# Ladies! Don't you just love to wear a shawl? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 10, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262 "2002-08-10T07:48:56Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 7:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/1 "2002-08-10T07:48:56Z")
Mr. Rilch, Friend, Boss and I attended a performance at the Hollywood Bowl this evening. There was no obligation to dress up, but I generally do dress up for things. I wore basically a gownless evening strap: drawstring bodice and full skirt, with stays indenting the waist. I realized just before we left that the temperature would drop steadily throughout the evening, and the Hollywood Bowl is open air. Up to the closet for my black lace shawl. God love shawls. They’re so much more enticing than just blatantly being strapless. Wrap around shoulders. Let drop, one shoulder at a time. Curve arm around back to pull up and draw together tightly. Relax grip, adjust around shoulders. Let it slide down, pull up one side only. Now you see 'em, now you don’t. I know there must be other shawl-wearers here! ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 12:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/2 "2002-08-10T12:42:29Z")
I love shawls, and have a bunch of them. My favorite is the turquoise one, which I wear with my purple velvet dress. You can wear them into the theatre and don’t have to check them. Just put them in your lap. Also great for when you’re going someplace that’s chilly inside, or you need something to sit on. ---
**Author:** ![Rodd\_Hill](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/3ab097/32.png) [@Rodd\_Hill](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rodd_Hill)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/3 "2002-08-10T19:07:20Z")
**Utterly useless information:** I was _just_ reading a book on 19th-Century clothing, which mentioned the “Shawl Craze,” which began circa 1798, when Napoleon’s troops brought back Cashmere shawls from the Egyptian campaign. The book goes on to say that Josephine was given a shawl worth 12,000 francs. Apparently the factory in Europe that best approached the quality of the originals was in Paisley, near Glasgow, Scotland–indeed, Queen Victoria loaned the factory several shawls as patterns. Under the 1846 treaty of Lahore, she received an annual tribute from Maharaja Gholab Singh (then ruler of Kashmir) of one horse, twelve goats and three pairs of shawls. Top quality Cashmere shawls were selling in London in 1887 for 400 pounds each–this at a time when 100 pounds a year was enough to keep a lower middle-class batchelor respectably. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [August 10, 2002, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/4 "2002-08-10T21:13:32Z")
Shawls are the best. I have two that I got at Kmart on clearance that I just wear around the house-they’re long rectangles with fringe. Then I have my good ones. One is off-white with fringe and gold embroidery. It looks almost just like the shawl from the “flying scene” in _Titanic_. The other is black with beaded webbed fringe. It’s lovely. ---
**Author:** ![Johanna](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johanna/32/8318_2.png) [@Johanna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johanna)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 2:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/5 "2002-08-11T02:16:10Z")
There’s something about women draped in long flowing fabric that just makes my heart beat faster. \<3 \<3 \<3 ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 2:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/6 "2002-08-11T02:31:20Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > **I wore basically a gownless evening strap** Thank you for a startling mental image! Where was it placed? Did you wear it vertically or horizontally? Diagonally, maybe? I’m thinking that must be a very large shawl to warm up this outfit. :o ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/7 "2002-08-11T02:48:16Z")
Aaaa! Wrong smiley-face! Was supposed to be the surprised one. Nothing to see here, move along, thank you… \ ---
**Author:** ![UrbanChic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/9dc877/32.png) [@UrbanChic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/UrbanChic)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/8 "2002-08-11T03:07:06Z")
My mother used to make me wear shawls to church when I was a little girl. Suffice it to say, I hate shawls with a passion. They remind me of little old ladies. JuanitaTech, wondering who will start the ‘Ladies, don’t you just love doilies for your head?’ thread. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 3:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/9 "2002-08-11T03:10:50Z")
**SparrowHawk** : Have you really never heard that expression before? It’s a reworking of the phrase **strap** less evening **gown**. The idea is that what’s being revealed negates the modesty of what’s being covered. (Of course I wore it vertically!) Also forgot to mention that it’s denim. Not a coarse dungaree denim, but soft and very finely woven. I saw it on a clearance rack at Kaufmann’s (department store) and knew it was unlikely that I’d see such a thing again. I’ve had it almost ten years now. And it still fits! Woohoo! ---
**Author:** ![SparrowHawk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ac8455/32.png) [@SparrowHawk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SparrowHawk)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 7:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/10 "2002-08-11T07:32:37Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Rilchiam \* > \*\ ***SparrowHawk** : Have you really never heard that expression before? It’s a reworking of the phrase **strap** less evening **gown**. The idea is that what’s being revealed negates the modesty of what’s being covered. (Of course I wore it vertically!) \*\* Nope, I’ve never heard that in all my borned days. I gathered what it was, but that particular verbal rearrangement was new to me and did very interesting things in my brain before I could get it to stop! :eek: (yay! Right smiley face!) > [@](#): > > \*\*Also forgot to mention that it’s denim. Not a coarse dungaree denim, but soft and very finely woven. I saw it on a clearance rack at Kaufmann’s (department store) and knew it was unlikely that I’d see such a thing again. I’ve had it almost ten years now. And it still fits! Woohoo! \*\* Congrats! Isn’t it great when you manage to grab a Great Thing and it stays that way? And regarding the actual topic, I think shawls can look very sophisticated or very quaint, but I find they slide around too much and suspect I look very _un_sophisticated trying to corral the thing. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 11:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/11 "2002-08-11T11:34:26Z")
Oops, forgot to say "Welcome to the boards, **SparrowHawk**! \*\* > [@](#): > > I think shawls can look very sophisticated or very quaint, but I find they slide around too much and suspect I look very unsophisticated trying to corral the thing.\*\* No, you gotta **work** it! That’s what I was doing! **Let** it slide down, then pull it up on one side or the other. Never hunch under it; bring it up and hold it (lightly) right between your boobs, so you can push them up/together at the same time. Practice with a mirror until you can rotate your shoulder smoothly and you know what it takes to expose as much or as little cleavage as you’re comfortable with. It is an art, dahling. (I’m mildly surprised **Eve** hasn’t been in here!) **Juanita** : Well, yeah, if you mean crocheted shawls that are strictly for keeping warm…Those are the ones you huddle under. ---
**Author:** ![Rilchiam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/2bfe46/32.png) [@Rilchiam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rilchiam)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 11:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/12 "2002-08-11T11:35:38Z")
Or did you mean those mantilla things that go over your head as well? Those can be very romantic… **IF** you don’t wear glasses! ---
**Author:** ![Lynn\_Bodoni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e47c2d/32.png) [@Lynn\_Bodoni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lynn_Bodoni)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 11:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/13 "2002-08-11T11:59:45Z")
> [@](#): > > And regarding the actual topic, I think shawls can look very sophisticated or very quaint, but I find they slide around too much and suspect I look very unsophisticated trying to corral the thing. Well, if you actually want the shawl to stay up, avail yourself of a couple of safety pins, or a brooch. I have several different shawls/pashiminas, of varying weights and colors. I find them far more comfortable than jackets. In fact, I think that I’ll start crocheting myself a new shawl. ---
**Author:** ![DAVEW0071](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e19b73/32.png) [@DAVEW0071](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DAVEW0071)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/14 "2002-08-11T12:16:11Z")
> [@](#): > > Nope, I’ve never heard that in all my borned days. I gathered what it was, but that particular verbal rearrangement was new to me and did very interesting things in my brain before I could get it to stop! I find it nigh unto impossible that we share the same father and read similar books and grew up in the same sphere of influence and you’ve never heard that particular deliberate Spoonerism. I’m sure I’ve heard dad say something like that. Boy, you live with someone all your life and think you know 'em… ---
**Author:** ![DooWahDiddy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e9bcb4/32.png) [@DooWahDiddy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DooWahDiddy)\ **Post date:** [August 11, 2002, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ladies-dont-you-just-love-to-wear-a-shawl/123262/15 "2002-08-11T18:59:58Z")
Chalk me up as a guy who loves the way women look in shawls. A friend of mine hand-paints on silk and makes these unique scarves that are kind of like shawls, only uh… made out of silk. Anyway, her website is [www.alexsilkdesigns.com](http://www.alexsilkdesigns.com) if you’d like to check them out. Warning: They are not cheap!