Tag: shawls
Evening Shawls Mix and Match the Colors of Your Shawl!
by admin on Mar.27, 2010, under Womens Interest
Evening Shawls are one of the most favorite clothing items of women. They mostly like angora shawls because they are available in soft texture, warming quality, remarkable beauty, and excellent colors. The angora shawls are traditional manufacture to provide warmth, but now they are a modern fashionable clothing item too. They are some of the most elegant kinds of accessories that can be worn.
The evening shawl is fast becoming a fashion accessory not only for women but also for the cosmopolitan men. Worn more often in the way as men wear scarves, shawls have nonetheless found considerable acceptance among the male members of society. What is needed now is how to color coordinate the different designs and patterns of these wraps to the daily attire of modern men and women.
Although color coordination can be tricky at times, it is nonetheless important for every modern man and woman to learn to perform it on their own. Color coordination is very important so as not to appear ridiculous in a given apparel. Since shawls and scarves are intended to enhance one?s appearance based on what the person wears, finding the correct match is therefore crucial to projecting a fine taste of class.
White, because of its purity and neutrality can be worn over almost any design or type of clothing. However, it is generally not advisable to wear white stoles over white or light colored clothing because the idea in color coordination is that each garment should be able to complement each other?s qualities without losing their own individual characteristics.
As such, here are just a few guidelines to help you have a better feel for mixing and matching your favorite shawl with your daily attire.
Gray or neutral colored shawls are perfect to control vibrantly colored clothing. Gray and brown can dull down very vivid colors such as red, orange, yellow and light green. This creates an excellent contrast by drawing the excess in attention to the vibrant colors and highlighting the capacity of the gray and brown hues to neutralize the energy. Gray and brown depict a certain sense of smartness, brilliance, and coolness.
You can also coordinate your stoles and apparel by using the triad of colors. This means coordinating blue, red and yellow among each other can be a great way to start with the color matching. Secondary colors like orange, green and purple can also be worn together to provide a color coordinated effect.
Another method is by using the complementary approach to color coordination. This means taking one color and using the color directly its opposite in the color wheel. As such, if you have a red or a burgundy shirt, a green scarf will look great on it; blue shawls will look good against orange, gold, rust and brown.
You can also go monochromatic ? using one color but in different shades, tones or tints ? or go warm and cool ? a good mix of analogous colors. With these basic tips, you can go ahead and match your shawl confidently with your outfit.
Shawl 101 Managing a Fashion Emergency
by admin on Mar.27, 2010, under Womens Interest
Shawls are one of the favorite fashion accessories of women. They are always in search of best quality and unique design. Shawls are all around fashion accessory that is essential for providing warmth and beauty at the same time. Shawls occupy a special place in history and whenever, you wear it you will become a symbol of elegance and luxury. Pashmina shawls are one of the leading accessories of today?s fashion world, used by the women and teens to complete today?s fashion beauty concept.
Have you ever experienced a fashion emergency where you simply would have just wished you vanished in thin air than face the glitz and glam with a stained wardrobe? Nothing can be more devastating to a person in a formal social gathering than having her wear ruined by stains or even simple dirt. Your shawl can be an interesting life saver in these instances.
Although shawls are originally intended to be worn over the shoulders to provide warmth and protection for the wearer, these pieces of fashionable garments can be used in an entirely different way. Only one?s imagination and creativity will be the limitation to how well such a piece of fashion accessory can work to manage a fashion emergency.
For one thing, because of the rather broad width of shawls these can be worn as drapes or as aprons to an evening dress. The manner in which such garment can naturally flow downward is excellent in projecting a fashion sense at par with the world?s finest. This is essentially the very fundamental use of shawls ? to protect the wearer and at the same time make her elegant and sophisticated.
If the fashion emergency is in the upper front portion of the evening wear, the cashmere shawl can be worn as a drape across the shoulders but with the trailing edges located in the back. The central portion of the garment forms a plunging layer of fabric in front to conceal whatever needs to be concealed. Securing the shoulder portions with a pin or brooch can accentuate the wear?s elegance.
If the emergency happened to be at the backside, the woolen piece of garment can be worn as it would normally be worn. Just makes sure to wrap the trailing edges of the garment on both elbows so that the broad section in the back adequately covers the problem area.
If the concern is near the midsection, the cashmere garment can be worn like a drape with the trailing edges loosely handled by both arms much like a beauty queen walking on a pageant. If the problem is in the lower sections of the evening wear, the cashmere garment can be worn loosely and hanging directly above the problem area.
The manner in which fashion accessories such as scarves and shawls are put to effective use can definitely improve one?s credibility in the management of such fashion emergencies. The shawl, being primarily a protective piece of garment, can thus be the modern woman?s answer to fashion emergencies in social gatherings.
The Shawl Industry in India
by admin on Mar.27, 2010, under Womens Interest
Owning a pashmina shawl adds an overvalued investment to women?s wardrobe. Indian shawls have an exiting history, and often prefer by women because of its softness and warmness. The process of making a pashmina shawl is little complicated because it has to undergo over thirty stages to resemble a stole. The major portion of Indian shawl industry based on shawls made of cashmere fabric. Cashmere fabric is extremely soft and makes women?s look feminine and graceful. These shawls come in various styles depending on the price range and quality you are looking for. Indian shawls are indeed a classic piece because it is easy to wear and doesn\’t come off as merely just a trend or fad.
The shawl has existed in India since the ancient times providing protection against the freezing cold. The mention to this fine piece of garment was first found in the Mahabharata, the Ramayana and the Atharvaveda. It also finds a mention in the ancient Buddhist texts and literature.
Support for the industry by the Mughals
The Kashmiri wraps were popular all over the world. During the Mughal rule, Punjab and the North West Frontier became the center of shawl making. The Mughal emperor Akbar was completely hooked by the Kashmiri wraps and encouraged weavers to produce new designs. He tried several new ways of wearing one and was instrumental in starting the twin shawl fashion. These types were embroidered with precious stones and metals for the use of the royals.
Migration from the valley
The Mughal kingdom led way to the Afghan rulers who levied heavy taxes on the said industry. The weavers were forced to leave the Kashmir valley and migrate to Punjab. Following the great famine and the Afghan harassment, Amritsar became the new center for production. The migration of Kashmiri workers led to the development of the industry in other settlements of Punjab as well.
Innovative ideas
Earlier designs consisted of hand woven and hand spun wraps of different textures and weaves. These were later embroidered with soft silk floss and phulkari to add to its rich appearance. The warm and comfortable Kashmiri stoles were also dyed in different shades to add to its appeal.
International market
The garment got its major recognition during the British era. The British were totally perplexed by the Kashmiri stoles and shipped them to Britain. Their remarkable popularity spread to other countries as well that have a great market for these finely produced fabrics.
Revolution in the industry
During the 19th century, the weaving method of Kashmiri shawls changed due to the ever increasing demand worldwide. The shawls were now woven separately into parts and later stitched together by a rafoogar. This period also witnessed the popularity of the embroidered wraps in the foreign market.
Shawls from other states
The shawl industry in India also grew at the same time in various other states such as Bengal, Gujarat Assam and other North Eastern states. The phenomenal growth of the industry was closely associated to the weaves, textiles and designs. These stoles presented the cheaper options and came in beautiful designs and colours.
Pashmina Shawls… What Size is Best?
by admin on Mar.03, 2010, under Womens Interest
A trendy shawl around woman s neck is an everlasting trend in fashion world. Pashmina, embroidered, beaded and head scarves are popular items appealing to women fold worldwide. Pashmina have very exciting history, now they are available online in different sizes, fabric, and variety of colors. You can choose between green, purple, burgundy, or blue pashminas depending on the color and kind of outfits that suit your particular style. You also have an option to choose grey, black or white classic Pashmina shawls being easily adaptable to various outfits.
Pashmina shawls… there are many different kinds of shawls out in the world today and most people would not even be able to tell the difference between one and the other. But, back in the day, there was a time when stoles, scarves and shawls all had standards and were categorized accordingly. For example, a scarf is supposed to be smaller than a stole but a stole is supposedly smaller than a shawl. The exact measurements for a scarf are roughly a foot wide and several feet long at the very most. Anything bigger and you cannot consider it a scarf anymore.
Right now, much attention is given to a particular kind of shawl, its size and a bit of its history. This particular accessory is the pashmina shawl. Basically, pashmina is a kind of wool that comes from a specific breed of goats in the Himalayas. On its own it is very weak and can easily be torn apart but when it is interwoven with silk and other fabrics, it becomes stronger and glossier.
Since we are talking about the technical definition of a shawl, its size is extremely important so figuring out how big is a pashmina shawl is essential to this discussion. On average, the accepted size of a pashmina shawl is at least and around three feet wide to at least seven feet in length. For most people today, this size is enormous but you must keep in mind the context of which it was manufactured.
These pashmina shawls were made originally for Tibetans who live in extremely harsh weather that can be so cold, it can cause hypothermia. Obviously, these people need several layers of clothing which explains why the pashmina shawls, which originate from their region, are huge.
When people who are not familiar with the lifestyle and climate in the Himalayas, asking how big is a pashmina shawl may result in a shocking reaction. But, as mentioned, this size is only practical and logical to keep them warm. It would be useless to have to buy several shawls just so you can create more layers of clothing. To make life easier, shawls are just made extremely large so it can be wrapped around the body several times.
As you can see, there is a reason to why pashmina shawls had a certain size in the past. Although today, shawls can come in many different shapes and size, you at least know a bit more about this very popular fashion accessory.
Scarves and Shawls Are Not Just For Ladies
by admin on Feb.21, 2010, under Womens Interest
Have you ever seen guys wearing scarves and or shawls in public places in malls, theaters, restaurants, parks, and others without other people looking at them with a quizzical frown on their faces? Chances are, you will be one of five Americans who think that such pieces of garment are for ladies only.
Oh, you are in for the surprise of your life!
Try browsing through modern fashion catalogues as well as magazines. Scan through the web pages of a popular men s fashion apparel and fashion accessories or better yet, spend some time just sitting on the bench by the park and you ll see more and more males are wearing scarves and shawls. You see, gone are the days when people laugh at the sight of men wearing such fashionable pieces of garments.
Unless of course you were wearing a shawl or scarf in glaring pink colors or with designs that are uniquely feminine, then perhaps you will invite ridicule upon yourself. Otherwise, conservative and strongly masculine colored and designed pieces of garment will do marvelous things to you as a modern cosmopolitan man.
The idea of men wearing a shawl or even a scarf is actually not new anymore. This is because the reason why such garments exist in the first place is that it serves to protect or shield the human body against the bitter cold of the Himalayas. This meant that men and women have developed these pieces of fabric as a means to protect them from the harsh environment.
This purpose is not at all lost amidst today s seemingly endless fascination for anything fashionable. In places where it is naturally cold, people from all different walks of life and in both sexes, shawls and scarves are often used wrapped around their exposed upper body parts to protect against the cold. These can include the neck and the whole torso from neck down.
In the dry desert communities, these have definite uses, too. They are used to shield the self against extreme heat as well as the occasional sand storms that can literally blind an eye. Soldiers, freedom fighters, and other desert men are often depicted or shown with either a shawl or scarf worn across their shoulders or wound around their necks.
In today s modern universities and higher institutions of learning, the use of shawls or a certain kind of scarf have closely associated with the affiliation to a particular peer group. In these instances, both male and female members of the group share the same kind and design.
Corporate executives often strut their power and influence with a conservative yet sophisticated wrap. Hollywood actors and matinee idols have used the shawl as a means to provide their fan base a means to enforce a certain kind of identity with their idols. Aviators in the early 19th century wore scarves and other similar garments whenever they took to the sky.
You see, a scarf or a shawl is definitely not just for women!
Men can benefit from the same kind of elegance and sophistication these fashionable pieces of garment have done for career women. What men only need to shed is the idea that only ladies and sissies wear a shawl or a scarf. Men should start realizing the importance of being functional and fashionable at the same time, especially in today s very competitive social environments.
Having said this, scarves and shawls are well known to provide the warmth and protection modern man needs and at the same time enable him to feel good about himself and be confident in the things he does in life. it s about time for men to start thinking otherwise about these practical accessories.