Scarf, stole, shawl, foulard and pashmina: the little dictionary of what wraps us

Scarf, stole, shawl, foulard, pashmina: we use them as if they were all the same thing, yet each has its own shape, history, and way of wrapping us up. In short: the scarf is long and narrow and is made for the neck. The stole is wider and rests on the shoulders. The shawl is the largest of all and wraps around the body. The foulard is a lightweight square, almost always made of silk. The pashmina, on the other hand, is not a shape but a fiber: the finest cashmere from the goats of the Himalayas.

This little dictionary was born from a question we are often asked: "what's the difference?". We tell it to you as we see it, between an Indian loom and an Italian wardrobe.

🧣 What is a scarf?

The scarf is the simplest and the most everyday: a long and narrow strip of fabric, made for the neck. The word comes from the French écharpe, and has been used in Italian for centuries.

It usually measures between 25 and 50 cm wide and between 150 and 200 cm long. In winter it is wool, in summer cotton or light silk. It is the piece you tie without thinking, leaving home, and precisely for this reason it says so much about us. If you are looking for ideas on how to wear it, seven ways to wear a cotton scarf and our video tutorial await you.

✨ What is a stole?

The stole is the elegant sister of the scarf: rectangular like it, but wider, designed for the shoulders. The name comes from the Latin stola, the long dress of the Roman matrons, and has crossed the centuries to indicate the wide rectangle of fabric that we place on ourselves on cool evenings.

It generally measures between 50 and 70 cm wide and between 180 and 200 cm long: wide enough to drape over your shoulders, yet narrow enough to wear around your neck as a maxi scarf. Our stoles in Ahimsa silk, for example, measure 55 x 190 cm. To discover how to wear it, read the guide to wool stoles and our three looks with the stole for the holidays.

🌙 What is a shawl?

The shawl is the largest and the most enveloping: a fabric embrace to wear around the body, like a cape. Its word has made a long journey: it comes from the Persian shāl, it passed through the French châle and arrived at us together with the famous Kashmir shawls, which conquered Europe between the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries and became the dream of every elegant wardrobe.

It can be rectangular or square, and starts from about 90 cm wide. Our SEA wool and cotton shawl measures 100 x 200 cm, our Tussar silk shawl 90 x 230 cm: large enough to become a blanket on a plane or a cape over a coat.

🌸 What is a foulard?

The foulard is a square of lightweight fabric, almost always silk. The word is French, it appears in the eighteenth century and its origin is still a little mystery. At first it indicated precisely a fine silk; then it became the name of the square that is knotted around the neck, tied in your hair or hung on your bag.

The measurements range from about 50 to 90 cm per side, and beyond: our silk bandana foulard measures 94 x 94 cm. To match it in the different seasons, read how to match silk foulards.

🐐 Is pashmina a fabric or a shape?

It is the most frequent question, and the answer surprises: pashmina is the name of a fiber, not a shape. It comes from the Persian pashm, which means wool, and indicates the finest undercoat of the Changthangi goats, which live on the plateaus of Ladakh, over 4,000 meters, raised by the nomadic Changpa shepherds. To resist very harsh winters, these goats develop a very thin down, which is combed by hand in spring.

True pashmina fibers measure between 12 and 16 microns, thinner than a hair. Kashmir Pashmina, spun and woven by hand by the artisans of Kashmir, is protected in India by a geographical indication. Today, however, the word "pashmina" is often used for any soft stole, even when it is made of other fibers. Our only advice: always read the label.

🪷 One more word from India: the dupatta

Anyone who has walked among the colors of an Indian market knows it well: the dupatta is the long fabric veil that women wear on their shoulders or their heads, together with the tunic and the pants of the salwar kameez. The name means more or less "double fabric", and generally measures between 2 and 2.5 meters. In India it also has other names, such as chunni and odhni.

It is a gesture of elegance, modesty and respect, and our long scarves in hand-printed cotton are a bit like their distant cousins.

🔍 How to choose the right one for you?

• For the neck, in winter: a wool scarf, warm and easy to tie. We tell you about this fiber in Wool, a timeless fiber.
• For the shoulders, in the evening: a silk or fine wool stole, to drape over a dress.
• To wrap yourself, on a trip or over a coat: a wide shawl, which becomes a blanket, a cape, a refuge.
• For a touch of color: a silk foulard, around the neck, in your hair or on your bag.

❓ Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between a stole and a shawl?

Mostly the size. The stole is a rectangle between 50 and 70 cm wide, to rest on the shoulders or wear around the neck. The shawl is larger, from 90 cm and up, and wraps around the body like a cape.

Can a stole be used as a scarf?

Yes: folded lengthwise and wrapped around the neck it becomes a maxi scarf, soft and warm. It is one of the reasons why the stole is so versatile.

How do I know if a pashmina is real?

Read the label: it must say 100% pashmina or cashmere, without synthetic fibers. True pashmina is very light and warm, it has a soft but lively feel, and it has a price that reflects the long handwork. If a "pashmina" costs very little, it is almost certainly made of something else.

How do you wash scarves, stoles and shawls?

It depends on the fiber. For wool you find all the steps in how to wash wool scarves and stoles without felting them; for Ahimsa silk we recommend delicate dry cleaning.

💛 Find yours

Scarves, stoles, shawls and foulards: in our collection of scarves and shawls and among our foulards you find all the shapes of this little dictionary, in cotton, wool and silk, printed and woven by hand in India with an Italian taste, and shipped free in Europe and the United States. Whatever name you give them, one thing is certain: they will wrap you in color.