease!

How did Pashminas become so popular?

Well, totally aside from their beauty and warmth, you can probably (to some extent) blame Napoleon Bonaparte. He presented a Cashmere Pashmina Shawl to his wife, Josephine. Ladies of the court spread the news like wildfire, creating a "craze" for Pashminas all over Europe. Today, pashmina-style shawls and wraps are an essential fashion accessory. We have several collections of pashmina-style shawls and wraps and will be releasing additional collections over the next few weeks.