Soiree-Perfect Pashminas (Again)

Pashminas became a hot trend in the 1990s, just as martinis did.

Unlike martinis though, pashminas have been around for hundreds of years.


The garments get their name from the finest of cashmere wool that comes from pashmina goats.

Authentic pashminas are 100% pashmina wool and are both expensive and in short supply.

The pashmina boom of the 1990s coincided with a boom in cashmere products, generally, and with a boom in grades and quality of cashmere and cashmere blends. Inexpensive cashmere sweaters grace the shelves of discount stores,  something unheard of until the 90s.

Pashminas also come in different qualities of wool and are often blended with silk. The name has become synonymous with the garment, most often a shawl or large scarf, so there are even so-called pashminas today made of synthetics.

The real pashmina shawl or scarf is soft and warm and comes in dozens of colours and prints. It's a true luxury item, made famous by Jacqueline Kennedy and Princess Grace of Monaco. This picture is of Princess Grace with a white pashmina wrapped in her signature style.

Good enough for a princess and a first lady, pashminas are versatile and elegant.

Perfect for a soiree.

This is a re-post of an earlier one (October 27), and I have been  corrected by an anonymous reader who let me know (kindly) that the photo I had in the original post was not of a pashmina goat at all, but a North American mountain goat, Oreamnos americanus- like the one at just above.

One thing I strive for in this blog is to give correct information, so I am grateful to the person who left the comment. I also hope that seeing this again will not be too boring for readers.