Wearing shawls: Indian women's ways

M. wrote to say, "Scarves aren't that frightening due to their manageable sizes, but shawls are another matter" and asked how to wear a large shawl, especially when working, driving a car, etc.

Rectangles: Eastern ease

In India, you will see women engaged in every kind of task in shawls and saris, without a problem. The key is to adapt the shawl to your activity. 

They don't create bows or boleros and rarely even tie the fabric. They simply fling one end of a long rectangle over the shoulder, as in the photo below. (Shown, Devotion striped cashmere shawl.)

You can also bring the other (hanging) end up and cross it over the shoulder too, so you have a cowl, useful in air-conditioned offices or restaurants. (Shown, fine wool jamavar.)

If you move move the piece right up to the neck before tossing the ends over the shoulder, you'll have an "arms free" drape, perfect for working on a keyboard. The textile is displayed from the back:

In warm weather, Indians hang both ends over the shoulder, making a soft U in front, so the shawl is worn like a pallu (the decorative, loose end of a sari), which leaves the arms unencumbered. (Shown, a rectangular fine cotton shawl, about 6 x 4 feet.)

Even a very large piece is manageable worn that way, as Devotion owner Carolyn Cowan shows in an elegant silk "Mustard Seed"shawl:

 

Square deal

Big squares are not as easy to work with and can tip into dowdiness when the scarf is folded into a triangle and the point worn at the middle of the back– so shift the point to the side. (See this post on "the point".)

If you want your arms free, move the point to the centre front, so the shawl drapes like a giant bandanna.

Another way to wear the large square is open, as shown here by blogger Katherine of Feather Factor in an Hermès shawl. (If it's breezy, borrow an Indian secret and pin it at the shoulder.)

Photo courtesy Feather Factor blog

Or you can fold it in the basic fold to form a rectangle (as narrow as you wish) with pointed ends, and wrap it once around the neck:

Photo courtesy Feather Factor blog

If you take the ends of the example above, cross them, wrap them around the neck and tie the ends in back, you'll have a generous muffler, good for a cool evening on a patio or boat.

A soft, sensual alternative to jackets and easy travelers, shawls will always fit. Though I've long seen them in business-casual settings and of course for leisure, I recently saw a woman in a jade green pashmina with embroidered borders in a formal business setting.

Hers was a treasure from the seller of exquisite shawls, Trehearne and Brar. Shown, a detail of one of their summer pieces in delphinium blue.

So, thank you for asking, M. Just choose a size that doesn't overwhelm you, and enjoy.   


PS. After writing, I found this terrific post, Wearing Scarves: Big Scarves, on the blog Aesthetic Alterations. Inspiring photos–and consistent advice to just 'toss them on'.