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What is Pashmina?

The Pashmina Shawl has captured the heart of the west like no other fabric has. Western flirtation with the pashmina shawl can be traced back in history when Napoleon Bonaparte was presented with one. So fascinated was he with the shawl from India that he is said to have presented it to his beloved Josephine.

Since then Pashmina has always mesmerized the west, and in recent times it has topped the chart as a most desired piece of apparel. The word pashmina is derived from the Persian word pashm, which means wool. Pashmina is sheered from the underbelly and neck area of the special mountain goat Capra hircus found at over 14,000 feet. It is popularly known as the pashmina goat.

Pashmina is as delicate and soft as it is warm. A pashmina pure shawl is so soft that it is weaved mixing silk yarn to give it some stability. Pashmina shawl with silk are normally available on the market at ratios ranging from 50% - 50% to 70% pashmina and 30% silk. This gives strength and adds to the durability of pashmina.

Pashmina shawls are available at their cheapest, as more traders are now catering to the buyers’ demand. Prices are not likely to fall any further because of the limited supply of the fabric. These shawls are also being referred to as Cashmere pashmina shawl, since they come from the Kashmir region in India. However, Cashmere is a different kind of superior quality wool and is not to be linked to pashmina.