The shawl of beauty and grace

An old familiar friend of a painting, but do we ever look at the shawl?

Joanna here, talking about that fashion accessory of the Seventeenth, Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, the shawl.

Why shawls? We wear form-fitted, sleeved outer garments mostly — coats and sweaters and parkas and anoraks and Macintoshes — in the Twenty-first Century and feel pleased and practical doing so. Why did folks spend centuries throwing loose garments around themselves that didn’t button up and had to be draped and fidgeted with in a manner that may strike us as awkward?

I think an ideal of feminine beauty was at the root of it. The drape and swirl of a shawl, the varied possibilities with all their minute adjustments were alluring to the watcher. Displaying the shawl was an art, and this length of silk or wool might well be the most expensive object a woman wore.

So let’s talk paisley, since we’re talking shawls.

Paisley is based on a repeated, teardrop-shaped design pattern called a bota or boteh – a word that means  “shrub” or “cluster of leaves” in Persian.

A decorative Persian tile from 1262. The boteh design comes from such roots

 This boteh is an ancient pattern, widespread in rugs, paintings, and tiles. It's an abstract shape that probably comes from the simplification of many sorts of feathers, fruit, flowers and so on in older designs. That is, there's no one origin. It's derived from many complexities that lost detail as they were copied and recopied.

In the Seventeenth and Eighteenth Centuries the East India Company imported these Indian designs to Europe where they became immensely popular. Soldiers returning from service in the East brought back lovely, expensive scarves of silk and soft Kashmir (cashmere) wool to their sweethearts and family. The British version of the scarves might cost more than 20 pounds. Sir Walter Scott’s French bride Charlotte Carpentier was given a Kashmir shawl in 1797 for her trousseau that cost 50 guineas, a huge sum in those days.

A fine shawl wrapping up mother and child 1825

Period portraits are full of these Kashmiri scarves gracefully swirled round the shoulders of women in flimsy low cut, high-waisted dresses. The survival of generations of scantily clad British beauties doubtless depended on these lengths of wool.

British wool and silk paisley shawl showing boteh 1810

Almost as soon as the imported scarves arrived, they were copied enthusiastically by European weavers, among them the craftsmen of the Scottish city of Paisley, so much so that the Persian design ended up named "paisley" after that city in Renfrewshire, Scotland, far, far from the exotic mountains and plains of the East.

The handlooms and, after 1820, Jacquard looms, of the misty north produced quite a good imitation of the original Indian product. But it was  not a perfect likeness.

Throughout the import period, imported Kashmiri shawls were more expensive and preferred over the British version. The colors were more varied. Even at the height of Scots weaving they were using a mere 15 colors as opposed to the more than 40 colors used in the Eastern imports. The quality of foreign weaving superior, and the fabric itself was lighter. British shawls were made from sheep’s wool. Kashmiri scarves, from softer, more supple, more lustrous goat’s hair. And Kashmiri weavers used the “twill tapestry technique”.

Those of you in the know about weaving technique will recognize that this means the horizontal (weft) threads of the pattern do not run all the way across the fabric but are woven back and forth around the vertical (warp) threads to where the color is needed again. This is the way Europeans weave tapestries. And no, I knew nothing about weaving technique before I looked this up.

A typical Kashmiri goat. This one is named Anna

When you’re through trying to figure out what that weaving stuff means you will be asking “Why didn’t the British import Kashmiri sheep and raise their own soft goat hair? They tried in 1818, but didn’t get good hair production. Britain wasn’t cold enough, apparently.

Anyhow, the creamy ecru background of many of the scarves in those Regency portraits is the natural color of goat’s fleece. Also, the finest goat wool, like the finest sheep wool and, for all I know, the finest cat fur, comes from the underbelly of the animals. These are the little factoids that make life so cool and give you something to talk about at parties.

1802 to 1814 shawls and how to wear them

How popular was the Kashmiri shawl?
Pretty popular, as per:

 

“…a fine cashemire shawl, with brown background, and richly variegated border, is generally thrown over the dress, in which is united both comfort and elegance.”

La Belle Assemblé, 1806

 

“…over these is thrown, in elegant drapery, a long Indian shawl of the scarf kind, the colour of the palest Ceylon ruby, the ends enriched by a variegated border…”

La Belle Assemblée, 1812

(Though I’m not sure what color a “pale Ceylon ruby” would be.) 

After the Regency period, in the age of many petticoats and full crinolines, scarves expanded to accommodate. We get huge scarves in this era.

Here's a big ole shawl worn over a crinoline in 1865

And here's another example of the difference between imported scarves and British ones. The British-woven scarves might weigh three pounds. The imported Kashmiri shawl of roughly the same size, five to nine ounces.

And eventually, the paisley-patterned scarf went away, as fashions will. Paisley shawls declined in popularity after the 1770s. It's likely the new fashion of bustles meant shawls no longer draped attractively. And block-printed fabrics – ever so much cheaper – became popular. This undermined the exclusivity of the paisley shawl.

So, there you have it. The shawl we all know and love from Historical Romances. How many downtrodden heroines have been sent off to fetch the cranky dowager's shawl and run headlong into the hero?

Now me, I have a fine wool shawl that lives over the back of my favorite chair all winter long. It's from Kashnir, I think, and has genuine botehs on it. When the woodstove heats my front nicely, the shawl covers my back.

And you? Is it a shawl for you sometimes? All the time? Never?

Comments

[Linnea J Priest MD]

I have been enjoying the shawl craze among knitters lately, and have been madly making them. Such fun!!!

[Janice]

In cool weather I'm much more a sweater and jeans person, but when I settle down at night to watch TV (tonight will be a movie called Interlude in Prague with James Purefoy, Aneurin Barnard and lots of rustly silks), I have a hybrid thing that is somewhere between a shawl, a banky, a blanket and a throw, and I do love to wrap that around my shoulders. Why is it that shoulders and back of the neck feel drafts the worst? Why not one's bare toes? Or fingers? I have often wondered why that is. But there is something about a movie at home that calls for a shawl of some kind. And popcorn :)

[Joanne Bourne]

I had one of those too -- a handknitted shawl -- bright red. I loved it and sent it as a present to someone who needed a comfort scarf.

I do find them versatile.

[Joanne Bourne]

I'm with you on a jacket or sweater as the wrap to wear outside. I simply cannot bring myself to fuss with clothing.

But inside, sitting down and typing ... There's nothing like a shawl. Maybe two shawls. One for the back of the neck and one for the chilly little toes.

[Kareni]

Thank you, Joanna, for a fascinating article! I have a cashmere scarf which is nice and light, so I can appreciate the appeal of cashmere over sheep's wool. I've been known to snuggle under an afghan or lightweight blanket, but a shawl now sounds mighty appealing.

[Mary T]

What an interesting post. I think shawls, like hats, are lovely but they don't seem practical in my everyday life. I think I actually have a couple stuck away somewhere.

This is the time of year that a shawl might come in handy sitting on the porch early in the morning with my cup of coffee, but it seems more practical to just throw on a sweat shirt or sweater.

[Annette]

Lovely post and the pictures are beautiful. Thank you, Ma'am.

[Margaret]

I absolutely love shawls and have a far-larger-than-practical assortment of them. The problem is, they tend to stay in the drawer. With a full-time job, one kid still at home, and too many pets, shawls just aren't practical, and I hate it when they end up on the floor! So I amass new ones and dream of the day when I will have peace and quiet to sit with my shawl and a cup of tea and read or write in peace.

[Francie Cissell]

I love shawls! I collect shawls and I wear them. I do in fact take one with me everywhere I go. I'm partial to the ruana wraps. They are perfect for where I live. During the summer, it's blazing hot outside and freezing in the stores and offices. During the winter, it's just enough cover to keep you warm. And, if you're ever in the hospital walking the corridors and dragging an i.v. pole with you, a ruana is the perfect cover-up. Drops around your shoulders and covers your arms and bottom without interfering with your i.v. Just a helpful tip if you ever find yourself in a situation...

[Mary M.]

Well, of course I had to delve into the "pale Ceylon ruby" mystery. Here's just a little from the Gem Society page https://www.gemsociety.org/article/ruby-jewelry-and-gemstone-information/ :

"Burma or Oriental, red to slightly purplish red in medium dark tone with vivid saturation. (Also called “pigeon blood red”). Ceylon or Sri Lanka, lighter in tone, often more brilliant than Myanmar or Thai rubies. ... Star Ruby, includes stones that are too light or too purple to call ruby if transparent."

So Ceylon pink rubies sound lighter and happier than the more dramatic pigeon blood reds that would have suited a dominant dowager. The article also notes there are pink sapphires. Can you imagine?

As for shawls, seems like today it's pashminas, pashminas, pashminas. As in the past, the originals are lighter weight (and more expensive) while the rayon ones are still light but cheap. They're so handy for anywhere there's a draft--airplanes, restaurants, theaters, etc., and fold down small enough to stow in a decent-sized purse. Of course, there's still the slither factor and we have no pinched companion to pick up after us ...

I love these researchy articles, keep them coming, Wenches!

[StephanieL]

It's funny to me that are no longer a true part of the "fashion" landscape are an integral part of my daily life. =D
I have several shawls that are a regular part of my apparel choices, of course I think they call them pashminas but... Three are solid colors but are jacquard (coral, emerald and butter). Tone on tone I guess, but they are cashmere. One is a very light silver but has piano keys embroidered around the edge, it's modern and definitely NOT cashmere. I have one that is a very very deep ruby red and another chocolate that are silk. They are amazing for using as a wrap and also to cover my legs in hospitals, airplanes, doctors offices, etc. I wear them wrapped around my neck in the cold season because they keep me much warmer than the knitted winter ones do. I adore hoodies but I will still have a scarf wrapped around me somewhere for when it's too much without the hoodie but too much with it. This is a really great post! Love all the info! I can NOT imagine hauling around a three pound shawl. LOL

[Jane]

I am a knitter, and I absolutely love to knit shawls. They are wonderful to wrap up in cooler weather; in addition they can be as simple or as complicated to knit as one likes, so I often have a very simple one on my needles for going to meetings and such. Smaller shawls make very elegant accessories, and I'm making more of an effort to actually wear mine! Fascinating topic.

[Patricia Rice]

thanks for the great blog, Jo! I love shawls, and yes, the finest ones weigh considerably less than those from Target. ;) I think wearing them might have more to do with climate these days. I live in a climate that has no extremes, so I really don't need an anorak. But it will be a little chilly when I go out in the morning and may heat up by noon, just like anywhere else. So a light scarf for evenings and mornings is just right most days. And for a/c!!!

[Janice]

I could have added that I love the current fashion for infinity scarves, which solve the problem of cold shoulders and back of neck better than anything, and they don't fall off :) I loved the gray one Jessica Jones wears so much that I went on line and found one like it -- just when it started to get too warm to wear it in LA :)

[Karin]

I love shawls! I have 1 or 2 of the triangular ones, and loads and loads of pashminas. They are some sort of wool, but probably not the "real" pashmina because I bought many of them from street vendors in Manhattan. I still mourn the loss of a hand dyed and spun sheep's wool shawl I bought at a festival in Virginia years ago. The pashminas are great in over-air conditioned offices and on plane trips, now that the airlines no longer provide us with blankies. They add style to any outfit, and can be used for so many purposes, to cover your head if it suddenly starts raining, as an impromptu picnic blanket, a sling carrier or a beach sarong.

[Barbara Monajem (@BarbaraMonajem)]

I have some cotton Persian tablecloths -- and maybe an old bedspread -- with those same motifs on them.

I love shawls but am way too lazy to wear something that needs such constant attention. And probably unable to do it gracefully anyway!

[Joanne Bourne]

Cashmere is nice, isn't it? It's not really like wool. There's a whole different, silky feel to it.

[Joanne Bourne]

I have a house with a lot of "thermal zones" in it. What a shawl does for you is be adjustable. Over the head, around the shoulders, wrapped across the front, dangled over your pinky toes.

I can carry a cup of coffee or early morning tea about with me wearing a shawl. No problem. I can sit and type or read the paper.

I wouldn't want to try anything more ambitious, though.

[Joanne Bourne]

You gotta hand it to those historical women -- they knew how to wear clothes. I think of myself kitted out in blue jeans and a sweatshirt and I kinda cringe. Not for me the nonchalant throwing a shawl across my arms and letting it dangle "just so."

[Joanne Bourne]

I think about that too -- the practicalities of shawls. Is it that I love shawls or is it that I love the lifestyle they imply?

[Joanne Bourne]

For those of you a little unclear on the whole ruana /shawl distinction ... it's talked about here:

https://www.biddymurphy.com/blogs/dia-duit/what-s-the-difference-ruanas-shawls-sarapes-and-more

I have not thought about ruanas in a hospital context, but I very much see your point and it is good advice.

A shawl -- or possibly a rauna -- might be a good gift for someone who'll be overnighting in hospitals for a bit. It's not even so much for the warmth. I think they overheat hospitals a bit.

But you can wear a shawl comfortably in bed. It doesn't get all tangled up underneath you. And it Covers You Up when you are put into clothing that really doesn't quite.

So. Gifting idea for a friend.

[Joanne Bourne]

For the scoop on pashminas see:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pashmina

I have to say (jo admits sheepishly) that pashminas seem very similar to Cashmere shawls such as that worn by Madame de Recamier. Maybe the modern version is a bit smaller.

The goats are the same. Do not mess with the goats.

[Joanne Bourne]

I do love red scarves and shawls. I don't own one just at the minute but will doubtless give in and buy one soon, for the cold months.

Three pounds of shawl does seem like a great deal, until one remembers the Victorian crinoline-wearing woman was already carting around 15 to 20 pounds of clothing.

(Well ... three pounds still seems like a lot.)

[Joanne Bourne]

When it comes to those knit, triangular shawls, I do love them ... and the bigger the better.

There's something about lapping those long ends together in front. Makes me feel so elegant.

[Joanne Bourne]

I don't have a good solution to the air conditioning problem. You swelter your way across the parking lot and duck into Nome Alaska in the store. Shiver shiver your way past the vegetables.

Then it's out to the sweltering sauna in the parking lot again.

[Joanne Bourne]

All my friends seem to be wearing these infinity scarves. Very pretty. And they do look warm.

[Joanne Bourne]

I will join you in questioning the bona fides of the "genuine casheme" or "real silk" anything bought from street vendors. I don't know if I put much more trust in some of the labels I see in stores ...

[Joanne Bourne]

We see the photos or prints or paintings of old old fashions, but what we don't see is the way of wearing them. So much lost when we can't see the clothing as it is meant to be seen -- in motion.

[Vicki L.]

I agree that outside...fleece jackets are the best. The more the merrier actually since they are so much warmer.

Definitely traveling I use a very very cheap little scarf/shawl thing I got at target. It is very thin but amazingly warm. Packs in very little space. Works well in the car with my husband since he freezes me.

Though when we are using our personal vehicles I always take a fleece blanket because...fleece is soo cuddly when he is freezing me.

I have all kinds of fleece bits and pieces that I use as shawls when I sit and read, work on the computer, etc. But wearing a shawl while doing housework, etc? Nope...disaster!

[betsy yopp]

I think I know what happened to the shawls that went out of fashion in the mid to late l800s. I have a truly lovely red paisley wool shawl - quite large that was referred to by my great grandmother as a "piano" scarf and was draped over the grand piano in the parlor.

[Maribeth Curry]

I love my shawls- have several- some I've made- one beautiful black one with brilliant colored flowers printed on - I get a lot of compliments- once even when I was walking down a street in Paris, a man stopped me to find out where I got it as he wanted one for his wife! They're so versatile! Love the article- thanx for the info!
Maribeth Curry