Pashmina is often called the shawls themselves from this wool. Although it is made of scarves and stoles. The price of fashionable Indian shawls from pashmina is not small at all. So the most modest scarf costs from 35 dollars, and the maximum price of pashmina can reach and several thousand dollars. The thing is that this wool and the shawls themselves are made by hand.
In the mountains of the Himalayas in the Indian state of Kashmir, goats are taken out, a rare breed of Capra hircus laniger. They are also called stone or cashmere goats. In this area very harsh winters, the temperature drops below -20 0 C. And in summer it is very hot and dry. And it is because of this climate that the stone goats have a very long warm undercoat for the winter. In spring this undercoat is discarded. Shepherds neatly comb out this undercoat from the abdomen and neck. Then there is a manual treatment of the wool. The longest threads are selected. Here of them handmade Indian shawls are made by hand. Pashmina threads are unusually thin, but strong and warm. Its thickness does not exceed 12-14 microns, which is 5 times less than the thickness of a human hair. Even the biggest fashion Indian shawl made of pashmina can easily be pulled through the ring. And shawls from pashmina are 8 times warmer than shawls made from sheep's wool.
Pashmina is not a modern invention. Three thousand years ago Indian shepherds flaunted themselves in clothes from this warm wool. But soon the representatives of the highest Indian castes became very interested in this clothing. Historical fact - Muhammad Zahirdin Babur (XVI century), the founder of the Great Mogul dynasty, was a zealous fan of pashmina. His successor Akbar received two or three Pashmins each year along the Great Silk Road. These Indian shawls were richly embroidered with gold and decorated with precious stones.
Europeans learned about Pashmina only after the conquest of Egypt by Napoleon. Among the offerings, the conqueror was the Indian shawl of the Pashmina. True or not, there is a story that Napoleon was fascinated by Pashmina and presented it as a gift to his wife, Josephine. This gift was so pleasing to her that after a while Josephine had a whole collection of Indian shawls of various shades. It was from this time that the conquest of Pashmina Europe began. At first, in their wardrobes shawls and stoles could only have representatives of the ruling dynasties. And Indian shawls and stoles were inherited, equating to family jewelry.
Today pashmina is a must-have. Every woman wants to get this fashionable thing into her wardrobe. Natural pashmina is white, gray or brown. But thanks to the dyeing technology, fabrics of any color, with any pattern, are obtained. Modern wool undergoes a softening procedure, but you can find a natural, softened. But the shawls of the soft pashmina are not so cozy, they are not so easy to wrap around, drape. Do not think that softening negatively affects the quality of the fabric. This is not true. Pashmina remains the same strong, warm and delicate. Rather, on the contrary, additional silkiness and smoothness are acquired. Often silk is added to wool, up to 50%. Such pashmina are not considered a forgery, they acquire a slightly different quality. Fashionable Indian shawls made of pashmina with the addition of silk acquire a spectacular sheen. The shawl itself is lighter, but it is warmer and slightly stretches.
When choosing an Indian shawl, scarf or stole, be very careful. Often, producers go on tricks, trying to sell products from cashmere or even viscose for pashmina. On such products you can find the inscription authentic viscose pashmina, but it's just pointless.
Today pashmina is produced in standard sizes. 31x175 cm - scarf, 71x200 cm - table or wrap (Russians call it a palatine), 92x200 cm - a shawl. Ways of wearing are unlimited, except for your imagination. And not only women but also men wear pashmina.
Fashionable Indian products made of pashmina do not require complex but careful care. Dry cleaning is preferred. If you decide to wash an Indian shawl, then it should be done in water at a temperature of 20-25 degrees. If the water is too cold or too hot, the structure of the pashmina fibers will be destroyed. This will result in the loss of the heating power of the shawl. The appearance is also lost quickly.
For washing, select only delicate detergents. Wash shawl can not be squeezed. Wrap it in a cotton white towel in the form of a tube, so that the towel absorbed water, lightly wring out. And then straighten and dry on a horizontal surface, but avoid direct sunlight. In no case do not hang products from pashmina to dry. With proper care the pashmina will last you for many years.