Tuesday, 15 July 2014

Where to Find the Perfect Pashmina - and 20% off

Who was it who said a while back that the Pashmina was dead?  Were they right or wrong?  Or have we just gone back to calling those incredibly useful, sometimes glamorous, warm, flattering, soft and luxurious shawls, wraps and stoles by their original names?

Whichever, ‘pashmina’ is an instantly recognisable term to apply to all of the above, unfortunately it has slipped into disrepute as you can now buy ‘pashminas’ in horrible man-made fibres which will do nothing for you at all.

The word pashmina comes from India (no surprises there) it comes from the Persian word Pashmineh, which indicated ‘made from wool’.   So when you buy something called a pashmina which is made of anything else you’re being sold a pup.

The real thing is hand spun from a special breed of goat which lives in the Himalayas in India, Nepal and Pakistan.  Cashmere shawls, or pashminas, have been around for literally thousands of years.

As a collector of these invaluable accessories (not quite one in every colour) I was mortified to lose my most special, bright fuchsia, beautiful quality pashmina which looks incredible with black or white and has travelled with me everywhere.  Knowing Perilla from way back, and having no doubt about the quality of their products, (luxury alpaca socks for men and women and alpaca knitwear for men, cashmere shawls and stoles) I requested their version of the one I lost.

This has turned out to be larger and softer than the previous one, as light as a feather, in a very fine weave which I know is  hand-loomed, and is about to become my new travelling companion.

You’ll find pashminas everywhere.  This is not just another pashmina, but a  glorious bit of luxury.  And it comes in loads of colours including silver grey, cream, charcoal, cobalt and of course fuchsia.

As it happens there’s a special offer at the moment and just for one week.  Quote FLASH26 to get 20% off your next pashmina stole.  The offer at Perilla ends at midnight on July 22nd so don’t delay.