Semi pashmina is a trade term for cloth that blends pashmina, or a fine wool, with another fibre, most often silk. It is not a legal or technical standard: the proportions vary from maker to maker, and the term is sometimes stretched to cover pieces with very little pashmina in them. Honestly labelled, semi pashmina is a good cloth in its own right, gentler on the purse than pure pashmina and often a little sturdier.
This post is part of our complete guide to pashmina shawls and stoles.
Where the term comes from
Pashmina itself is the fine undercoat of the Changthangi goat of Ladakh, roughly 12 to 15 microns across, spun and woven in Kashmir. Our field guide to pashmina covers the fibre in depth.
Pure pashmina is expensive and, in its finest forms, delicate. Weavers and traders have long blended it with other fibres to make cloth that costs less, holds its shape better and takes a different finish. Semi pashmina is the everyday name for that family of blends. Like the word pashmina itself, it is not protected by law in most markets. In the United States, for example, pashmina is not a recognised labelling term at all, and the fibre is labelled simply as cashmere.
What goes into it
- Pashmina with silk. The best-known blend. A mix of 70 percent pashmina and 30 percent silk is common, and half-and-half is also made. Silk adds a soft sheen, strength and a cooler touch.
- Pashmina with fine wool. Adds body and warmth, and lowers the cost.
- Fine wool with silk. Some cloth sold as semi pashmina is a fine wool and silk blend with little or no pashmina. It can be soft and attractive, but it should be described for what it is.
What semi pashmina should never be is viscose or acrylic. Those are imitations, whatever the label says, and our guide to the common fakes explains how to spot them.
Pure pashmina, semi pashmina and imitations compared
| Pure pashmina | Semi pashmina | Viscose or acrylic imitation | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fibre | Pashmina only | Pashmina or fine wool, blended with silk or wool | Synthetic or regenerated fibre, no animal fibre |
| Hand | Softest, almost weightless | Soft, with a little more body | Smooth or slippery, often cool to the touch |
| Warmth for its weight | Highest | Good | Low |
| Finish | Soft and matte | Often a soft sheen from silk | Often shiny |
| Durability | Delicate at the finest grades | Often sturdier | Pills and loses shape |
| Price | Highest | Middle | Lowest |
Who semi pashmina suits
Semi pashmina is a sensible choice for:
- Everyday wear, where a piece will be worn often and handled a lot.
- Cold interiors, where a light stole is carried all day for an air-conditioned office or mall.
- A first pashmina, to learn how you like to wear one before investing in pure pashmina.
- Gifts, where a beautiful piece matters more than the finest grade of fibre.
Pure pashmina is the choice when you want the softest, warmest cloth for its weight, and a piece to keep for decades.
How to read a label, and what to ask
- Ask for the composition in percentages. "Pashmina blend" or "semi pashmina" alone does not tell you enough. A seller of honest blends can give you the proportions.
- Ask how the pattern was made. Woven, embroidered or printed. Each is legitimate, and each sits at a different price.
- Use price as a sense check. A blend will cost less than pure pashmina, but a very low price usually means there is little or no animal fibre in it.
- Handle it. A good blend feels soft and warms quickly in the hand. A slippery, cold or plasticky feel suggests an imitation.
Our pashmina buyer's guide describes further tests, and the plain-language glossary explains the other words you will meet on labels.
Why we say semi pashmina
Soznikar names the cloth for what it is. Our ghutras for men and our Qalam Kaari Pashmina pieces are Kashmiri pashmina. Our Qalam Kaari Super Turma pieces and our shawls and stoles for women are Kashmiri semi pashmina, and we describe each piece by its own colour and pattern rather than with claims we cannot show you. If you would like to know more about a particular piece before you buy, ask us.
Caring for semi pashmina
Treat a blend as you would pure pashmina. Follow the care label: our pieces are dry clean only. Air it before folding it away, store it flat in breathable cotton, and keep it out of direct sun, which can fade silk. The full routine is in our care and storage manual.
Questions we are asked
Is semi pashmina real pashmina?
Semi pashmina is a blend. Depending on the maker, it may combine pashmina with silk or wool, or fine wool with silk, so ask for the composition. It is not pure pashmina, and an honest blend is not a viscose imitation either.
Is semi pashmina warm?
Yes, for the Gulf. It is warm enough for air-conditioned rooms and most winter evenings. Pure pashmina gives more warmth for the same weight.
Does semi pashmina pill?
Any fine fibre can form small pills where it rubs, for example under a handbag strap. Remove them gently with a cashmere comb rather than pulling them off.
Is semi pashmina the same as viscose pashmina?
No. "Viscose pashmina" is an imitation with no animal fibre in it. Semi pashmina is a blend of natural fibres.
Is semi pashmina worth buying?
Yes, when it is honestly described and priced as a blend. It gives much of the look and comfort of pashmina at a gentler price.