A brief history of Pashmina
Pashmina is derived from the word Pashm, which means “finest wool fibre”. It is a fine type of cashmere wool. It is hand-made from wool from the undercoat of Himalayan mountain goats called “Changthangi”, which are found in Nepal and Tibet. One pashmina shawl is produced by at least three goats, as one goat produces only 80 grams of wool in one year. Pashmina is known to be the world’s softest, most glamorous, and most expensive wool. It got its Cashmere attribute because it is hand processed in the valley of Kashmir, Northern India.
Process of making pashmina:
- Collecting of wool
All of the wool collected from the goat is gathered, and then the soft pashmina hair is separated from the coarse ones. Both coarse and soft hair is further processed.
- The spinning of the wool
Before it is spun, pashmina wool is cleaned and stretched to remove any dirt. It is then soaked in a mixture of water and rice to make it soft. Pashmina wool is then spun painstakingly by hand on a spinning wheel called “Charka”.
- The weaving of the wool
Pashmina wool is weaved on hand looms, as they are too fragile to be spun on power looms. Pashmina is carried through the fine silk warp.
- Putting fringes and design on the wool
The ends of pashmina shawls are fringed to ensure it won’t run.
5. Dyeing of the wool
As with any other process of making the pashmina shawl, scarf or stole, dyeing is also done by hand. Dyeing of the wool is done in one hour, in under the boiling point, and in metal and azo-free dyes. As pashmina wools are highly absorbent, they are easy to dye.
Uses of pashmina scarf:
- Improve the appearance of outfits
Its elegant and sophisticated look can make any outfit of yours stand out. It can be used on your neck, face or your head. It can also be used as a belt, to be tied around your waist.
- Wrap a baby
Pashmina is the softest wool in the world, thus making it the perfect material to wrap around your newborn child. You can use it as your baby’s blanket at night, as you are sure that it won’t harm your baby’s delicate skin.
- Cover your arms
It can be used as shawls, especially on occasions that require you to wear cocktail dresses and gowns. Most cocktail dresses and gowns are sleeveless, and sometimes you want to cover your arms. You can always look classy with a pashmina scarf to hide your arms or keep yourself warm.
- Wrap up gifts
Pashmina shawls themselves can become a gift, but making it a wrapper can make any gift look better.
- Beach accessory
Pashmina scarves are lightweight and soft, making them ideal for wrapping around your body while you walk under the sun’s heat on the beach. They would make your bikini stand out and look stylish.
- Bring style to your home
Pashmina scarves are a class of their own, and what better way of beautifying your home than using a pashmina scarf? You can drape it over a chair or put it on your tables.
A pashmina can be more than just your ordinary scarf, they not only keep you warm during wintry months but are also a stylish part of any wardrobe.
Five tips for wearing a men’s scarf
We know very well that there are plenty of accessories for both women and men, but we never asked how to wear them. Shawls and scarves are suitable in all four seasons of the year to keep warm and complete the outfit. If the focus is usually on the women, now we focus on the men to help with advice on how they can wear scarves. Some men use these fashion accessories to protect the neck from the cold, and most use them to complete their outfits.
What do we know about shawls and scarves? That they are pieces made of different materials and have different shapes. Scarves and shawls are made of wool, silk, cashmere, linen, cotton and other materials that are square, rectangular or circular. To wear these scarves you can simply add them to your outfit or follow a few rules and tips that will help you look better every time. Each season certain types of scarves are recommended.
Any man reaches a point where he does not know how to match the scarf to his outfit, requiring just a little imagination and some tips to be taken into account.
You can find below a list of tips for men who want to match the scarf to the outfit:
- You can try the Parisian knot, one of the most popular ways of arranging this piece of clothing. Put the scarf in half, then pass the two ends through the created bend, and there it is the so famous Parisian knot, which harmonizes perfectly with a leather jacket.
- Another way elegantly wear a scarf is to make a simple and highly comfortable knot. Many men wear the scarf at work with a stylish blazer.
- If you want an outdoor adventurer vibe, wrap the scarf around your neck once, bringing both ends in front and take the jacket on top. Also, do not forget to leave the scarf lighter around the neck.
- If you want to give a romantic feeling, wrap the scarf in the same way, only more tightly around the neck and bring the two ends at the same level. Accessorize this way to a simple blouse with high collar.
You shouldn’t miss a thick scarf made of wool or cotton in the cold season. It is preferable to opt for a scarf that is long and wide to be able to experience various forms of arranging it. Whether your accessory is long and narrow, large and square, with a rare fabric or thick, you can arrange it to your liking or after some very simple methods.
There are a variety of colours and patterns, so you can choose whatever you like. A long and thick scarf can be worn and wrapped around the neck once or several times. You can choose to do a knot in front of or simply let it hang in a hipster style. Large square or triangular scarves can follow the same styles. The easiest scarf to wear is the circular scarf around your neck.
Trends in wearing scarves
Scarves are not just practical accessories but also very fashionable all year long. Our imagination only limits how we use them because a well-chosen model can make a lively and chic dull outfit.
In recent collections, designers use a wide range of models for women’s scarves: narrow, wide, short, excessively long shawls or collar scarves, all equally fashionable.
Fur ScarvesWomen’s fur scarves are widely used in the collections of major international fashion houses and renowned designers. They use both monochrome models, prints and coloured or leopard print.
Regarding the length of the fur, there is no preference, and it can vary from a few millimetres to about 10 centimetres. Fur scarves can be successfully accessorised with almost any attire: from evening gowns to office suits, or can replace the woollen scarves when worn with a trench. You can try to match it with very trendy fur bags.
- Neck scarves
One of the most popular models in any collection is the neck scarf. It can be embroidered, discreet, made of fur or knitted, narrow or broad enough that you can wrap yourself in it from head to toe. It is essential to distinguish between an ordinary outfit and one in trend.
- Textures
For women’s scarves, any material is accepted, including leather or silk. Pattern scarves are in style, knitted or made out of fur and decked with fringes, tassels, intricate knots, and everything that is bulky or more layers.
Exciting proposals also come from the sphere of shawls, which gives us additional heat on cooler days. Patchwork (mosaic), striped or plaid, can be worn either around the neck – for a relaxed and bohemian look, or discrete high over the shoulder – for a more elegant look, easy to adjust in a formal context.
And if declarative accessories are your speciality, you can go on animal print pattern scarves – snakeskin, zebra fur or leopard.
- Colours
Trends in colours are not restrictive at all. You can wear them without worrying gold, and silver scarves, stripes, and geometric prints inspired by popular costumes. You can choose scarves in the same colour and texture as the clothes you wear or in contrasting colours to personalise them. Moreover, why not, harmonizes them with makeup?
For the pleasant autumn weather, fashion houses recommend colourful scarves that make us dream to field flowers, the azure sky and autumn leaves blessed by the sun. You can also opt for simple or crepe options, which will complete the outfit with one of the season’s hottest colours: red, orange, yellow, solar, beige, caramel, blue, green-emerald or purple.
The scarf can become a friend to get you out of any fashion challenge. Pin it with a brooch or a safety pin, and wear it with an attitude!
Also, for cold days, designers recommend fur scarves, which can be combined with all kinds of outfits despite being opulent. But if you want a winter accessory for an ultra-refined outfit, the most recommended option is generous fur shawls or embossed with floral designs.
The history of the shawl
For religious or practical reasons, women have borrowed various outfits from men and have given them other destinations. Thus, ancient Rome’s scarves were initially called sudarium and intended to prevent sweat from dripping down the throat. It was worn by men or wrapped around the neck or tied of the belt.
During Emperor Cheng’s time, such a scarf made of cloth indicated the rank of the officials of the Imperial Court. Nefertiti used to wear a scarf wrapped around the conical hairdo. The Roman Emperor Nero was seldom seen in public without a sudarium around his neck. Eleanor of Aquitaine used to wear transparent veil scarves, in the fashion of the Middle Ages, and in 1786, Napoleon Bonaparte gave as a gift to his first wife, Joséphine de Beauharnais, a cashmere scarf brought from India.
Even the famous composer Beethoven has worn a suit and a silk scarf when he met with Therese Malfatti, hoping that he would conquer her heart if dressed out of the latest fashion journal. In turn, Queen Victoria, once she ascended the throne, popularised a series of fancy accessories, including the scarf, which was used to distinguish an aristocratic class from another.
The scarf was the one that led to the death of the famous ballerina Isadora Duncan, considered by some the most famous dancer of the early twentieth century, who revolutionised the art of choreography. Isadora wore excessively long scarves, which she let fly in the wind while poetically posing. Ironically, these long scarves caused her death after one of them that was left hanging outside the car was wrapped around the wheel of a speeding car.
In 1914, knitted scarves were considered a symbol that every patriot had to wear during the First World War. By 1940, the scarves got to be made of cotton and wool. Fashion magazines encouraged women who did not have enough money for a new hat to make a turban from a scarf knotted around their heads.
This habit became very necessary for women who worked in the factory during the Second World War and who otherwise risked to catch their in the industrial machines: Tie your hair for your own safety, the government advised.
Hollywood divas did not miss any of the seductiveness of this piece. Audrey Hepburn once said: “Nothing better defines me better as a woman, a beautiful woman, than wearing a silk scarf.” Other stars such as Katharine Hepburn, Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly were often seen wearing this stylish piece of clothing waving in the breeze of the Riviera. With the increasing popularity of the automobile, in 1950, the shawls became critical for determining hairstyle and neck protection during travel.
After the Second World War, scarves became very popular, engraved and used as insignia of airlines or hotels or as souvenirs for tourists from different corners of the planet. In 1970, wearing a scarf under a vest or shirt was very chic.
How to make your own scarf from an old T-shirt
Are you stressing about not being able to buy that scarf that you have always wanted because you have other commitments and can’t allow yourself not to use the money you saved? Worry not, for we are here with a solution for you! Guess what; it’s so easy like singing Doh Reh Mi Fa! With just a few steps, we will show you how to make your own scarf from everything you have at your disposal.
You don’t have to buy anything that is expensive or something you think you cannot afford. With this stuff at your disposal, you will be thanking us for a lifetime for saving you a lot of money! And for wondering why in the heck you did not know these secrets!
First, we will share the many benefits of Do It Yourself projects, and you will see why it’s worth it in the long run. Even though it will take up most of your time, but it will be worth it! You can make a handmade scarf gift for a friend or a loved one, this will further show the commitment you put into doing it, and it’s usually received with loads and loads of love!
Making your scarf will cost you less money, you will also learn something new and have fun doing it. And once you find out that you are good at it, imagine making money from your hard work! You can opt to sell them out to get extra cash, and you will never go wrong with this one! You can either go to your store and buy material or get into your wardrobe, choose a not so used t-shirt and transform it into a scarf! This section will use a t-shirt that is no longer worn but still in excellent condition.
Here are the things you will need to make your scarf from the comfort of your home or own space:
- Scissors
- A t-shirt from your wardrobe.
Make sure that you have sharp scissors. Once you have this, go to your workstation, and be sure that it’s flat for easy cutting and design. One can make many different designs, depending on how creative one can be.
Place the t-shirt on the flat surface, and then cut off the hand section so that it becomes sleeveless. After that, cut off the upper part that goes to the neck, and voila! You have a scarf right there in front of you! From here, one can decide to get creative and go all bananas on the scarf. You can choose to make fringes on the lower part by cutting it into strips, or one can decide to cut the remaining part and make it into a long straight scarf. It all depends on your creativity!
It’s as easy as ABCD… Let’s get creative!