Real vs fake pashmina
India is one of the world's largest markets for pashmina — and also one of the largest markets for pashmina fraud. The word "pashmina" is used in India to describe a wide range of shawls and wraps, from genuine Kashmiri pashm fibre at ₹15,000 to machine-woven acrylic at ₹300. Both are sold in the same shops and sometimes even at the same stalls. The consumer typically cannot tell the difference by looking.
Genuine pashmina is made from the undercoat of the Changthangi goat, which lives on the Changthang plateau in Ladakh and Tibet at altitudes above 14,000 feet. Each goat produces 80–170 grams of usable fibre per year. The fibre diameter is 12–16 microns — finer than merino wool (17–22 microns) and significantly finer than standard sheep's wool (25–45 microns). The fineness is what gives genuine pashmina its exceptional softness and warmth-to-weight ratio.
Approximately 80–90% of products sold in India as "pashmina" are either entirely synthetic (acrylic, viscose) or heavily blended with synthetic fibre. Genuine Kashmiri pashmina represents a small fraction of sales by volume. The Geographical Indication (GI) certification for Kashmiri pashmina exists but is not always enforced at the point of sale.
The only safe cleaning method
Real pashmina is made of protein fibres, like silk and wool. Protein fibres are sensitive to water, heat, agitation and alkaline chemicals. A washing machine or hand washing in water exposes the pashmina to all four of these simultaneously.
The result of washing pashmina in water is felting — the scales on individual wool fibres interlock under agitation and heat, creating a dense matted structure that is irreversible. A 200cm pashmina shawl can shrink to half its original size in a single washing machine cycle. No amount of stretching, steaming or professional treatment can fully reverse advanced felting.
"Dry cleaning is not cautious advice. For genuine pashmina, it is the only method of cleaning that does not risk permanent damage."
Professional dry cleaning using hydrocarbon solvent in an enclosed machine is safe for real pashmina. The solvent dissolves surface oils and soils without contacting the water-sensitive fibre structure. The garment emerges clean without any of the mechanical stress that water cleaning would cause.
Pilling — normal and removable
Pilling is one of the most misunderstood aspects of pashmina ownership. Many people assume that a pashmina that is pilling is low quality or damaged. The opposite is often true.
Pilling is caused by surface fibres that break free during use and tangle with neighbouring fibres. Very fine fibres — the type found in high-quality pashmina — are shorter and more likely to surface than the longer, courser fibres in lower-quality alternatives. A genuine fine Kashmiri pashmina will pill more readily than a coarser acrylic substitute.
Pilling is completely removable. A fabric shaver with a fine blade removes the pills without damaging the surface of the fabric. Work gently, in the same direction as the weave, with light pressure. After de-pilling, the surface of the pashmina is restored to its original smoothness.
Storage through Indian summer
Pashmina is typically stored through the Indian summer (April–October) and brought out again in the cooler months. Eight months of storage in Indian conditions presents specific challenges: heat, humidity and moths.
Moths are the primary enemy of stored wool and cashmere in India. The larvae of the clothes moth (Tineola bisselliella) feed specifically on protein fibres — wool, cashmere, pashmina, silk. They are more active in the warm months and can cause significant damage to inadequately stored garments in a single summer.
Pashmina in Kolkata's climate
Kolkata's climate is particularly demanding for pashmina storage. The city's humidity during the monsoon (June–September) is among the highest in India, regularly exceeding 90% relative humidity. At these humidity levels, protein fibres absorb significant moisture from the air.
Damp pashmina stored in a closed environment is particularly vulnerable to mould growth. The combination of organic material (the pashmina fibre), moisture and warmth is ideal for mould. Mould on pashmina appears as dark spots or a grey surface film and is extremely difficult to remove once established.
The mitigation: store pashmina in the driest, most ventilated part of the house during monsoon. Add silica gel packets to the storage location and replace them monthly. If the wardrobe is in a room that is not air-conditioned, consider storing pashmina in a container with a tight seal and large silica gel inserts.
Genuine pashmina requires dry cleaning with professional hydrocarbon solvent — the process that preserves the fibre structure that hand washing destroys. The Swiss Laundry has cleaned pashmina, Kashmiri shawls, and fine wool pieces in Kolkata for 13 years. We understand the difference between pashmina and the synthetic alternatives — and we treat them accordingly.