:>Bonjour!!
It appears that many of us are fans of the Pashmina. It's even been touted on this site as the "Ultimate Travel Accessory".
I'm really not THAT fashion-challenged but I can honestly say I'd not heard of it until I read about it here.
What do we travellers like so much about it?
If someone could tell me, maybe I'll like it, too!!:>
Thanks everyone!!
F/A
It's lightweight yet warm, packs small, and can be used as a wrap, or a blanket on the plane. And it's very soft.
They're lightweight, easy to pack and make great gifts!
F/A ,, I first heard about them on cruises, many women used them for wraps ,, the dining rooms are so airconditioned , yet the ladies are dressed up and a jacket or cardigan would not suit.. viola , in enters the Pashima,, which is what my grandmother used to call a shawl.. LOL
I haven't purchased one myself, but I have seen some women throw them about their shoulders and look very chic, I think I look like an old woman wearing a shawl when I try them on.. I am fashioned challenged. LOL
I too read about Pashmina's here, and gave one to my wife at Christmas time... she loves hers, and it's packed for our upcoming trip.
Pashmina is the name of a type of cashmere wool and, as that indicates, it comes from the Himalaya high country. I have a couple of Pashmina scarves that I use during the winter....looped around the neck under my coat, they keep the warm air inside your coat, rather than it leaking out through the top. You can find pashmina scarves and shawls for 5 Euro or less at many of the street markets in Paris.
I have taken my black pashmina on four trips to Europe and various US trips. I own others purchased there, but the black one always goes in my carry on. It has served as a blanket on the plane, a scarf around my neck, a shawl for warmth, a sarong after bathing, a skirt while doing laundry, a tablecloth, and padding for purchased breakables. Black is somewhat boring, but this one seems to be just the right weight, washes out in the sink and dries fairly quickly. No, it is not a pricey pashmina, but rather a less expensive workhorse. This week I saw some nice pashmina's for just $9.99 at Ross. Don't leave home without one!
My scarve collection has grown so much, that I could set up my own stall in San Lorezo Market, it's almost worse than my love of shoes!
I use it for a wrap, around my neck for warmth, over my head if culture dictates, tie like a pareo over my bathing suit, it can be a pillow if scrunched up.
on the way home I wrap my souvenirs in it.
It's a great lightwieght gift for yourself and others
i tend to wear black when I travel, and I have a black jacket,so it's a great punch of color, yet stylish in a way that blends in with other woman!
Are these easy to find in the UK? I would like to get my Mom one when I visit.
Yes, I'm wondering what other cities I can buy them in. I wll be in Lille, Bruges, Brussels, Amsterdam, Cologne, Stuttgart, Munich, Zurich, Luzerne, Berne, and many places in Turkey. Any chance in any of these places? I know you can buy them off ebay but I want the romance of the trip.
Thanks! Karen
I have found them everywhere and every price range in real pashima or "just like" ..and that's why i have such a great collection as they are so easy to pick up at any outdoor market!
and if you see the sign as I did at the Ventimiglia market...
TUTTO 1 EURO....
stock up... :) :) :)
this was on our honeymoon 2 years and my husband saw other women rummanging through the pile...
my new hubby...says to me...
get in there and dig honey, dig!
and while i already knew I married my soul mate
it was those words to enable and encourage me...
that just made me realize how lucky I was!!!
That's so sweet! Thank you for sharing that moment.
Love and hugs,
Karen
I bought a pink pashmina for the first time this winter and took it to Paris with me in January -- it looked fabulous with my black coat and was warm and luxurious/ Also used it on the plane instead of their blanket. Worth every penny.
I got my first 2 Pashminas in Milan last year. They were on sale, 10EUR each, but I think they are not made of wool, but rayon that is very soft. I can't stand wool.
I bought them because they looked cool and I love scarves. I used them to cover my head and my body at La Guardia when my flight was canceled. They made a big difference, it was so cold in that airport.
Now I use them in winter time as scarves and they work wonderfully . I also carry one with me in the airplane and wrap it around my head, so I can avoid getting sick from the A/C.
Amazon.com has an extensive range of pashmina sellers, although not all are created equally. I have bought two in the past couple of months. One is scratchy and hot pink (when it was advertised as being "cherry") and the other is ridiculously soft and pink (when IT had been advertised as "rustic red").
If it is inexpensive, easy to rinse out in the sink, and dark in color, it is a possibility. A real cashmere pashmina, of course, would not be good as a picnic blanket.
Thanks everyone for helping me to learn more about this. I've probably seen them in my travels but took very little notice of them.
So I gather that they come in wool or synthetic? What is more traveller-friendly? I'm thinking of drying times, washability, durability etc. Any thoughts?
How long are they usually? About how wide? How does one wear/drape them? Strange questions, I know, but I'm trying to get a visual, here. :-)
Do they all have fringes on the ends? I'm not so much into fringes, I'm afraid. But I guess never say never, right?
Thanks, everyone!
Safe Skies,
F/A
i'm sending you a message shortly...
Eli...
no picnic for the REAL pashima, but you will see all sorts of cheap FAKE ones that you can buy for that intended purpose..
also these inexpensive ones are quite cute and I can assure you the European women wear these more than the real ones!
My first pashmina came for henri bendel in 1999!!! Since then I have added several others and they are a must have. Travel or home. My largest and warmest, from Pakistan is almost a blanket.
I bought a "pashmina" in Paris in the Notre Dame area for about 6 EU several years ago. The label says "100% Kashmir Made in India." I bought it originally because I needed more warmth for my head and neck. It measures about 29" x 56" (it's kinda stretchy)and weighs about 6 oz. (about 200 grams). There are fringes on both ends. It feels warm and soft and light. Even tho it didn't cost much, I wouldn't use it on the ground for picnicking. It is large enough to be used as a head cover, a "throw" or pareo or... The picnic question is one I never ran into since my idea of a good picnic place is a nice bench to sit on. I think some sort of plastic would be a better ground cover for picnicking.
You know what works ok for an improvised picnic? One of those Emergency foil pocket size blankets that are found in first aid kits.
I remember the first time I hauled one out for that purpose while on DUTY as EMS...My partner howled! He now realizes that they aren't only good to treat hypothermia or deliver a baby but good for picnicing! Just remember to put the shiny side down or it could reflect the sun and get a little bit warm. I guess you could cover it with your Pashmina, if you wanted??
About what size are they?
For those who asked about what the shawls look like and how to wear them, here are pics:
http://www.oprah.com/tows/pastshows/tows_2000/tows_past_20000306_c.jhtml
In the summer I use a sarong that my BIL brought back from Bali. Serves many of the same purposes as a pashmina but is much lighter and cooler. On his next trip I had him bring me another one and after he returned, I of course starting seeing them everywhere in the U.S.! Never travel in the summer without it - it's my bathing suit cover up, my "blanket" on the plane, my picnic blanket and my evening "wrap". I can wash it at night and in the summer it's dry by morning!
My friend got me one last year. I wore it a couple times in US. I took it with to Italy and used it almost everyday. Wrapped around my neck to keep out cool, over my shoulders or head in cathedrals, to keep a little warmer...GREAT ACCESSSORY!
Kathie
