Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl Types, Styles, and Sizes

Different styles of Pashmina Shawls

Harshidaar – In this 2 inch embroidery work is done around the shawl on borders. This shawl does not have any any embroidery in the middle of shawl.

Neemdoor – In this type of shawl as well embroidery is done around the border of the shawl, but in this embroidery width is around 3-4 inches.

Doordaar – This also has same design as harshidaar or neemdoor, they only difference is embroidery with is 4-5 inches in this.

Paladaar – In this shawl embroidery is wide on 2 sides with bigger motifs while on the other 2 sides along length embroidery is very narrow.

Botidaar In this shawl motifs are spread all over shawl,. It can have same design all over or different motifs spread across the shawl.

Jalidaar – This shawl has full embroidery but you can see a lot of base fabric on this shawl. The main thread on this shawl is called nal. It takes 4-8 Months to make Jaldi daar shawl.

Jama – This shawl also has full embroidery, but their so much intricate embroidery that you can hardly see the base fabric. These are one of the kind shawls. Artisans take 1 year to 3 years to make one shawl.

Kani – This is a hand-woven shawl. There is no separate embroidery done on this. In this shawl, the design or pattern is done when the main shawl is woven itself by artisans. The design of kani shawl is made as per a script called taleem. Kani is a small wooden stick using which this shawl is woven.

Yarn Dyed – In these shawls adorable horizontal and vertical stripe designs are made during dying process.

Different sizes of Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl

Most common sizes of Kashmiri Pashminas which people purchase are

20×80 inches – Also called stole size. These size shawls are used as a neck scarf in the west. In India, it is used as a dupatta or as a hijab.
40×80 inches – This is the most common size as it used primarily by ladies.
45×90 Inches – This is a bit bigger than the common size
54×108 Inches – This is a men shawl. This is wrapped around by men.
Other than this square size or mufflers or custom sizes are also available.

Types of Pashmina Fabric

1. Handspun and Handwoven Pashmina (Pure Pashmina)- In these spinning of the Pashmina wool is done by hand on charkha and weaving of the Pashmina is done on a traditional wooden handloom. The quality of this kind of shawl is much better than the ones made on the machine.

2. Machine Spun and Hand Woven

3. Machine Spun and Woven

Cover picture credit Phamb