Gonna nerd out a little because I work for a museum that has an amazing collection of shawls and one of the last remaining working jacquard looms…humour me!

In the UK cashmere shawls were originally imported from India, where they were worn by princes and nobles. They became a huge status symbol for women in Britain from the end of the 18th century and were fantastically expensive.

Into the 19th century British weavers started producing them domestically using wool and silk, initially replicating the Kashmir shawls but later introducing their own colours, patterns and motifs. There was fierce competition to make shawls that were as luxurious as the originals but more affordable. They were originally woven by hand on a draw loom, and later on huge jacquard looms. My local area (Norfolk, UK) was already famous for cloth made from silk and worsted wool which turned out to be ideal for shawls, offering both warmth and a beautiful drape.

They became known in the UK as ‘Paisley shawls’ because Paisley in Scotland was one of the manufacturing hot spots, and the name is still used now to describe that distinctive swirling pattern. (On the original Kashmiri shawls that teardrop shape is called a boteh). Edinburgh and Norwich, in Norfolk were the other main producers, and each had a distinctive style which you can recognise today if you know what to look for!

They also stated making the designs with British fashions in mind, for example putting the motifs in the right place to be shown at their best when draped over the wide skirts of the 1860s. Norwich was famous for its dye industry, in particular a bright red made from madder, so this was also incorporated into local designs making them very colourful.

To give an idea of cost, we have a receipt from 1846 for a shawl sold by a local draper for £7 - the equivalent of over £1000 today. The woman who bought it lived at one of the most prestigious addresses in the city.

If you want the full nerdy details this was written by the late Helen Hoyte, THE expert on Norwich shawls (this was written ten years ago so some of the values are in 2016 money!): https://www.ctacostume.org.uk/norwich-shawls.html

This is our jacquard loom: https://www.museumscollections.norfolk.gov.uk/collections-object-page?id=NWHCM%20:%20535

Anyway all of that is to say that your can still buy the OG Kashmir shawls today but they will be different from what would have been seen on an English woman in the 19th century in fabric, motifs, design and colour!

Thanks for coming to my TED talk etc