| FAQ |
What is Pashmina? |
Pashmina is the traditional Himalayan name for cashmere, which is collected in the high plateau regions of Ladakh, Nepal and the central plains of Inner Mongolia.
The pashmina is actually a fine form of cashmere which is the down of the Capra Hircus goat.The Capra Hircus can be found at elevations of 14,000 feet and above, where temperatures rarely rise above minus 30 degrees centigrade in winter. Pashmina is the goat's soft underbelly down, which lies under the coarse outer hair. Each goat produces only about 3 ounces or 90 grams of cashmere wool each year. One woven Pashmina shawl requires the wool from three goats.
Pashm, from the Persian word for "wool," refers to the under fur of certain Tibetan animals, particularly goats, commonly used for the making of shawls.
This is said to produce a strong yet supple, lightweight, luxurious wrap for evening or day-time wear. Most vendors claim that the wool in their pashmina is produced by very special Himalayan goats. Cashmere refers to the fine wool from the undercoat of these Kashmir goats--we get the idea that pashmina is the creme de la creme of cashmere.
This single-ply, must-have accessory is crafted in the mountains of India and Nepal, where pashmina goat hairs are combined with silk to create a yarn with "durability and luster" and a heavenly feel.
At fundraisers and gallery openings and on strolls around town, New York women are bracing against the cold with pashmina. The luxurious swath of cloth now used as an oversized shawl was once a status symbol owned by a select few. Although Europeans had long been aware of the fabric (made of hairs shorn from the underbelly of Himalayan goats), most Americans only recently discovered its plush, softer-than-cashmere textures. Now bright accents of pink and baby blue pashmina are the most distinctive accessory to the affluent woman's urban uniform.
In the mountains of Nepal and India, local weavers knead, dye and combine pashmina goat hairs (which are thinner than cashmere) with silk (often in a 70-to-30 or 80-to-20 ratio) to give the material durability and luster. (Scarves and shawls that are 100% pashmina are typically coarse and too fragile to wear. |
| Fashion |
The name cashmere comes from the Kashmir province of India, where the cashmere products of this area first attracted the attention of Europeans in the early 1800s.
Originally from the down undercoat of the Asiatic goat (Capra Hircus laniger) cashmere fibers now also come from 68 breeds of goats in 12 countries, which are classified as cashmere because of a fiber diameter of under 19 microns.
According to Cashmere.org, significant supplier countries of cashmere include China, Mongolia and Tibet. During molting season in the spring, the goats have their fine under down hairs combed and separated from the coarse outer hairs in China and Mongolia (the animals are sheared in Iran, Afghanistan, New Zealand and Australia)
At 12-14 microns thick, pashmina is classified as the finest cashmere. Pashmina comes from the same type of goat, except this one only lives in Kashmir and Tibet at heights of 12,000 to 14,000 feet, the harshest weather makes for the best inner coat (pashm means "inside"). |
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| What is Cashmere? |
It is fine quality wool sheered from a goat called''Kel''. This goat is found on the higher altitudes of Himalayan mountains or in the inner parts of Mongolia.This wool is the finest quality and each yarn has a diameter of 14 to 14.5 microns. All of the Pashmina and Cashmere products that we offer are made with this very fine grade of cashmere. |
| What are the different grades of Cashmere? |
Cashmere is available in several grades, including "Grade A", "Grade B" and so on. We offer only the highest quality cashmere products made with "Grade A" cashmere. The best grade of cashmere is 14-15.5 microns in diameter . |
Are your Pashminas one-ply or two-ply? |
Plys are strands of yarn twisted together to make one piece of yarn. We carry one- ply Pashminas in Silk- Pashmina. In Pure Pashmina we carry one and Two-ply both. Our Cashmere products are all 2 to 3 ply thick. |
| What is "ply"? |
In the pashmina world, a "ply" indicates the diameter, or the thickness, of the thread used to weave the garment. So the greater the number of Plys, the thicker the item. Because pashmina wool is so wonderful, one is not really better than the other - it is a personal preference.
An interesting fact is that pure pashmina wool loses and regains (then retains) moisture very easily. As shipped, our Pashminas have almost no moisture in them after having being iron and packed. This is why after a few uses our Pashminas will actually gain thickness. This is also the reason why cashmere garments may not be as warm in the spring as compared to in the winter. |
What is the difference between the pure pashmina & the pashmina with silk blend? |
The Pashminas with silk are woven with silk running the length of the weave, and cashmere on the width of the weave. Hand-weaving gives the shawl its distinctive character and produces its slender drape, elegant silk sheen, and soft, delicate feel. We sell the best blend in the market that is 70% Pashmina wool with 30% Silk approximately.
The Pure Pashminas, Pure Cashmere wraps, capes, scarves, cashmere sweaters and blankets are made with pure cashmere and do not contain any silk in it. The pure pashmina is softer and warmer than the pashmina-silk blends. |
What are the percentages of Pashmina & Silk in your Pashminas? |
We carry pure Pashminas, which are made with 100% pure Pashmina wool.
The content of our Pashminas with silk blends is 70% Pashmina wool with 30% silk approximately. Please note that shawl-making in Nepal and India is not a science but an art-a craft involving many hand processes. As such, the exact content of Pashmina and silk may vary slightly from shawl to shawl.
Our cashmere sweaters and blankets are made with 100% pure cashmere. |
| Is 100% Pure Pashmina or Pashmina/Silk blend better? |
As you expect, this is a personal decision. One is truly not "better" than the other since we use only superior quality pashmina wool and silk.
The 100% pure wool items cost a little more since cashmere is more rare than silk. But many people, especially younger women, prefer the slight sheen and smoothness that the addition of silk provides.
You really can't go wrong. If in doubt, order both! |
What is the fringe like on Pashminas? |
| All our Pashminas have tassels at both ends. The tassels are about two to three inches long and are twisted and knotted at the end. The length of the tassels in not included in the dimensions of the Pashminas. |
| Are the colors pictured on the website? |
To see our pashmina color guide, please click here.
To see our sweater color guide, please click here. |
Where are your pashmina products made? |
| Our pashmina scarves, wraps and shawls, cashmere sweaters and blankets are made in Nepal and India. |
What are the sizes of your Pashminas? |
We offer the following 4 sizes in our Pashminas:
Scarf - 12'' x 60''
Medium Stole-22'' x 78''
Stole - 28'' x 80''
Shawl - 36'' x 80'' |
| How do I order? |
We're pleased to offer you 24/7 online shopping from the comfort of your own home. Our website was designed to be easy to use and is certified secure, so we encourage you to order right through our website. We accept Visa, MasterCard, American Express, Discover and JCB
We also accept mail orders, but please email us with your needs before sending us a check or giving your credit card over the phone so we can set aside what you need so we don't run out of stock while waiting for your order to arrive. We will give you a total and the best address to send it to via email.
Our toll free number is 1-800-783-1436. Due to the large volume of calls received, please leave a message if you reach voice mail. |
| Why should I order from Cashmere Pashmina Group? |
| With Cashmere Pashmina Group, what we promise you'll get only the finest quality Pashminas along with excellence in customer service. If you're confused by the recent deluge of Pashminas offered out there on other websites and even online auctions, we understand. But don't be deceived by too-good-to-be true prices, because you know what they say about too-good-to-be-true. We don't offer cheap quality. |
| What color should I order? |
This is another personal choice. Everyone's personality is different and there will usually be several colors that go with any particular outfit.
What we can tell you is that we make every effort to make the colors appears correctly on computer screens. We test them on several monitors, but please note that your monitor may be set differently and a color could appear a little bit different from the actual item. We also try to give the colors relatively "normal" names so there is no guessing on your part as to what the color is. |
| When will my order ship and how long will it take to get here? |
We make every effort to ship in-stock items on the same business day as we receive it, if received by approximately 4:00 PM Eastern day light Time.
Since we ship from New York, most standard services (UPS Ground) will get almost anywhere in the continental United States within 5 to 6 business days. It could take longer if you live in a very rural area or it is a busy period such as November and December.
If you need faster or guaranteed service, we do offer several options such as UPS 3 Day Select, 2nd Day Air, and Next Day Air. We do not make money off of shipping and estimate what we charge based on approximate actual costs. |
| Do you charge sales tax? |
| For orders shipped in the state of New York, we are required to collect 3.785% state sales taxes. |
| How do I care for my pashmina? |
One of the wonderful things about your pashmina is that it can last for years and years - if you take proper care of it. It will even get softer and more luxurious with each wash!
In general, dry cleaning is the best method of washing. However, you can hand wash it occasionally if you are careful and follow a few guidelines that are listed below.
- Hand wash in cold/lukewarm water. You may add a little soft detergent such as baby shampoo or Woolite if you wish. Then wash very gently by hand.
- Do not bleach any of the pashmina/cashmere products.
- After washing, squeeze the garment gently to remove excess water; do not wring dry or twist the wrap hard.
- After removing excess water, simply lay it flat to dry. (away from sunlight and direct heat).
- Once dry, you may warm iron but it is best to put a piece of paper a damp cloth between the iron and the fabric.
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| How should I store my new Pashmina? |
| It is best if you store your pashmina in a cool, dry, dark place away from dust and other possible contaminants. The best way to store it is in the bag that each pashmina comes in. |
| Do you sell wholesale? |
Cashmere Pashmina Group certainly does a volume of wholesale business. However, since we offer only premium grade Pashminas and offer them on our website at very low markups from our actual production and distribution costs, we might not be able to give you Chinese quality low price. |
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