NEWSFLASH!!! Pashmina Shrug with Jet Swarovski Crystal! Pre-order by 31st October for a 10% discount!

This gorgeous 100% Pashmina Cashmere Fine Knit Shrug has just arrived in our office and we instantly fell in love!

It's the perfect way to cover your arms and still feel glamorous in your party dress. The pure pashmina cashmere is a fine knit and is embellished by hand with jet Swarovski crystals to give that hint of sparkle.

The medium size is approximately a size UK 10-12. However, as this shrug does not fasten, there is some flexibility on the sizing.

Measurements: Medium - Shoulder to Shoulder : 38cms (15") approx.
                                           Bust : 102cms (40") approx.
                                           Back Neck to Hem : 43cms (17") approx.

The shrug will be available to order in Medium or Large
The Large size measurements will be approximately 3-5 cms (2") larger on the bust and shoulder. A UK size of approximately 12-14

To pre-order please email us before 31st October  and we will reserve one for you.
The  Pre-order price is £175.00 including postage. (The website price will be £195.00. Pre-orders benefit from a 10% discount)
When the item comes into stock, we will email you to arrange the payment and delivery.

Please contact:
orders@pashminasdirect.co.uk
Subject: Shrug and Size

Please give your name and contact details, so that we can confirm your pre-order and keep you in touch with delivery dates. Please remember to tell us the size you require!

Or telephone Ann: 020 8969 2341 Monday-Friday 8.30-4.30

                                                                                                                         

                                                                               

Chocolate and Caramel Pashminas - The S15 Brown Accessory Revolution!

As is probably true of many of us, chocolate is quite often in my thoughts. At this time of year, I'm more likely to be concerned about which limited edition Magnum my local supermarket is stocking than the suitability of chocolate tones in the accessory palette. I mean... it's an autumn colour isn't it?
But this year chocolate has been creeping out of the freezer cabinet and into our high street window displays. Browns? IN SUMMER! Really?

Bitter Chocolate Shawl with Crystal Beads - Starlight http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=114   Perfect with a white or cream occasion dress, or go wild and team with pastels.

It's a departure from the norm. This summer season brown is the new navy; just when we've got used to considering navy as the new black. Perhaps we can put this chocolate revolution down to the seventies theme of spring/summer 15. Browns do seem a seventies shade... But as this trend looks set to continue into our autumn/winter wardrobes, we'd better look beyond visions of old sitcom's set dressing, and embrace what a versatile base colour brown can be.

Great to tone with whites and creams, you can claim virtually any shade through honey, fawn, sand and café au lait as a type of brown. All these form a neutral and warm palette that suits the tawny haired 'bronde',  through to bona fide brunette and black; giving a laid-back opulent summer look. Accessorise with gold sandals and  jewellery and you're ready for a croissant in Cannes.

Sand Beaded fringe Shawl http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=115
Perfect with tonal cream, crisp white and gold

Paler blondes and red heads can go for the more dramatic contrast of milk or bitter chocolate without straying into autumn territory. Think how spectacular Julia Roberts looked in that milk chocolate and cream dress in Pretty Woman! Use as a base note with creams, mink browns or golds and stun with an elegant summer style.

If you're wedded to a Turkish delight summer palette but want a sophisticated edge, try teaming a dark brown with those summer pastels that pack a punch - sky blue, pistachio and mid pink. It's a strong summery vibe that works for all skin and hair types. For a more subdued effect, use a chocolate milkshake brown with their more delicate pastel cousins. These are shades that look delicious together: centuries of chocolatiers and Neapolitan ice cream makers can't be wrong!

Plain Large Shawls: Pistachio, Candy Pink, Sky Blue and Bitter Chocolate
http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=15

'Zig' Large Scarf Beige and Brown http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=354

with Plain Shawls: Cream http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=14

and Pointe Shoe Pink http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=68

 

Give some roar to your neutral summer linens with brown and caramel print accessories.  Classic animal prints break up white or cream with a freshness and vibrancy that is totally different to the effect you will get with winter blacks and you get two seasons for the price of one.

Top: Classic Leopard shawl http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=189

Right: Classic Cheetah Shawl http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=198

Bottom: Golden Cheetah Shawl http://www.pashminasdirect.co.uk/Details.asp?ProductID=390

Perfect with white skinny jeans and chiffon tunic top

Whether it's a shawl, shoes, hat or handbag, maybe it's time to let browns and caramels break free of their autumnal shackles and have their time in the sun!

Pashmina & Silk Large Shawls - Sea shades selection - Spring Special Offer 2015!

 

 

This is the start of our weekly Spring Special Offers featuring the plain Large Shawl 70% Pashmina Cashmere & 30% Silk .  Each week we will have a new tonal selection, kicking off with these exquisite sea shades. Absolutely en pointe for this Spring.

Usually £53.75, the sale price is £48.00 - a great chance to add to your pashmina wardrobe!  Keep an eye out for your favourite colour and grab them at a cheaper price.

 There is a limited stock of all these colours. All our pashminas are hand made and hand dyed. This allows us to regularly change our stock colours and give a greater choice of shade to all our fellow pashmina addicts. Let yourself be swept away by one of these sea shades....

Pashmina colours SS15 - Inspired by nature!

Pastels with pops of sympathetic colour are dominating the high street, really getting us in the mood for spring and summer. While we are waiting to team our delicate dresses with equally floating chiffon shawls, we can bring a touch of freshness to our wardrobe with plain pashmina shawls. A perfect way to keep warm but spring-like, when the weather just doesn't play ball.

Take inspiration from shades that occur together in nature- think pastel green leaves with soft pink flowers or the aquas, greens and blues of the Caribbean ocean.

 Cool down delicate yellows with a pale grey accessory or turn up the heat on a pure white outfit with a flash of light tangerine.

If you love a neutral, this year's nude beige may be for you. Accessorise with an earthy spice shade to get the SS15 look, while still keeping it tonal. 

New colours of Pashmina Cashmere & Silk Shawls and Large Shawls that are in stock right now....
Butterscotch Large Shawl; Tangerine Large Shawl; Russet Brown Shawl

Sky Blue Shawl; Pale Turquoise Large Shawl; Royal Blue Shawl; Steel Blue Shawl

Candy Pink Large Shawl; Pistachio Large Shawl

In the Navy! Dark Blue pashminas are the new black!

Navy. A word to create a shiver down many-a spine.

To me, Navy was a shade synonymous with A-line knee length skirts... scratchy blazers, hockey on icy Wednesday afternoons in a box pleat back mini (freezing but actually quite flattering!) and summer days spent toiling over endless exams in a baking school hall.  It can take years to recover.

But after a gap of a couple of decades I suddenly find that I've accepted the Facebook friend request and Navy is creeping inexorably back into my life.

 At first it was a simple boat neck dress that was highly respectable office wear - worn occasionally for meetings but not actually loved. Then it was the navy and white Bloch ballet flats that matched that dress, and a matching lightweight shaded pashmina... I am a pashmina addict, after all.

 I was still in denial during a trip to Portobello market when I chose a bird print skater dress in the navy option, despite a choice of three colour ways... Well, it was the cost efficient. I already had the shoes and pashmina! Skinny jeans in the darkest blue followed, vest tops, camisole tops, water fall cardigans, a silk Ted Baker shift, sun glass frames and suddenly a trench coat. And the rest of my wardrobe fitted so well with the new pieces - I was hooked! Navy blue had all but ousted black from my wardrobe!

I now know why Navy has always been a classic, beloved of women who want a neutral dark shade that goes with every colour and has a huge selection within its own colour band. Navy aficionados can pick a navy shade for every season and look fresh and current.

And it seems that fashion is also starting to acknowledge this versatility. Gone are the days when navy could only be teamed with red and white for the nautical look. Now it is brought into our year-round wardrobes as Midnight, French, Dark or a navy in between. It is one of the neutral base colours for both day and evening wear;  a shade sympathetic to mix and match with greys, creams - even blacks -  and a perfect backdrop to pops of summer pastels or stronger autumn colours. We can be classic, contemporary, nautical, flirty, or colour-blocked. Join the Navy!

Top to bottom: Available from Pashminas Direct - Pashmina & Silk Large Shawl with Bugle Bead fringe- Navy,  100% Silk Organza with 100% Pashmina reverse panel 'Elegance'- Midnight Elegance, 100% Silk Chiffon Shawl with Silk border- White/Navy.

Courtesy of Mayfair Valley Pashmina: Summer 14 collection: 100% Silk Chiffon Shaded Large Shawl- Navy to Aqua* , 80% Pashmina & 20% Silk Shaded Lightweight Large Shawl- Midnight to paler*;  AW14/15 collection - Pashmina & Silk Summer Shaded Shawls- Midnight to Peacock, Midnight to Fuchsia**
* Fingers crossed, available soon on Pashminas Direct....
** See above. We hope! Yes, please!

Spotlight on Starlight Pashmina Shawls and pashmina cleaning tips!

Currently reduced on our Special Offer page are the Starlight Shawls and I thought that they deserved a post of their own. This is a style of shawl that has been a favourite over a number of years, particularly if you want  a bit of glamour without the weight of  a beaded fringe or more intricate and heavy embroidery, (such as we occasionally sell as clearance items from our designer sister site www.mayfair-valley.co.uk ).

So here are the facts!  The Starlights are classic 70% Pashmina Cashmere & 30% Silk Shawls (size 70 x 180cms) with a hint of sparkle provided by a faceted crystal bead.  Unless we know for sure, we assume that the beads used are generic hot glue crystals, not a named variety.  If they are a named variety, we say in the description!
The Starlight Shawls featured here have the generic hot glue crystals.

The crystals are hand applied with hot glue, in a regulated diamond formation over the length of the shawl. Sometimes they group the beads more closely at either end of the shawl, but it depends on the beader.
The crystals bond strongly to the cashmere fibres when the glue becomes cold, however I recommend to take a little care when cleaning.  Dry cleaning or Hand Wash with Care are the usual instructions and  I've hand-washed my Starlight shawl with cashmere detergent in warm water and not experienced any problems. In fact, I probably prefer to be 'hands on' with the cleaning, so I know how the shawl is reacting!

 Regarding ironing,  iron on the back with a protective cloth to cushion yourself over the crystal bumps. It's always best to start with a cloth; although you might find it's not necessary when you know what your shawl can take.
If you are bold, any stubborn creases out can be got out with a direct iron from the front - there's usually room between the stones - but watch like a hawk! And always start on a low heat... you can go higher if necessary and most creases come out on a low-medium heat. You can also slightly dampen the cloth if that's your preference - common sense applies!
 NOTE: Before writing this I tested the plum starlight shown here. It ironed fine without a cloth on the back and on the front. I used a dry iron, low-medium heat. The picture below was taken pre-ironing!!!!

A note of caution about ironing - and this applies to all cashmere shawls, beaded or not -  some dyes react worse than others to heat, so it is best to protect your pashminas with a cloth.  Over the years I have become wary about paler colours - particularly those that have yellow tones (off-whites, silvers, pale pinks (like here) pale lilacs and corals) - as these can react on a low-medium heat unless protected. 

Every pashmina is an individual, that's why we love them. Until you know how your pashmina reacts, treat it cautiously.  Some can take the rougher stuff!

Starlight Shawls PD060  - the colour numbers refer to our colour chart (previously blogged). One of each available!!!

Raspberry and Rose Pink

 Bitter Chocolate, Teal and Plum

 Raspberry 46

 Rose Pink 190

Bitter Chocolate 232

 Teal 395

 Plum 245

Pashmina Dye Chart

This is the dye chart that we order from. The  numbers after the colour names from my January and February blogs - Pashmina shawls Colour Crib Class of 2013 - can be found here eg Plum 245 Click on the pictures to get a close up view!