The Difference between Real Pashmina and Imitations

Pashmina is a fashion item that has been popular for over a decade. This delicate, hand-woven fabric was once in such demand that suppliers weren’t able to keep up with requests.

This helped encourage some less than honest companies to manufacture imitation pashmina products and claim it is the real article. In order to keep from being swindled by these companies, learn how to tell the difference between authentic pashmina and these imitators.

Pashmina has two separate meanings. The word is used to describe a specific type of wool found only in certain regions of the Middle East.

It is also used to describe the products created from this wool. When people refer to imitation pashmina products, they are using referring to the material used to make the accessories originally created from the genuine wool.

A specific type of cashmere wool originates from the changthangi, or a goat found in the higher elevations of Nepal, Pakistan, and India. Due to the harsh conditions the goat lives in, the changthangi has created a soft, warm, and weather resistant inner wool that is incredibly fine and soft.

In fact, this wool is so fine it can only be woven by hand. The pashmina wool is light and fine as it is woven into sheer products, such as scarves, wraps, shawls, and stoles.

Genuine pashmina wool is typically blended with silk to provide some substance. Common blends are half pashmina, half silk or two-thirds pashmina and one-third silk.

Products made by genuine pashmina are surprisingly warm despite the light, airy fabric. This makes these accessories a fantastic edition to your winter wardrobe.

Imitation pashmina has little of the changthangi wool in the product, and may have none at all. A popular substitute is what is known as viscose.

Viscose is a manufactured product that has similar characteristics, but not the original wool that originated the term. One reason why companies can get away with this deception is that the term pashmina changed over time.

When the product increased in popularity, the word pashmina came to describe particular products, not the type of wool. A wool and silk blend for a large scarf or shawl is an acceptable definition of the term.

If you are looking for a warm, light, quality scarf, shawl, or wrap, you may be interested in genuine pashmina wool products. Avoid items with labels that state they are made with viscose, if you are looking for natural materials in your clothing.

The ability to identify the type of wool that is used to create the accessory will help determine which definition of the word pashmina the manufacturer follows. If the wool is cashmere without stating its origin, it may be the commercial term the company follows for its products.

If the wool comes from Nepal, Pakistan, or India it may be genuine pashmina wool. Many commercial farmers who raise changthangi goats for their wool live in Mongolia.

Mongolian deserts have the same climate conditions as the high mountain regions of the changthangi’s origins. This allows farmers to raise pashmina goats in a larger area to meet production of genuine pashmina accessories.