Choosing a Cashmere Throw: Plain, Reversible, Umbra or Twill

All of the cashmere throws in the Johnstons of Elgin Home collection share the same fibre and the same mill. Most measure 190 × 140 cm (75 × 55 in); the Yarrow is a little smaller at 175 × 135 cm (69 × 53 in), and the Plain Reversible Bed Throw is cut larger, at 230 × 150 cm (91 × 59 in). What really separates them is the weave and how the colour is handled.

Plain

The Plain Throw is the purest expression of the cloth: a single colour, a soft brushed surface and a twisted fringe. It comes in the widest range of shades — Dark Navy, Charcoal, Silver, White, Ash, Oatmeal and Camel — which makes it the easiest to place in an existing room.

Reversible

The Plain Reversible Throw is woven with a different tone on each face, so a fold or a turned corner reveals the second colour: Silver / White, Otter / Oatmeal or Navy / Light Grey. The Reversible Bed Throw uses the same idea at bed size, in Silver / White or Otter / Oatmeal.

Umbra

The Umbra pieces move gradually from one colour to the next along the length of the throw. Scapa runs through greys and sea-blues to navy; Cairn through charcoal and rust to stone. The Umbra Plaid lays the same tonal palette into a check.

Texture and twill

For a throw with more structure, the Lofty Twill uses a herringbone flecked with colour to give scale without weight; the Mountain Twill has a crisp diagonal and a frayed edge; and the Yarrow has a deeper, almost knitted woven texture. The Art Geometric throw arranges blocks of colour in concentric squares, with a different arrangement on each side.

If you only choose one

For a sofa, the Plain Reversible in Otter / Oatmeal is the most versatile piece in the collection. For a bed, the Reversible Bed Throw. As a gift, an Umbra — every one reads like a small landscape. If you would like help choosing a colour for a particular room, El Laguito Cigars is happy to advise.