While a shawl isn't thick enough to protect you from freezing temperatures, rain, or snow, it can make an excellent cool-weather accompaniment to your ensemble. Shawls are often dressy and give you a layer of insulation that adds color and texture to your outfit. They're also lightweight and small enough to fold or roll up and tuck away in a small handbag for later use.
The best shawls are versatile and give you a wide selection of materials, hues, and patterns to complement your wardrobe.
A shawl is a square-, rectangle- or triangle-shaped piece of fabric you can wrap around your head or shoulders to stay warm. Shawls are traditionally made from lush, soft materials such as pashmina, silk, cashmere or fine wool. More affordable varieties are typically wool blends.
While they are usually worn without a jacket and complement your outfit, shawls can also be used for religious reasons or as oversized scarves. They're also commonly referred to as wraps. However, some define wraps as similar but separate products made from more common synthetic materials.
Shawls come in different fabrics for each season. Thicker fabrics such as wool, cashmere, pashmina and thickly knitted cotton are more appropriate for cold weather. In contrast, thinly woven materials such as linen and silk are typically reserved for warmer months.
Shawls and scarves are made from similar materials. Their primary difference is their size. A scarf is 46 to 80 inches long and up to 15 inches wide, while a shawl is roughly 70 to 80 inches long and 30 to 40 inches wide. Thus, a scarf is more appropriately sized for your neck, and a shawl can cover your entire upper body.
If you want your shawl to be more versatile, stick with rectangular designs. You can fold an insulating fabric in half to double as an oversized scarf when paired with a thick jacket on freezing days. If you're getting it for warmer months, long rectangular shapes made from thin materials can be used as bikini cover-ups and converted into skirts or wrap dresses.
While some materials can only be dry-cleaned, it's always a huge bonus when you buy a design that lets you clean it at home, even if you can only wash it by hand. That small detail helps you avoid spending extra time and money on trips to the dry cleaners.
Finding a shawl in a wide variety of colors ensures that you can stock your wardrobe with multiple shades to complement various ensembles. Some shawl designs are also reversible, with a different hue on each side.
Cashmere 4 U Pure Cashmere Shawl
This high-quality shawl is 84.6 inches long, 25.6 inches wide and has ribbed edges to make it more durable. It comes in 12 hues, and can be washed by hand and laid flat to dry.
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Achillea Soft Silky Shawl With Fringe
This affordable viscose and acrylic blend is soft and comes in 45 reversible floral and paisley varieties. It's 72 inches long with 4 inches of fringe on each end, 28 inches wide and can be hand-washed.
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Hoyayo Thick Pashmina Wool Blend Shawl
This thick shawl is a wool and polyester blend and comes in 14 colors; it's 78 inches long, 28 inches wide and has fringe on each end. You can wash it by hand or in a washing machine on a gentle cycle, but you should lay it flat to dry.
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This breathable and lightweight traditional Irish shawl is made from 85% lambswool and 15% nylon. It’s 72 inches long and 54 inches wide.
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MaaMgic Large Soft Pashmina Shawl
This design is 80 inches long, 27 inches wide and comes in 15 hues. It's a soft, thick cotton and polyester blend that is hand washable, and since it's a rectangular shape, it can double as a scarf.
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This rectangular shawl is 80 inches long, 25 inches wide and can be washed by hand. It's reversible, with different colors on each side, and comes in 15 varieties.
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Dana Xu Mulberry Satin Silk Floral Shawl
This lightweight mulberry silk shawl is 90 inches long, 43.4 inches wide and comes in 39 floral designs. It can be washed by hand, though dry cleaning is preferred.
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Just4Beauty Fashion Silk Floral Shawl
This silk floral design comes in five patterns and is 70.86 inches long and 43.4 inches wide. It's lightweight and can be washed by hand.
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Demdaco Giving Shawl In Gift Box
This textured nylon model has pockets at each end and comes in eight varieties with a length of 70 inches and a width of 27 inches. It's machine-washable and comes in a gift box.
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This Australian-made design can be washed by hand and comes in 24 floral varieties. It's 96 inches long and 42 inches wide, with fringe at each end.
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This stunning Indian-made paisley shawl is 80 inches long and 40 inches wide, made from wool.
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This is another high-quality cashmere model. It's 78.7 inches long, 27.5 inches wide and comes in 20 hues.
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Kerry Woollen Mills Celtic Ruana Shawl
It's 72 inches long, 52 inches wide, comes in five varieties and is made from Irish lambswool mixed with nylon.
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Ella Scott writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
