A splash of colour, a little Italian craftsmanship and the art of wearing things differently
One of the things I’m discovering through the 90-Day Wool Habit is that it doesn’t always take much to make the same dress feel completely different. Sometimes it’s a dramatic piece of jewellery or an extra layer. And sometimes, all it takes is a beautiful scarf.
During Week 2, I wore my navy British wool dress with a colourful silk scarf from Pashmisy, a London-based accessories brand and member of the 90-Day Wool Habit Collective. It was a relatively simple outfit, but the scarf brought colour, softness and a little extra personality to the look. And that’s rather the point of this experiment. Wearing the same dress for 90 days doesn’t mean every outfit has to look the same.
Meet Pashmisy
Founded in 2023 by Isida, Pashmisy is a London-based accessories brand creating colourful, timeless scarves using natural fabrics and traditional Italian craftsmanship. Its collections are made in Italy in small quantities, working with skilled makers to create accessories designed to be worn, loved and styled for years.
The business began when Isida decided to create something of her own while raising her family in London. Inspired by a love of colour, beautiful fabrics and Italian craftsmanship, she set out to build a collection of scarves that would feel special without being tied to a particular fashion season.
The result is a small, independent brand built around quality, versatility and an appreciation of the details that make a garment or accessory worth keeping.
A little piece of Italian craftsmanship
The silk scarf joining my 90-Day Wool Habit is a lovely example of how much work can go into something that looks so effortless. Pashmisy’s scarves are made in Italy, where the process begins with developing the designs and colours ready for printing onto the silk. Once printed, the fabric is carefully finished and cut to size.
And then comes one of my favourite details: the hand-rolled hems. Rather than simply machine-finishing the edges, the silk is delicately rolled and stitched by hand to create a beautifully refined finish. It’s the sort of detail you might not immediately notice when somebody is wearing a scarf, but one that speaks to the craftsmanship behind it. And it feels particularly relevant to a project that’s encouraging us to look a little more closely at how the things we wear are made.
Wool and silk: a lovely combination
Although the dress is the woolly star of this experiment, I’ve never intended that everything I wear with it must also be wool. In fact, one of the interesting things about the 90-Day Wool Habit is discovering how wool works alongside other natural fibres.
Silk and wool make a particularly lovely pairing. The wool dress provides structure and texture, while the silk scarf brings lightness, movement and colour. Pashmisy works with natural fibres across its collections, including wool for colder-weather accessories.
As Isida explains, silk brings lightness and elegance, while wool offers warmth, softness and comfort during the colder months. Together, they demonstrate that natural fibres don’t need to be confined to particular seasons or occasions.
Small changes, different outfits
One of the questions behind the 90-Day Wool Habit is whether we really need as many clothes as we think we do. I’m certainly not suggesting that everybody should wear the same dress for three months! But I am hoping to show how much variety we can create by changing the things we wear around a well-made foundation.
A colourful scarf is a particularly good example. It can introduce a completely different colour palette, soften an outfit or make something quite ordinary feel a little more considered.
And unlike an accessory bought for one particular occasion, a versatile scarf can be worn in all sorts of ways, with all sorts of outfits. That fits rather neatly with Pashmisy’s interpretation of buying less and buying better:
“Choosing pieces thoughtfully – focusing on quality, craftsmanship and versatility rather than constantly buying something new.”
It’s a simple idea, but one that’s easy to lose sight of when we’re constantly encouraged to refresh our wardrobes.
One thing you might not know about Pashmisy…
Despite the beautiful Italian craftsmanship and polished collections, Pashmisy is a much smaller business than you might imagine. Its founder runs the brand alongside her day job and raising two children.
She’s involved in almost everything: developing designs, choosing colours and fabrics, working with the Italian makers, packing orders and even creating the brand’s photoshoots. As someone who has built a small business around family life myself, I have a particular appreciation for just how much work happens behind the scenes!
And I think that’s another lovely reason to celebrate the businesses taking part in the Collective. Behind every piece is a story, and often a great deal of hard work that the customer never sees.
For me, that’s part of the pleasure of the 90-Day Wool Habit: not just discovering new ways to wear one dress, but introducing some of the people and businesses whose creativity and craftsmanship help make those outfits possible.
Follow the 90-Day Wool Habit
Throughout the 90 days, I’m introducing the British brands, makers and independent businesses helping me discover just how versatile one British wool dress can be.
