A pashmina shawl is simply a garment worn over the shoulder to serve three basic purposes. These purposes include protection from extreme temperatures and other environmental elements, enhancing a particular costume, and giving meaning to certain symbolic rituals. Given this functionality, they are definitely very useful garment pieces.
Traditionally made by Kashmiri artisans in India for a long time, each of the individual fibers in these shawls has been spun and hand-woven to make them as personalized as possible. The ingenuity and creativity of the craftsman are reflected in the intricate designs. You can order Winter Woolen Shawls for Women Online in the UK from Brandsea UK.
The raw material from which the shawl was made is from a distinctive species of mountain goat that can only be found in the Himalayan regions of India, Persia, and China. So these were primarily intended to keep bodies warm in these otherwise cold and unforgiving regions. Only a few, mostly royals, ever wore them as a fashion accessory or as a symbol in some ritual.
Today the shawl has definitely transcended the utilitarian frontiers of its existence. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of early merchants who introduced the material to the Western world via the flourishing Silk Road. Shawls are now used primarily as a decorative piece to highlight or enhance clothing to project some form of sophistication and elegance.
As a fashion accessory, this helps define a wearer's character. No matter how boring or ordinary an outfit is, finding the appropriate shawl to accentuate some of its features is enough to transform the entire outfit into something elegant and sophisticated. Professional women, socialites, and even office girls can find a lot of fashion sense in this piece.
Perhaps one of the most overlooked features of shawls on such occasions is their ability to provide comfort in the cool evening breeze.