There is nothing more elegant and luxurious than a soft, fleecy, and plush clothing item that you can add to your regular clothes to make the look even more captivating without sacrificing comfort. The exquisite Kashmiri pashmina shawls do this better than anything.
Centuries ago, shawls made from this finer fiber were trendy among the nobility from this region and all across the globe. Even today, the hand-crafted and embroidered Pashmina shawls are a one-of-a-kind clothing item that has the power to captivate you with its sublime dreaminess.
With the unmatched warmth, comfort, and style of the pashmina comes another thing i.e., higher prices of these shawls than the ones made from different materials and fibers.
Several factors make these shawls cost so much and, in this article, we will try to look into most of these so stay with us till the end.
Here is all you need to know about why the Kashmiri pashmina shawls are so expensive
- The Source of Pashmina
- Meticulous and Skillful Handcrafting
- Unparalleled Quality
- Time-Consuming and Labor-Intensive Production
- The Exclusivity Factor
- An Item of Luxury and Unmatched Style
The Source of Pashmina
Pashmina is a rare and precious commodity because it is mostly obtained from the undercoats of Himalayan goats known as Chanthangi goats found in the Ladakh region of Kashmir.
The harsh climate of this region leads to very little availability of these goats and that leads to very high prices of the cashmere or pashmina fibers. Moreover, from a single goat, you can only get six and eight ounces of the fiber which reduces to about four ounces after processing.
This means you need up to three goats to get a single pashmina shawl. This limited production and scarcity makes this exotic clothing item highly desirable and hence more expensive.
Meticulous and Skillful Handcrafting
The skilled artisans of Kashmir have inherited the art of making pashmina from their ancestors and they still use the traditional means to create these products.
The cleaning, spinning, weaving, embroidery every single step involved in making these shawls is performed with hands which adds a very personal and warm feeling to the finished product.
Various ancient weaving and embroidery techniques like “Kani” and “Sozni” are used by skilled artisans which require precision, great skill, and a whole lot of time to make these shawls.
This is the reason why making a single shawl can take anywhere from a week to six weeks or even months based on the work needed and that leads to a very high cost of the final product.
Unparalleled Quality
The fibers of pashmina are much finer than any other. To put this into perspective a human hair is about 80 microns in diameter. Compared to that, a single pashmina fiber measures about 18 microns.
Moreover, this fiber is not straight which prevents itching after it has been processed and woven. This gives the shawls made from this fiber unmatched comfort and softness.
Compared to shawls made from sheep wool, the pashmina shawls are about 8 times warmer. Last but not least, after each wash you feel the shawl getting softer and softer. All these features also contribute to the higher costs of the exotic pashmina shawls.
Time-Consuming and Labor-Intensive Production
Depending upon the intricacy and design, it can take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to make a single pashmina shawl.
Each step of the luxurious craft of pashmina shawls from wool collection to spinning and from weaving to embroidery and fishing demands extreme attention to detail, effort, and artistry.
These fibers are sorted, cleaned, and spun by hand. The raw undercoats obtained from the goats have dandruff and other impurities that need to be cleaned.
The local workers comb the undercoats to get fiber and then carefully separate good fiber from the bad one. This concludes the sorting phase and then the fiber is sent for further processing.
Thus, to make a single shawl, the fiber goes through various skilled hands who spend so much time doing intense labor to create the final product.
The Exclusivity Factor
The rarity and exclusivity of these shawls are another factor that leads to their high prices. The limited availability of the Changthangi goats and low yield per goat make this fiber a very scarce material.
Apart from that, being among the very few products that are still made by hand and using old methods, these shawls are as exclusive as they come. These shawls are the top choice for people who truly appreciate art and that drives up the costs significantly.
An Item of Luxury and Unmatched Style
Owning a handcrafted pashmina shawl has been considered a symbol of luxury and refinement for centuries. From the Royal Mughal courts to the Napolean Bonaparte giving these as a gift to his beloved, these shawls have always been associated with prestige.
These shawls are a statement piece that exudes elegance and grace. The wearer feels a sense of warmth and radiance that is unique only to pashmina. The timeless style and appeal of these shawls can make your wardrobe the epitome of style. So, naturally, these cost you a lot more than what you pay for a shawl made from generic materials.
Conclusion
There is not a shed of doubt in the fact that a pure pashmina shawl will be your companion for a lifetime. Its timeless beauty, rarity, highly intricate hand-crafted embroidery, and rich heritage are just a few factors that make it so special and as a result this expensive.
Owning this beyond-beautiful clothing item allows you to connect with its rich history, tradition, and stories that have stood the test of time. Truly, a pure pashmina shawl can be a great addition to your wardrobe and prove as a staple to your unique and elegant style.
Visit Kashmers.com today to explore our wide range of pure hand-made Kashmiri pashmina shawls to wear on all occasions.