I love paisley (the design) and the history of Kashmir shawls.  The interaction between the paisley design and Western fashion is fascinating, with both elements impacting the other in equal fashion. Kashmiri shawls were first introduced to Europe in the late 18th century by English traders who had encountered them in India.  In India the shawls were worn by men, but in Europe they were taken up by women as the perfect warm wrap to accompany to new light muslin dresses.  The cashmere wool was lighter, softer and warmer than anything available in Europe at the time, and the paisley patterns were deliciously exotic to Western eyes.  Kashmiri shawls were also the perfect status symbol – they were extraordinarily rare, and prohibitively expensive. As with anything rare, expensive and incredibly desirable, those who could afford it flaunted it, and those who couldn’t scrambled to find a cheaper alternative.  Manufacturers in Europe almost immediately began to replicate paisley designs (the name paisley comes from Paisley in Scotland where many imitation Kashmiri shawls were made) on wool-silk …