Pashmina (material)

[8] In common parlance today, pashmina may refer either to the material or to the variant of the Kashmir shawl that is made from it.

[10] Samples of wool fibres recovered from corroded copper artifacts from Harappa dating back to the Indus Valley Civilisation are believed to be Pashmina and Shahtoosh.

In 1526, Babur (1483–1530) founded the Mughal Empire in India, and established the practice of giving khalat or "robes of honor", typically made of expensive fabric, to members of their durbar to indicate high service, great achievement, or royal favor.

[12] In his time, the Mughal khalat was a set of clothes, which could include a turban, long coat, gown, fitted jacket, sash, shawl, trousers, shirt, and scarf.

[13] From the 16th to the early 20th centuries, the Safavid, Zand, and Qajar emperors of Iran also wore pashmina and gifted Kashmir shawls as khilat within their political and religious practices.

[16] Since English law restricted women's abilities to inherit land, the Kashmir shawl served as an item of high exchange value that a woman could carry.

[16] In France, the pashmina Kashmir shawl gained status as a fashion icon through Empress Joséphine de Beauharnais' enthusiastic use.

As a class marker, it fulfilled 19th century French tastes because it looked rich, had extensive ornamentation, artistic qualities, and was made of expensive raw materials.

These are a nomadic people and inhabit the Changthang plateau of Tibet, which has a minimum altitude of 13,500 feet (4,100 m) above sea level and a winter temperature which can drop to −40 °C (−40 °F) The Changpa rear sheep in these harsh climates for meat, and pashmina goats for wool.

All steps, from combing (removing impurities and guard hair, and aligning fibers) and spinning, to weaving and finishing, are traditionally carried out by hand by specialized craftsmen and women.

The FTC encourages manufacturers and sellers of products described as pashmina to explain to consumers, on a hangtag, for example, what they mean by the term.As with all other wool products, the fiber content of a shawl, scarf or other item marketed as pashmina must be accurately disclosed.