TCG London
Free Delivery all over UK.
Flat 15% Discount Storewide | Use Code : TCG15
English
AED
AFN
ALL
AMD
ANG
AUD
AWG
AZN
BAM
BBD
BDT
BGN
BIF
BND
BOB
BSD
BWP
BZD
CAD
CDF
CHF
CNY
CRC
CVE
CZK
DJF
DKK
DOP
DZD
EGP
ETB
EUR
FJD
FKP
GBP
GMD
GNF
GTQ
GYD
HKD
HNL
HUF
IDR
ILS
INR
ISK
JMD
JPY
KES
KGS
KHR
KMF
KRW
KYD
KZT
LAK
LBP
LKR
MAD
MDL
MKD
MMK
MNT
MOP
MUR
MVR
MWK
MYR
NGN
NIO
NPR
NZD
PEN
PGK
PHP
PKR
PLN
PYG
QAR
RON
RSD
RWF
SAR
SBD
SEK
SGD
SHP
SLL
STD
THB
TJS
TOP
TTD
TWD
TZS
UAH
UGX
USD
UYU
UZS
VND
VUV
WST
XAF
XCD
XOF
XPF
YER
TCG London
Cart 0
  • Women
    • Knitwear
      • V-Necks
      • Round Necks
      • Roll Necks
      • Ribbed
      • Cardigans
      • Tunics
    • Accessories
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Hats and Beanies
      • Pashminas
      • Ponchos Capes and Stoles
    • Jewellery
      • Pendants
      • Necklaces
      • Earrings
      • Brooches
      • Bracelets

    New collection

  • Men
    • Knitwear
      • V-Necks
      • Round Necks
      • Roll Necks
      • Zip Necks
      • Sleeveless
    • Jewellery
      • Cufflinks
      • Brooches
    • Accessories
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Hats and Beanies

    New collection

  • Accessories
    • Mens
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Jewellery
    • Womens
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Hats and Beanies
      • Ponchos Capes and Stoles
      • Pashminas
      • Jewellery
    Scottish Cashmere Fingerless Gloves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Fingerless Gloves

    Regular price £44.00
    Sale price £44.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Gloves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Gloves

    Regular price £44.00
    Sale price £44.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Plain Scottish Cashmere Scarves - TCG London

    Plain Scottish Cashmere Scarves

    Regular price £77.00
    Sale price £77.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Check Scarves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Check Scarves

    Regular price £77.00
    Sale price £77.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Beanies - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Beanies

    Regular price £77.00
    Sale price £77.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Scarves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Scarves

    Regular price £119.00
    Sale price £119.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
  • Gift Bundles
  • Women
    • Knitwear
      • V-Necks
      • Round Necks
      • Roll Necks
      • Ribbed
      • Cardigans
      • Tunics
    • Accessories
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Hats and Beanies
      • Pashminas
      • Ponchos Capes and Stoles
    • Jewellery
      • Pendants
      • Necklaces
      • Earrings
      • Brooches
      • Bracelets

    New collection

  • Men
    • Knitwear
      • V-Necks
      • Round Necks
      • Roll Necks
      • Zip Necks
      • Sleeveless
    • Jewellery
      • Cufflinks
      • Brooches
    • Accessories
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Hats and Beanies

    New collection

  • Accessories
    • Mens
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Jewellery
    • Womens
      • Gloves
      • Scarves
      • Hats and Beanies
      • Ponchos Capes and Stoles
      • Pashminas
      • Jewellery

    Accessories for Men

    Scottish Cashmere Fingerless Gloves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Fingerless Gloves

    Regular price £44.00
    Sale price £44.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Gloves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Gloves

    Regular price £44.00
    Sale price £44.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Plain Scottish Cashmere Scarves - TCG London

    Plain Scottish Cashmere Scarves

    Regular price £77.00
    Sale price £77.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Check Scarves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Check Scarves

    Regular price £77.00
    Sale price £77.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Beanies - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Beanies

    Regular price £77.00
    Sale price £77.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Scarves - TCG London

    Scottish Cashmere Ribbed Scarves

    Regular price £119.00
    Sale price £119.00 Regular price
    Unit price
    /
  • Gift Bundles
TCG London
Discount Codes Wishlist Cart 0

Search our store

TCG London
Wishlist Cart 0
Popular Searches:
Pashmina Cashmere
News

The Novel That Popularised Cashmere In England | TCG London

by Sarah A on Apr 07, 2023
lady wearing cashmere muffler

Whilst more accessible and widespread now than perhaps ever before, cashmere clothing has never lost its luxurious reputation, and thanks to a mix of high quality, rarity and high demand commands a price commensurate with its status.

This is nothing new, of course, and for hundreds of years, the Kashmir shawl has been an article of clothing associated closely with Indian nobility, with this status reaching its zenith with the founding of the Mughal Empire and its “khil’at” robes of honour, traditionally a gift from royalty.

By the 19th century, however, they had become very popular in French and English high society to the point of reaching an almost-mythical status and creating multiple industries built to try and replicate the intricate craft and feel of cashmere.

This incredible interest in cashmere can arguably be attributed to three women.

The first is Empress Josephine of France, husband of Napoleon Bonaparte and the owner of as many as 400 Kashmir shawls until her untimely death in 1814.

The next is Queen Victoria, who shaped the culture of Great Britain throughout her exceptionally long reign as Queen of England and loved Kashmir to the point that part of the Treaty of Amritsar of 1846 required the Maharaja to send her three pairs of shawls every year.

The third is Elizabeth Gaskell, a successful Victorian writer who, whilst less remembered than Jane Austen or the Bronte sisters outside of literary circles, arguably did more than most to cultivate a love of cashmere in England.

A Tale Of Two Englands

During her lifetime, Elizabeth Cleghorn Gaskell was arguably best known as the author of Charlotte Bronte’s autobiography to the wider world, although within literary circles she had received a lot of acclaim.

The greatest praise she received was from Charles Dickens, who compared her to the storyteller Scheherazade from the book One Thousand And One Nights and invited her to write for his magazine Household Words.

In the same year, she published her autobiography on the late Bronte sister, however, she was also in the midst of writing her serialised novel North And South, a tale as old as time about class and the regional divide in England, and one that introduced a surprising number of people to the idea of cashmere.

The story chronicles the story of Margaret Hale, a genteel young woman from a rural southern village who due to several situations beyond her control ends up moving to a northern industrial town, where she gets a crash course in inequality, industrial relations and the condition of England circa 1850.

At the time, the book was seen as challenging in a number of ways, and famously led to conflicts between Mrs Gaskell and Mr Dickens, who published the novel Hard Times at the same time and in the same magazine.

Margaret in the novel modelled a cashmere shawl in the first chapter, describing its smell, softness and brightness in vivid detail, eventually wearing a similar garment to meet her future husband.

This depicted and highlighted that Kashmir shawls were often the most expensive luxury item a woman would carry on her person, given that during that era women were limited by law to what property and land they were allowed to own, something noted in North And South itself.

Previous
Top Tips To Avoid Stretching Your Cashmere | TCG London
Next
Why Is Cashmere Known As The Fibre Of Kings? | TCG London

Related Articles

Casual Winter Clothes for Men & High Visibility Winter Clothing for Style and Safety

Casual Winter Clothes for Men & High Visibility Winter Clothing for Style and Safety

Winter Golf Clothes: Top Picks for Golf Clothing to Keep You Warm

Winter Golf Clothes: Top Picks for Golf Clothing to Keep You Warm

Birthday Outfit: Ideas for Every Milestone

Birthday Outfit: Ideas for Every Milestone

How To Store Scarves And Pashminas?

How To Store Scarves And Pashminas?

Tags

  • cashmere
  • cashmere gloves
  • cashmere hat
  • cashmere knitwear
  • cashmere scarves
  • cashmere socks women
  • cashmere wrap
  • Christmas
  • gifts
  • gloves
  • Pashmina
  • scarves
  • Scottish Cashmere
  • tartan scarf
  • winter

Shop

  • Women
  • Men
  • Accessories
  • Gift Bundles

Information

  • About Us
  • Delivery and Returns
  • Terms of Sale
  • Refund policy
  • Blog
  • Contact

Follow Us

© TCG LONDON 2025
Payment options:
  • American Express
  • Apple Pay
  • Diners Club
  • Discover
  • Google Pay
  • Maestro
  • Mastercard
  • PayPal
  • Shop Pay
  • Union Pay
  • Visa
Cart 0

Confirm your age

Are you 18 years old or older?

Come back when you're older

Sorry, the content of this store can't be seen by a younger audience. Come back when you're older.

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website.

Shopping Cart

Your cart is currently empty.
Add note for seller
Estimate shipping rates
Add a discount code
Subtotal £0.00
View Cart