Wool Shawls
A wool shawl is the simplest garment there is: a rectangle of cloth, no armholes, no zip, no fixed structure. What separates one from another is the wool and the weave.
Every SHAAL is woven by hand on a Khadi pit-loom in the Swat Valley, northern Pakistan. No power looms. A single shawl takes a weaver a full day, and you can feel the difference the moment you hold one: the cloth has weight without stiffness, and it settles on the shoulders instead of sitting on them.
The range runs in five constructions. Midweight Pashmina (139 gsm) is the lightest, a soft blend for indoors and warm evenings. Midweight lambswool is the all-rounder. Heavyweight (313 gsm) holds its shape for structured wraps. Heavyweight Yak (400 gsm, a 60% yak down and 40% lambswool blend) is the warmest thing we make; worn as a full wrap it can replace a coat above freezing. The blanket format goes bigger still.
Two wearable sizes, 100 x 200 cm and 120 x 240 cm. Both are genderless: size affects silhouette, not warmth. If you are under about 170 cm, take the smaller; over, the larger. For the full comparison of weights and fibres, read the guide to SHAAL, or start with how to wear a shawl.
Questions
What is the warmest wool shawl?
By fabric density, our Heavyweight Yak at 400 gsm, a blend of 40% yak down and 60% lambswool. Yak down insulates beyond sheep's wool at the same weight, which is why the cold-weather construction is built around it.
Are these shawls for men or women?
Both. A shawl is a rectangle; every SHAAL size is genderless. In the Swat Valley, where they are woven, men have worn them daily for generations.
What does handwoven actually mean here?
Woven on a manual Khadi pit-loom, not a power loom. One weaver, one full day per shawl. The weave is denser and less uniform than machine cloth, which is where the drape comes from.
Which size should I choose?
Under about 170 cm tall, the 100 x 200 cm drapes neater. From 170 cm, the 120 x 240 cm gives fuller wraps and is needed for belted and full-wrap styles.