Kashmir is a place from where wealth, knowledge, and products of ancient India passed to the world. Perhaps the most widely known woven textiles are the famed cloaks reflecting the essence of Kashmir. The origin of Kashmiri shawls could not be exactly traced but it is believed that Sultan Zain-ul-Abidin (1420-1470 A.D) was the first who introduced shawls in Kashmir. It maybe the sultan whose enlightened rule encouraged promotion of arts as an organized trade and the pashmina that we know today is a legacy of that period.
Pashmina is a most finest woolen fabric of the world, shawl made from a special pashmina wool that comes from a goat called Kashmiri Pashmina Goat or changthangi (capra hircus), indigenous to the high altitudes of Himalayan mountain ranges ladakh and parts of the Tibet,the goat sheds its winter coat every spring and the fleece is caught on thorn bushes. One goat sheds approximately 3-8 ounces of the fiber. Villagers would scour the mountainside for the finest fleece to be used.
These shawls are hand spun and hand woven from the very fine pashmina fibre It is prepared from pashmina wool and is most attractive, soft and elegant. The raw material used for Pashmina shawls is a king of fibers known as Pashmina. It has derived its name from Persian word Pashm which literally means “soft gold”.
Pashmina came to be known as ‘cashmere’ in the West because Europeans first encountered this fibre in Kashmir. From the local of the valley to the royalty of England owning a cashmere pashmina shawl is a dream of all women.
It is known for its fineness, warmth, softness, desirable aesthetic value, and timelessness in fashion. It is the most luxurious fiber and command higher price among all natural fibers. It has occupied a unique position among all the fiber of animal origin, because of its warmth, and lightness.
These Cashmere Pashmina shawls are hand embroided also and are given ethnic touch. The texture of the shawl could be set as the standard for softness and that is the reason the shawls are in great demand in the entire world. Pashmina shawls have made a great impact in the fashion industry. This easy-to-absorb-dye wool is brought in various colors and designs allowing the fashionistas to take style and ethnicity in tandem. Apart from Kashmir, these pashmina shawls could be seen in the streets of Europe and America helping people battle the harsh winter with these attractive yet super warm cloaks from Kashmir. The designs on Cashmere Pashmina shawls are made keeping in view the taste of the people all over the world while keeping the touch of ethnicity alongside. The warm yet light cloak is all one needs to keep oneself updated with fashion world while also being comfortable and warm.