Warm-up your relationship with your Pashmina, with care
With globalisation, the world is getting cosier and closer where heartfelt stories of love, togetherness and warmth are travelling across the globe which is being communicated through various art forms. With October, we want to bring these stories to you that we can share and cherish together. Through our pashmina collection, we want to share heartfelt stories from India.
Pashmina, a luxury fabric, where pasham means wool, is harvested from a goat named Kail which is found in higher altitude regions of the country. During the spring season, these goats shed their soft undercoat. These hair are carefully collected, separated, thoroughly cleaned, combed and lovingly spun with utmost care and skill to prepare it for the final use. Interestingly a pashmina scarf is handmade to perfection through various stages involving a bunch of skilled artisans who are carrying forward the legacy of the skill from the ancestors. Basohli (in Jammu Province) is one of the only two places in India where pashmina shawls are manufactured on the looms, thus being handmade, is contributing to the livelihood of the artisans there, connecting them to the world.
Often, there is a prevailing misconception that cashmere and pashmina are the same and the terms are used interchangeably. Interestingly, there is a difference between the two fabrics. Both the fabrics are made out of wools of the Himalayan goats but Pashmina is exclusively made from a specific breed of mountain goat (found in Lahaulspiti, Kulu, Kailang and Kinnore of Himachal Pardesh and at Leh in J&K), which makes the pashmina fabric more light, thin, soft in comparison to cashmere. Owing to this thin texture, it is necessary to hand-spun pashmina and manually weave the products with the utmost care, thus adding to its luxury while contributing to sustainable, slow and ethical fashion. Not only this, pashmina, in its purest colour comes in natural shades of cream, tosha (semi black) and camel. The other available colours, patterns and shades are obtained by dying the fabric. Your pashmina accessory brings with itself a timeless beauty and charm. It is not just a regular scarf that loses its lustre with time, its beauty lies in the longevity of its life. Once bought and if maintained with care and love, it is that piece of art that can communicate stories of warmth across generations while being a family symbol of love that can be passed on to generations. For it to be preserved till eternity, it requires some care and nourishment. At October, we want to share our maintenance and up keeping secrets with you that are traditionally followed in India so that you can cherish your relationship with your beloved pashmina forever.
- Supposedly, muslin cloth and pashmina are best friends. If properly folded and packed in a muslin cloth, the covering prevents the pashmina from being infected by moths and insects. Alongside that, making a small muslin “potli” (a round like structure) with traditional Indian spices (cloves and pepper) and placing it in that same muslin packaging alongside the pashmina scarf helps to keep away the moths and insects while also adding a soothing fragrance to the scarf.
- Each pashmina product should be neatly folded and kept separately from the other pashmina products, in its muslin cloth. Kindly, please make sure that the shelves are clean, tidy and damp free. Also, it is not recommended to hang the pashmina accessories in a cupboard to maintain their original shape.
- It is better to periodically let the pashmina fabric breathe in the fresh air at least once every two months. However, if you intend to store it for a longer period, say seasonally, it might be better to add an extra layer of plastic cover over the muslin packaging to avoid the invasion of moths.
- If by chance, your pashmina accessory gets stained, prioritise to get it dry cleaned over hand washing by using organic solvents. However, hand-washing is also another option that has to be performed with utmost care. One has to be mindful of the soap, the temperature of the water and the technique of washing off the stain from the pashmina fabric. The water in which the product should be hand washed has to be slightly cold but not necessarily chilled. It is highly recommended to use a small amount of mild baby shampoo to gently rinse off the stain from the scarf. Avoid tumbling, stretching, squeezing, etc. the fabric harshly as it may damage the fabric.
- After washing the scarf, it is advised to avoid air drying it in direct sunlight as exposure to direct sunlight might affect its lustre, colour and fabric quailty. Air-drying in daylight without direct exposure to the sun would be a good option to aerate and freshen up the scarf.
- A neat, wrinkle-free look of your pashmina accessory adds to its charisma and charm. It is recommended to iron off the whttps://www.pashmina.com/editorial/how-to-care-for-your-pashmina/rinkles from time to time before wearing the accessory for your special occasion. For getting rid of the wrinkles on your beautiful pashmina scarf, it is advised to iron it only by using a steam iron. Kindly make sure that you do not extensively heat it, or steam iron it very firmly. It is a delicate piece of art and it is a good idea to treat it with softness and warmth.
- Although pashmina is not generally known to be prone to pilling that often, however friction from regular usage may cause some pilling on your luxurious fabric but know that it is a completely natural process, if that happens. In case you do experience it, you can gently comb it out with a pilling brush to experience the best of the fabric.
- Lastly, remember to pair your pashmina accessory with a big broad smile and a positive outlook to make the best of the fabric.