A pashmina shawl is simply a piece of garment that is worn over one’s shoulder to serve three basic purposes. These purposes include protection from extreme temperatures and other environmental elements, enhancement to a particular costume, and gives meaning to certain symbolic rituals. Given these functionality, they are definitely very useful pieces of garment.
Traditionally made by the artisans of Kashmir in India for the longest time being, each of the individual fibers for these shawls has been hand spun and woven by hand to make them as personalized as possible. The artisan’s ingenuity and creativity is reflected in the intricate designs.
The raw material upon which the shawl was made is from a distinctive specie of mountain goat that can only be found in the Himalayan regions of India, Persia, and China. These then were primarily intended to keep the bodies warm in these otherwise cold and unforgiving regions. Only a few, mostly those in the royalty, ever used these as a fashion accessory or as a symbol in some ritual.
Today the shawl has definitely transcended the utilitarian borders of its existence. Thanks to the pioneering efforts of early tradesmen who introduced the material to the Western world through the flourishing Silk Road. Shawls now are mainly used as a decorative piece to highlight or enhance one’s clothing in order to project some form of sophistication and elegance.
As a fashion accessory, these help define the character of a wearer. No matter how dull looking or ordinary an attire is, finding the appropriate shawl to accent some of its features is enough to transform the whole getup into something elegant and sophisticated. Career women, socialites, and even plain office girls can find a lot of fashion sense in such piece.
In the corporate environment, for example, women need to project a powerful and decisive persona in order to survive in the otherwise male dominated world. Studies have pointed the use of one’s fashion as a credible means to projecting a power figure without necessarily undermining the person’s inherent abilities. Shawls therefore are very useful for this purpose.
These items are also great for highlighting one’s evening wear. Whether worn loosely across one’s shoulders or intricately folded and wrapped around one’s neck, shawls are sure hit in any social function. Perhaps one of the most overlooked functions of shawls during such occasions is their ability to provide comfort from the cool evening breeze.
It is now also being used as a decorative piece in one’s home. Interior designers have begun appreciating its value in accenting one’s living room or even bedroom. The colorful designs matched with intricate lines have been all found favorable in highlighting the best assets of a home. One’s creativity and imagination are perhaps the only limitations on how such piece of cloth can provide beautiful decorations in one’s home.
For the ordinary person, these still retain their primary purpose of protection especially in those living in cold regions. People can always find comfort in these pieces of garments because they have been especially made from a kind of woolen fabric that is considered great for warming the body underneath. One can be protected from extreme cold and still be fashionable about it rather than going the usual jacket.
Whether one uses shawls for its fashion sense, protective purpose, home decorative purpose, or plain symbolism is purely a matter of personal preferences. Choosing how these can best serve you is best decided on when you understand what you want in life. Understanding your own peculiarities will bring forth appreciation of its many uses. Once you know who you are and what you want out of life, making full use of the shawl should not be that hard.
Author Resource:
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