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Best Luxury Shawl: The Complete Buyer’s Guide to Fiber, Price and Quality

Best Luxury Shawl Brands

This is a complete buying guide for the best luxury shawl. It will help you buy the most luxury shawl from the authentic brands.

You may have heard that pashmina is a type of luxury shawl, but suddenly find them at $89. Maybe you checked a shawl price tag and found out it costs $4000, and wonder what makes it cost so much! 

There is a lot of confusion and misconceptions around luxury shawls. If you are considering buying a luxury shawl, you will come across many of them. To be confident about your purchase, you need a proper guide, and this is the sole purpose of this article. 

This article will explain every characteristic and factor, textile fibers, craftsmanship. What makes the cost high or low, and the best brands of luxury shawls you can trust. 

Those who don’t know us, we are the muslin dhaka team. We weave the most luxurious dhaka muslin, and the grand cervelt shawl. We own the finest shawls of planet earth made by 500 Nm ghost yarn.

Let’s go deeper in the world of luxury wraps & shawls.

What makes a shawl a luxury shawl?

A luxury shawl is not about the price tag, how expensive it is. It comes with rare materials, exceptional construction, and an overall experience carefully crafted by skilled artisans. Here are five criteria that make a shawl a luxury.

1. Fineness

Fineness is often regarded as one of the most distinctive features of a luxury shawl. In general, fabric made with finer fibers have richer texture, smoothness, lightness, and an overall rich experience.

In nature, fine fibers are very rare. A human hair is about 50-100 microns, while luxury animal fibers (vicuna, baby cashmere, and cervelt) come in a range between 11 and 14 microns. Fine plant fibers such as Phuti karpas cotton are under 10 microns. 

2. Construction

Luxury shawls are made with extraordinary craftsmanship. Italy, France, Mongolia, Kashmir (India), Bangladesh and China are the top countries with a rich textile tradition of making luxe shawls. 

Highly skilled artisans produce unique shawls by going through several complex steps. Luxury shawls usually have rare raw materials like vicuna. Vicuna fibers are collected from wild vicuna once every 2 years. 

One red deer produces only only 20 grams of cervelt fiber. Baby cashmere is also harvested in very low amounts. 

Along with the rarity of the material and highly skilled artisans, prolonged production time is also a definitive feature of a luxury shawl. One Dhaka Muslin shawl requires 20 artisans, 16 steps, and up to 1200 hours of intense high skill works. 

3. Weight

Due to the fineness of the fiber and construction, most of the luxury shawls are extremely lightweight. A Dhaka Muslin shawl can weigh 60-75 grams depending on design and size. 

A baby cashmere shawl can weigh about 70 to 180 grams. A vicuna shawl can weigh about 80 to 220 grams and still provide excellent warmth.

4. Provenance

Luxury fibers often come with a historical and geographical significance. Vicuna is a South American camelid. Ancient Inca people considered them sacred and a symbol of status in their society. 

Dhaka Muslin is made within 40 kilometers of Dhaka and has a 4000 years of glorious history. Most luxury shawls & wraps are inseparable from the geography and tradition they belong to.

5. Design & Aesthetics

Here is the place where the sky is the limit. We can write another book on this topic. For the sake of the space we just share the beauty of Art. Every luxury wraps, shawls carry an art not just a functional dress. 

The masterpieces express personality, boldness and human quality. It is a part of the lifestyle of the most successful people. The fashion statement expresses art, culture, beauty and personality. 

Maybe we are a bit biased here but the truth is Dhaka Muslin is one of the best in this category.

Fiber Fineness (microns) Typical shawl price Notes
Merino wool 15–24 $80–300 Warm, hard-wearing, thickest of the group.
Cashmere 14–19 $200–900 Goat undercoat. Quality varies a lot at the same price.
Pashmina 12–16 $300–2,000 A fine grade of cashmere from Changthangi goats in Ladakh.
Vicuña 12–13 $3,000–8,000 Wild Peruvian camelid. Shorn under state licence.
Cervelt ~13 $15,000+ Red deer undercoat, New Zealand. Rarest commercial animal fiber.
Shahtoosh 9–11 Illegal to sell Banned worldwide under CITES Appendix I.
Dhaka Muslin under 10 $3,000–10,000 Phuti Karpas cotton. The finest of all, and it is a plant.

 

Which shawl is the most expensive in the world?

Shahtoosh was historically the most expensive shawl after dhakai muslin. But it is now banned to protect the endangered chiru species. 

Among the legal shawls, Muslin dhaka hand woven grand Cervelt shawls are the most expensive ones. Vicuna and handwoven pashmina are also among the top five. 

Let’s discuss the top 5 most expensive shawls here. 

  • Dhaka Muslin

Dhaka muslin is woven from rare phuti karpas cotton that grows exclusively near the riverbanks of Dhaka. Each piece of Dhaka Muslin takes 16 steps, 20 artisans, and 800 to 2000 hours of high-skill labour. Only a few people know how to make this masterpiece.

The immense beauty and unconventionally long production time make it one of the most luxurious fabrics in the world. Dhaka Muslin Shawls are great for summer. Historically Mughal royals used muslin in summer and Shahtoosh in winter.

  • Shahtoosh (banned)

Shahtoosh originates from the high-altitude Tibetan Plateau. It is collected from the underfleece of a Tibetan antelope called chiru. It was developed in Kashmir.

But it involves killing the animal. One shahtoosh shawl requires the killing of 3-5 animals.

Please read the Shahtoosh stories.

  • Cervelt

It is crafted from the undercoat of New Zealand red deer. The fleece of the red deer undercoat is about 13 microns. Only 20 grams of fibers can be collected from each deer. 

Team muslin dhaka making the finest cervelt shawl using thousand years old traditional dhaka muslin weaving technique. It is hand woven finest 40 Nm cervelt yarn shawl made in planet earth according to Richard Keddell, Founder of Cervelt. One cervelt shawl can cost up to $10,000 to $15,000.

Please read the cervelt stories.

  • Vicuna

Vicuna shawls are among the most celebrated and exotic luxury shawls. The fiber is sourced from wild Peruvian camelids without harming them. The vicuna fleece can be 12 to 13 microns which produces extremely soft and warm fabrics.

Its strict harvesting regulations and extraordinary features puts them into the $3000 to $8000 price range.

Please read the Vicuna stories.

  • Handwoven Pashmina

When it comes to luxury shawls, pashmina shawls are one of the most traditional and heritage items in the list. Pashmina collected from Changthangi goats undercoat. The shawls are handwoven and embroidered, and sit in the $800 to $2000 price range.

Which is more expensive, cashmere or pashmina?

Pashmina is more expensive than a cashmere shawl due to its finer quality. Pashmina is the specialized grade of cashmere. Cashmere and pashmina are not different fibers, but pashmina comes with a lower micron, better fineness. It is higher quality than regular cashmere. 

Pashmina fibers measure between 12-16 micrometres, while commercial-grade cashmere falls under 14-19 micrometres. Also, a rich traditional culture is developed by weaving pashmina shawl. While cashmere is more suited for commercial winterwear, a result of bulk machine production. 

An actual pashmina shawl is made with hundreds of hours of traditional hand spinning and weaving. That triggers the price even higher. 

Note that there are also affordable pashmina products sold in the market. Those are actually machine made cheap cashmere blends.

What is more luxurious than cashmere?

Vicuña, Cervelt, and Dhaka muslin are all finer, rarer, and more expensive than Cashmere. Standard cashmere measures 14-19 microns, which is the benchmark of luxury animal fibers. 

Vicuna measures 12-13 microns, and it’s extremely rare. Cervelt is 13 microns and among the lowest-yield luxury fibers. Dhaka muslin is more luxurious than all due to its fineness and intense, high-skill labour hour.

Why are shahtoosh shawls banned?

Shahtoosh shawls are banned to protect the endangered chiru species. Shahtoosh has been one of the signature traditional luxury shawls for hundreds of years in the Kashmir region. But due to overhunting those majestic animals, the population started to drop quickly. 

It costs 3-5 chiru lives to make just one shahtoosh shawl. Chiru hunting and trade were banned worldwide under CITES Appendix I to protect the chiru population and ecological balance of the region. Today, it is not possible to buy a new shahtoosh. 

Shahtoosh has rare qualities like unmatched warmth and lightness. No other fabric has similar characteristics. However, recently team Muslin Dhaka collaborated with Cervelt founders to produce the best hand woven luxury scarf, wraps & shawls. 

Now they weave cervelt fabric with the traditional Dhaka muslin technique. This is very close to a luxury shahtoosh shawl. Hand-woven Muslin dhaka Cervelt shawls are the real ethical alternative to Shahtoosh. The best thing – No more Chiru killing, no animal cruelty, no blood. Check out the Shahtoosh alternative.

How much should a luxury shawl cost?

Luxury shawl prices depend on material rarity and ways of production. Hand-woven shawls require significantly more time than machine-woven. Rare fibers like vicuna, pashmina, cervelt, and Dhaka Muslin naturally cost higher. 

Here is what to expect in each price range:

$100–300: At this price range, you will get machine-woven merino or cashmere blend shawls. All of those will be mass-produced by machine. Those shawls are often made for functional use and not considered luxury.

$300–800: At this price range, you will get shawls that are made with good-quality cashmere or average pashmina. But those are also mass-produced, machine-made. 

$800–2,000: This is where you will enter the luxury price range. In this range, you can find fine pashmina and high quality cashmere shawls. Generally, those are handwoven, but not all. Some of them can be machine-woven but still very good quality.

$2,000–8,000: Here is where the actual luxury begins. Those products carry the care of hand weaving, traditional accuracy, and genuinely luxe materials. Vicuna and pashmina shawls are core products of this range.

$8000+: Dhaka Muslin and Cervelt fall in this category. The high price is due to the combination of the rarest materials, high skill, production time, and the weaving art. Cervelt is for elegant winter shawls, and Dhaka muslin is for summer shawls. Muslin dhaka hand woven grand Cervelt shawls have the best sides of dhaka muslin and cervelt textile.

What are the Best Luxury Shawl Brands?

Here is the 9 best luxury shawl brands : 

  • Hermès – Best Printed Silk Cashmere Shawl
  • Johnstons of Elgin – Best Scottish Cashmere Shawl
  • Brunello Cucinelli – Best Italian Cashmere Shawl 
  • The Row – Best Minimalist Luxury Shawl
  • Muslin Dhaka – Best hand woven Dhaka Muslin & Cervelt Shawls
  • Shahkaar Kashmir – Best Handwoven Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl
  • Angad Creations – Best Hand-Embroidered Pashmina Shawl
  • Louis Vuitton – Best Monogram Wool Silk Shawl
  • Faliero Sarti – Best Colorful Summer Shawl  

Hermès luxury shawl

Hermès – Best Printed Silk Cashmere Shawl

Hermes is a luxury brand specialized for high-end leather goods and accessories. They also have some of the best cashmere and silk shawls collections. Their shawls are well recognized for their signature print and excellent craftsmanship.

Core materials

Silk and cashmere are the defining materials of Hermes. Classic 140 shawl is their signature product. It is a standard shawl blending 70% cashmere and 30% silk,140 x 140 cm (55 x 55 in).

Defining features

The shawls come in large square formats, which are designed to be worn over the shoulder. Those shawls come with elaborate illustrated prints and vivid colors. The edges are perfectly hand-rolled. The design of the shawls is the core characteristic of Hermès shawls.

Main Benefits

The shawls are lightweight in size. Cashmere contributes to the warmth, and the silk gives it its signature smooth texture and drape. Due to its large size, you can wear it with different styles.

Drawback

The prints are too elaborate for some wardrobes. They are easy to recognise across a room.

Personal rating: 4.7 out of 5.

Johnstons of Elgin scotish luxury shawl

Johnstons of Elgin – Best Scottish Cashmere Shawl

A Scottish luxury brand founded in 1797, with a long tradition of making high-grade cashmere and winter wear. Their shawls excel in softness, warmth, and durability. 

Core Materials

Cashmere is the signature material for shawls of Johnstons of Elgin. They also have winterwear in different materials, but quality cashmere is what defines them.

Defining Features

The shawls are made with Scottish heritage techniques. They have a strong emphasis on the quality of the product. The shawls come with a classic and minimalist design. 

The shawls are quite large and designed for maximum warmth and softness. Due to their high durability, one can wear these shawls regularly for a long time. 

Benefits

The shawls are a great balance between warmth and weight. They can work great with both formal and casual clothing. The designs are often attention grabbing, best for someone who wants the textile itself to be the focus. 

Drawbacks

The plain designs give you nothing to look at if you want pattern or colour.

Personal Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

Brunello Cucinelli - Best Italian Cashmere Shawl 

Brunello Cucinelli – Best Italian Cashmere Shawl 

An Italian house built on understated design and fine cashmere. The shawls are minimalistic, understated, and made with the best materials and craftsmanship. 

Signature Materials

Cashmere is one of the brand’s signature materials. They also have blends of high-quality silk and cashmere for lighter and smoother fabric.  

Defining Features

Italian Craftsmanship and soft, lightweight fabric are the defining features of the brand. It comes with restrained colors and simple decoration. The brand puts greater emphasis on its texture and drape than on elaborate patterns. 

Benefits

The shawls are very easy to wear with any style. Fine cashmere fabrics make it very warm while not being heavy. This can be a strong choice for formal dressing where you want to be effortlessly elegant.

Drawbacks

Pricing sits at the top of the cashmere market.

Personal Rating: 4.6 out of 5. 

The Row - Best Minimalist Luxury Shawl

The Row – Best Minimalist Luxury Shawl

An American fashion house founded by Ashley and Mary-Kate Olsen. The brand is known for minimalist design with premium quality materials. The shawl comes with clean silhouettes and can easily be a part of a refined wardrobe.

Core materials

Cashmere is the main luxury material used for their shawl. They emphasize the natural quality of the material rather than using blends and prints.

Defining features

The Row’s shawls are minimalist in design. They feature large and simple silhouettes. Most Raw shawls have no or little branding. You can expect to find natural color shawls that can fit well with any style. 

Benefits

They are very minimal on the branding side. The shawls come in natural colors, making them extremely versatile. Excellent choice for those who want value, proportion, and quality materials over decoration. 

Drawbacks

Can feel too plain if you are looking for an artistic or decorative shawl.

Personal Rating: 4.4 out of 5

Muslin Dhaka - Best hand woven Dhaka Muslin & Cervelt Shawls

Muslin Dhaka – Best hand woven Dhaka Muslin & Cervelt Shawls

Muslin Dhaka is a Heritage brand that primarily produces historical Dhaka Muslin. They also have other luxury fabrics like cervelt and jamdani. But authentic Dhaka Muslin is their signature product. 

Dhakai Muslin holds GI Registration No. 09, Bangladesh. It is woven from Dhakai Phuti Karpas cotton, GI Registration No. 39. Both are registered to the Bangladesh Handloom Board. 

Every piece passes through 16 steps and takes between 800 and 2000 hours of handwork. This makes the shawls one of the most laborious and expensive among the list.

Core materials

Phuti Karpas cotton is the core material for Dhaka Muslin. Authentic Dhaka Muslin is woven from Phuti Karpas cotton grown within 40 km (25 miles)  of Dhaka, at a fiber fineness under 10 microns. 

Muslin Dhaka also developed hand woven cervelt fabric made with Dhakai Muslin techniques. It is the finest cervelt hand woven shawl.

Defining Features

Dhaka Muslin shawls are defined by their artistic simplicity and minimalist design. With the highest grade of materials, slow, handmade production ensures the best user experience from a shawl. 

Benefits

Muslin Dhaka offers Dhaka Muslin shawls for the summer and lightweight cervelt shawls for the winter. Dhaka Muslin Shawls are best for carrying around while travelling or for special occasions. Cervelt Grand shawls are extremely warm, breathable, and lightweight, excellent for winter.

A Dhaka Muslin shawl is a plant fiber, so it is fully vegan. Dhaka Muslin shawl: [Starts from 3500 usd]. 

Drawback

Muslin Dhaka Shawls are quite expensive. Produced in very limited quantities even only one per design. So customers may need to wait for a long time to acquire one masterpiece.

Personal Rating: we kept this blank for our patrons.

Cervelt grand shawl

Cervelt Grand Shawl the shahtoosh alternative 

The Cervelt Grand Shawl is the winter counterpart to our Dhaka Muslin. Same loom, same technique, different fiber. It is the piece we built as an answer to shahtoosh.

Core materials

Cervelt, the undercoat of the New Zealand red deer, at roughly 13 microns. One deer yields about 20 grams of usable fiber per year. The yarn is spun to Nm 40 and handwoven on a traditional pit loom.

Defining Features

Cervelt shawsl on the market are machine made. Our grand shawl is handwoven, using the Dhaka Muslin technique. The result is a cloth like shahtoosh, warm out of proportion to its weight, without a chiru being killed for it.

Benefits

Warm, breathable and light enough to carry all day. No deer is harmed. The fiber is a by-product of the luxury leather industry. The masterpiece is completely legal to own and carry anywhere in the world.

Cervelt Grand Shawl: [Starts from 5000 usd].

Drawback

Annual world supply of Cervelt is tiny, so we weave very few. Expect a wait, and expect the price to sit at the top of the shawl market.

Personal Rating: we kept this blank for You. 

Shankaar Kashmir - Best Handwoven Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl

Shankaar Kashmir – Best Handwoven Kashmiri Pashmina Shawl

Shahkaar is a Kashmiri house in Srinagar that manufactures, wholesales and retails handmade cashmere pashmina shawls, stoles and scarves. 

It was founded by two brothers, Manan and Salmaan. It sells worldwide from its own store. The brand is smaller than the European houses on this list and matches them on cloth.

It has an established Etsy presence. Over 8 years, the shop carries a 4.9 rating across 842 reviews. You can not create this level of reputation without a unique products & services. 

Core Materials

Pure pashmina is their core material. They also use mulberry silk thread for the intricate patterns.

Defining features

Handcrafted heirloom-grade pashmina shawl base with beautiful work of silk thread makes it very aesthetically pleasing. This type of pashmina shawl is traditionally used in weddings.

Benefits

The shawls are very soft and have a unique feel. The fabric is warm, light, and breathable. Simple designs make it fit for both casual and formal occasions.

Drawback

Very high price due to intense artistic labour and ensuring maximum quality.

Personal rating: 4.8 out of 5.

Angad Creations - Best Hand-Embroidered Pashmina Shawl

Angad Creations – Best Hand-Embroidered Pashmina Shawl

Angad Creations is one of the best pashmina brands if you are looking for artistic designs. They offer heirloom-grade pashmina shawls that come with multi-colored needlework. The brand is based in Jammu and Kashmir, India. It carries a century-old tradition of pashmina craftsmanship.

Core materials

The shawls come with 100% pure pashmina, which is the primary material for traditional luxury shawls. Over the pure pashmina base, it comes with multicolored floral patterns and artistic designs, worked in sozni and kalamkari hand embroidery. A typical piece is 100 x 200 cm (40 x 80 in).

Defining Features

The art on the soft pashmina is the defining factor of the shawl. The pashmina quality and craftsmanship also reach the highest levels. 

This reflects the high price points of the fabric. Each piece is not only functional attire but also a wearable piece of art. 

Main benefits

Pure pashmina wool and hand-crafted products are lightweight. Provides warmth with excellent breathability. It is ideal for weddings and formal events where you want to grab some attention in an elegant way.

Drawback

The high price point puts it in the ultra-luxury category. Also requires careful maintenance to preserve its artistic, delicate embroidery.

Personal Rating: 4.8 out of 5.

Louis Vuitton - Best Monogram Wool Silk Shawl

Louis Vuitton – Best Monogram Wool Silk Shawl

Louis Vuitton is a global luxury fashion brand. It is famous for its accessories and handbags, but they also have some of the iconic Shawl collection. 

If you are looking for a high-fashion and modern style shawl, Louis Vuitton can be the perfect fit for you.

Core materials

Louis Vuitton iconic shawls are made of a high-quality blend of 57% wool and 43% silk. It’s the perfect blend for combining the best of both worlds; wool provides warmth, and silk contributes lustrous smoothness, a grand look.

Defining Features

The shawls are large squares, 143.4 x 143.4 cm (56.5 x 56.5 in). The size makes them versatile and easy to style with most outfits. . 

It contains a sophisticated monogram pattern tone on tone jacquard weave. They have a large color collection designed to complement diverse skin tones.

Main Benefits

The long size and timeless aesthetic make it a convenient accessory. It combines both comfort and style. The combination of wool and silk makes it durable, warm, and lightweight.

Drawback

The shawls are highly recognizable and attract instant attention. The shawl requires extra care to avoid snagging and wear over time.

Personal Rating: 4.4 out of 5.

Faliero Sarti - Best Colorful Summer Shawl  

Faliero Sarti – Best Colorful Summer Shawl  

Faliero Sarti is an Italian textile house founded near Florence in 1949. They are famous for their master craftsmanship and accessories that feel like a work of art. If you are looking for beautifully colored, tastefully designed, fluid shawls, this can be the perfect brand for you.

Core Materials

The Brand specializes in ultra-light silk, modal, cotton, and cashmere blends. Those blends ensure lightweight breathability with comfortable styling features. As they have a large collection, you can choose the ones that fit your comfort and convenience.

Defining Features

Faliero Sarti summer shawls come with gorgeous colors and extra-large dimensions. They can add an elegant layer of styling in any formal ceremony or evening party. The artistic design with high-end quality makes them a unique brand in this list.

Benefits

After Muslin Dhaka, it’s one of the best brands that specializes in summer shawls. With their lightweight, breathable fibers, you can enjoy a lustrous look with comfort on summer days. 

Drawbacks

The shawl requires professional cleaning to preserve its vibrant color and delicate fibers. You will also have to be careful and gentle to avoid snagging.

Personal Rating: 4.5 out of 5.

What is the difference between a shawl, a stole, a wrap and a scarf?

The main differences between a shawl, stole, wrap, and scarf are their size and how they are used. 

A shawl is the largest among those and covers both shoulders and arms,usually around 100 x 200 cm (40 x 80 in) or a 140 cm (55 in) square. 

A stole is narrower but serves similar purposes,roughly 70 x 200 cm (28 x 80 in). The stole is wrapped horizontally around the body and neck. 

A scarf is the smallest and narrowest piece of garments in the group. They are usually long and thin, or small squares. Scarves can be made with cotton, silk, or wool, and wrapped closely around the neck or head.

How do you wear a shawl elegantly?

Some people may have a presupposition that shawls are outdated garments. But there are a lot of ways to wear shawls with both formal and informal styles. Here are the ways to wear a shawl elegantly and how to wear them.

The classic drop: Hold the shawl behind you and let it hang freely around your shoulders. It works for both formal and informal styles.

One-shoulder toss: If it’s not quite cold, if you are indoors, you can just toss it over one shoulder for a soft asymmetrical look.

The one wrap: Wrap your neck with the shawl once and let it hang in the front and back.

Around the underarm: Wrap the shawl over the shoulder and under your arm once and let it hang beneath it. It’s one of the most elegant ways to wear a shawl.

The belted look: Drape it long at the front and close a thin belt over it at the waist. This turns a shawl into a layer with shape. The fashion works over a coat or a plain dress.

On color: Natural colors like cream, ivory, grey, camel, navy and black go with almost anything. It also stays in rotation for years. Strong colors and heavy patterns look striking but worn less. So buy those second, not first.

For a wedding, a finely woven pashmina, Muslin dhaka grand cervelt shawl or a silk cashmere wrap in a neutral works with almost any outfit. A Dhaka Muslin shawl suits a warm-weather royal ceremony where anything heavier would be uncomfortable.

How do you tell a real luxury shawl from a fake?

A real luxury shawl comes with specific, checkable information. A fake comes with adjectives.  Quality, brand, and necessary documents are often good ways to differentiate luxury from regular. In general, a luxury brand must have a reputation in the industry. 

Buying from a good luxury brand ensures consistency and quality of the product. However, there are some bespoke sellers on platforms like Etsy who also sell quality luxury shawls. In those cases, look if they point out the exact material and percentage of the blend.

The word pashmina is the most abused label in this trade. It is used loosely on products that are mostly viscose. There is no law stopping a seller from printing it on a polyester wrap. Blend percentages must appear on the label. If they do not, assume the worst.

Something tagged as luxury, premium, and pashmina doesn’t mean they are. Ask for the fibers’ micron count. A product with luxury pricing will happily share the exact micron count. Check the weight against the size. Luxury shawls are normally lightweight. 

If you are buying online, don’t forget to check the brand history, reviews and reliability. 

How do you care for a luxury shawl?

Different luxury shawls may have different ways to take care of them. It depends on the materials and construction. 

Here are some general tips to care for them correctly.

  • Check the care label  first: The best way to care for a shawl is given by the people who made it. Following the manufacturer’s guide is often the safest way to care for them.
  • Wash less frequently: Washing shortens the life of delicate fibers, so make sure to wash them as infrequently as possible. 

When you do wash, hand wash in cool water with a gentle detergent. Never wring the cloth. Press the water out, roll the shawl in a towel, and dry it flat.

  • Avoid heat and humidity: Heat, humidity, and sunlight can directly damage or make your shawl look dull. Try to dry the fabric on a flat surface without direct sunlight. Avoid hanging the fabric for a long time.
  • Store properly: Store luxury shawls completely clean and dry,folded rather than hung, so the shoulders do not stretch. A breathable box is often recommended,with acid-free tissue between the folds.
  • Protect against moths: Moths go for cashmere, pashmina. They go for dirty cloth first, which is why you store it clean. Use cedar rather than mothballs. Check stored pieces twice a year.
  • Be careful about cosmetics and perfumes: Luxury shawls are often sensitive to chemicals and stains. Wear the cosmetics first and then wrap your shawl.

Do not over dry-clean. Solvent is hard on fine fiber, and most shawls need it far less often than people believe.

Muslin Dhaka weaving master pieces

The Two Shawls We Make

Muslin Dhaka makes two shawls, each with extraordinary character and craftsmanship. Here are a few words about them.  

Heritage Dhaka Muslin Shawl

Behind every thread of Dhaka Muslin there is unimaginable patience and artistry. A single Dhaka Muslin piece takes 16 steps, 20 artisans, and 800 to 2000 hours of work. 

The fiber of phuti karpas cotton is under 10 microns, and the end product is almost weightless. 

With traditional simplistic patterns, uncompromising focus on quality and fineness, the final product carries a divine beauty that words can not comprehend. 

Check our Dhaka Muslin shawl collection here.

Cervelt Grand Shawl

The Cervelt Grand shawl developed by team Muslin Dhaka is a hand-woven version of Cervelt. Maximum cervelt shawls found in the market are knitted, machine made. 

But we developed a way to weave cervelt with traditional Dhaka muslin techniques. Surprisingly, the shawl resembles the historical shahtoosh shawl, which is banned to protect the Tibetan antelope. It is a great shahtoosh alternative. Check our Cervelt Shawl collection.

FAQ

Which shawl is the most expensive?

Shahtoosh was the most expensive, and it is now illegal to sell. Among legal shawls, Dhaka Muslin and Cervelt sit at the top, above $8,000 and often well above it. Vicuña follows at $3,000 to $8,000, then fine handwoven pashmina. 

Which brand of shawl is best?

There is no single best brand, because the brands are good at different things. For printed silk cashmere, Hermès. For plain Scottish cashmere, Johnstons of Elgin. For Italian cashmere, Loro Piana and Brunello Cucinelli. For handwoven Kashmiri pashmina, Shahkaar and Angad Creations. For handwoven Dhaka Muslin and Cervelt, us. Decide which fiber and which construction you want first, then the brand follows.

How much should a 100% cashmere shawl cost?

A mill-woven genuine 100% cashmere shawl can cost $300 to $900. Hand woven cashmeres can cost up to $2000.

What is the most luxurious shawl material?

The most luxurious shawl materials are cashmere, cervelt and vicuna. This is not just for their rarity but for their exceptional fit and tactile softness. 

Which fabric is best for a shawl?

Pashmina is the best and most popular choice for luxury shawl fabric. They offer high warmth, with great breathability and softness. For summer dhaka muslin is the best.

Are shawls in style now?


Yes, shawls are a timeless clothing item. It adds an interesting layer and solitude to your style. Also great to protect you from the cold. 

What color shawl goes with everything?

Natural colors are best. Neutral tones such as cream, ivory, gray, and black are a versatile choice that works with both formal and casual outfits. 

What kind of shawl should you wear to a wedding?

A finely woven pashmina or silk cashmere shawl can be excellent for traditional wedding ceremonies. A heritage Dhaka muslin or cervelt shawl curry generational wealth character to your style.

Final Thoughts


A true luxury shawl is often not about the brand. Every quality of the fabric will be felt directly on your skin. Fiber fitness, craftsmanship, weight, material quality and aesthetics everything matters when you are looking for a luxury shawl. 

A genuinely fine shawl can serve you for many decades. Even it passed through for generations. So investing in a quality piece can turn out to be the best wardrobe decision of your life.

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