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Pashminas

Pashminas are basically fabrics that are made from a certain kind of cashmere wool. A special breed of goat that can be found high in the Himalayan Mountains is the source of this wool. Shawls made out of it are also called pashminas, and they have been made for thousands of years in Kashmir and Nepal.

Verifying the authenticity of a pashmina includes touching it, passing it through a wedding ring and checking the warmth that it offers. Where cost is concerned, a pashmina scarf can be bought for about $35, but the price can rise to hundreds of dollars for a fine quality shawl. The main qualities of the fabric are its softness and warmth. Pashmina shawls were very popular in the 1990s when demand was actually greater than the supply.

They are still popular today, but they are more accessible. Breeding the goats for commercial pashmina production often takes place in the Gobi Desert area of Mongolia these days. The weather is similar to that in the Himalayan Mountains, and the goats have the proper terrain to graze there. The wool is only of use to them in the winter, so they shed it in spring and it can be used for pashminas. This can only be done though after shearing and spinning the wool.

Pashminas can be used to make scarves (12" x 60"), shawls (36"x 80") and small stoles. Pure pashmina garments are quite translucent, and the wool doesn't resist at high tension. A popular fabric is contains 70 percent or 50 percent pashmina, and 30 percent or 50 percent silk. These blends allow the fabric to be woven tightly, providing an elegant sheen and light weight.

When pashminas were in high demand in the 1990s, the fabric used was often the blend of pashmina and silk. Some companies were actually selling viscose as "pashmina" and deceiving customers by calling it "authentic viscose pashmina." Authentic pashminas are still appreciated today, thousands of years after they originated.

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