Down Shawls: How to Choose the Best One?

Down shawls are a very popular wardrobe item with a rich history. Since ancient times, residents of the steppe regions have escaped the cold by wrapping themselves in down shawls under their outerwear. Orenburg down shawls were widespread in central Russia as an item of women's dress. In the 1940s–60s, the down shawl was an obligatory accessory for women who wanted to emphasise their natural beauty and stay healthy in the cold season. Today down shawls are not only the choice of grandmothers with a wealth of life experience but also a fashionable detail in the look of stylish young women.

            

How to choose a down shawl properly?

• A new goat down shawl must not be fluffed. If you are offered a very soft and fluffy item, this indicates mistakes in the making process. Such a shawl will quickly lose its valuable qualities, as most of the down will come out.
• You should not expect a down shawl to be thin. Depending on the size, decoration, knitting method and many other factors, a shawl can be of very different thickness. If it is fundamentally important to you that the shawl you buy passes through a ring, think about why you are buying it: to keep warm in frost or simply to show off to friends? Both are reasons to buy; the only difference is in the requirements for the item purchased.
• If you are put off by the traditional brownish-grey colour of a down shawl and do not want to be compared to a grandmother, it is better to choose fine openwork stoles in snow-white or light beige. Such shawls will emphasise your femininity and refinement. If the natural shade of the down item is not important to you, you can choose a coloured (dyed) or multicoloured gossamer shawl.

Composition and knitting method

When choosing a shawl, ask the manufacturer what it is made of. Genuine down shawls are knitted from a special goat undercoat that remains after combing out the goats. To make the shawl keep its shape longer, light cotton or strong silk threads are added to the natural down.

When buying a down shawl, you should not expect it to be made entirely by hand. Not all, even the most skilful, craftswomen can knit exquisite and complex patterns, interweavings and embroidery. In Orenburg and beyond, machine knitting has been actively used for more than 100 years, and it is not inferior to hand knitting either in quality or in originality. Besides, machine production is faster, which makes a finished shawl much cheaper and therefore more affordable. Still, true connoisseurs prefer handmade down shawls. If you have decided to buy a factory-made down shawl, it is better to go to a specialised shop or to the official dealers of the only "Orenburg Down Shawl Factory" in Russia.

A well-chosen down shawl will not only help you keep warm in the winter cold but will also noticeably adorn its owner!