| You know you're getting quality pashmina when | | | | pashmina that comes from Nepal are treated with |
| you see a tag that says "Made in Nepal." Pashmina | | | | dyes that are of higher quality than the dyes |
| that comes from Nepal and Tibet are several | | | | coming from India. Dyeing, then, is done faster |
| microns thinner than the ones from some parts in | | | | and the colors last longer. Pashmina from Nepal, |
| Kashmir in India. Therefore, the pashmina is softer | | | | which is thinner, softer and lighter than pashmina |
| and lighter and more comfortable. Pashmina is the | | | | from other parts of the world, is combined with |
| name of the luxurious, beautiful fabric that is | | | | silk, which adds durability and luster to the fabric. |
| made from the wool of the Chyangra goat or the | | | | This is then hand-woven into the shawls, stoles |
| Capra Hircus. These goats live in the cold, | | | | and scarves which are shipped all over the world |
| temperate, mountainous regions of Central Asia, | | | | and which you see in your favorite clothing store. |
| particularly in the central plains of Mongolia and the | | | | Pashmina makers from Nepal also take pride in |
| Himalayas. Because this rare of breed of goats | | | | the fact that the pashmina from their country are |
| lives around 12,000 to 14,500 feet above sea | | | | handmade. Some are machine made, and although |
| level, they have developed short, thin and shiny | | | | they are less expensive, they are also relatively |
| inner coats to insulate themselves from the cold. | | | | harsher and rougher to the touch. Handweaving |
| Weavers collect the hair these goats shred during | | | | allows the pashmina to be densely woven yet still |
| spring to produce the pashmina. In fact, the word | | | | lightweight and much more comfortable. The |
| pashmina itself comes from the ancient Persian | | | | incredibly high demand for pashmina all over the |
| word "pashm" which means wool and which | | | | world has resulted not only in making women |
| refers to the inner coat of the capra hircus. For | | | | more stylish and fashionable, it has also kept the |
| many years, pashmina has been used by | | | | tradition of hand weaving in Nepal alive. |
| weavers in Kashmir, from which the name | | | | Pashmina-making is an old tradition that has been |
| cashmere is derived. Kashmir is a disputed area | | | | passed down from generation to generation. This |
| that lies between Pakistan and India. Due to the | | | | also provides valuable income for the artisans and |
| ongoing civil war, much of the production has | | | | their families. There are many ways of wearing |
| been transferred to other parts of India and | | | | pashmina, from the belt style, to the old |
| Nepal. The raw materials, such as the wool and | | | | Hollywood style, to the full wrap and the full shawl |
| the fleece, are carefully hand-spun and then dyed | | | | wrap. You can even wear a pashmina a la Grace |
| using environment-friendly dyes such as Swiss | | | | Kelly, the famous Hollywood actress who |
| Sandoz dyes. Some manufacturers even employ | | | | popularized wearing the scarf over the head. |
| authentic Tibetan artists in Nepal especially for the | | | | I'm not talented at anything that most people |
| dyeing process, as dyeing involves a more | | | | would call art. I work for a few fashion firms, |
| delicate, intricate procedure. One mistake by a | | | | including a great pashmina outfit (their Nepalese |
| less skilled artisan can spell the difference | | | | pashmina is gorgeous!). |
| between a quality pashmina and a bad one. The | | | | |