Embracing Shawls for Summer

-- By Kim Moshtaghi

Anne Klein Gathered Wrap
$48.00
Available at: nordstrom.com

This article is dedicated to my mother. Growing up I always wondered what the reasoning was for a blanket-like cover; with her help I discovered that there is a reason for the existence of shawls.

A couple years ago I realized that shawls are an amazing way to spice up an outfit, and at the same time they keep you warm. But what a lot of people don’t discover about shawls is that they are perfect for summer and they can help you explore your inner personality more than you think. For example, brightly colored shawls are a creative way to accessorize without having to think of what necklace to wear. I remember wearing this great turquoise Pashmina shawl with a yellow shirt and white capris-- it got a lot of compliments and looked really classy.

Pure Pashmina Wrap
$75.00 (was $148-- save 49%!)
Available at: cashmereboutique.com

I have many friends who would love to embrace shawls, but they are not aware of the many different ways you can wear them. For instance, you can wear a shawl draped over the shoulders, wrapped around the neck in a knot, wrapped around the neck loosely, or draped around the shoulders. These are only a few examples of ways you can wear a shawl; there are also many different vibrant colors of shawls that are perfect for summer. I personally love choosing shawls that are bold colors, because they make a statement and gear away from the boring stereotypes of shawls.

My favorite shawls are Pashmina shawls, which can be found at Nordstrom or Cashmere Boutique. Cashmere Boutique has a great color selection; they give you a color chart and a small description of the color to better guide your choice. I recommend peacock blue, burgundy, tangerine, turquoise, and spring green for those of you who like to play with fashion and dare to be brave. For people who are more hesitant to wear bold colors, I recommend espresso, camel, black, or bottle green.

There may be some of you who are still not impressed with shawls, and for you guys I recommend a "beginner" shawl. Karen Kane makes great beginner shawls that are half-way jackets. These can be found at Nordstrom.com. There are different versions of these shawl-jackets, and they are a great way to get used to the idea of wearing a shawl. The first thing to keep in mind as a shawl virgin is to be brave, and remember: after the first couple times, it just gets easier.
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Kim Moshtaghi is a contributing writer for Adventures in the Stiletto Jungle. Born in Germany, Kim is currently based in sunny Del Mar, California, where she also serves as Stiletto Jungle's Director of Sales and Promotions. Kim has a communications degree, a third degree black belt, and a totally covetable Gucci handbag collection.