What pala means, and why it matters

Pala is the worked end panel of a stole. On a pala piece the design is concentrated there — a broad floral band sweeping across the two ends and turning the corner — while the rest of the cloth is left open, carrying only a few single flower sprigs scattered lightly across the field.

That is a design decision, not a shortcut. When a stole is draped, the ends are what fall to the front and the field mostly disappears into folds. Putting the work where it is seen gives you the same visible effect as a heavier piece at a fraction of the price — and on black, an open field is the point. The marigolds have somewhere to sit.

What you are getting

• Pala design — embroidery concentrated at the ends and corner.
• Soft Tusha base, light enough for daily use.
• Broad marigold band in yellow, orange and sage.
• Scattered single sprigs across the open field.
• Fine pink and orange wave lines closing the band.
• Black ground that pushes warm colour forward.
• Our most affordable embroidered stole.
• Sourced and dispatched directly from Kashmir.

How to wear it

Keeping black black

Black cloth has one weakness: it fades. Washing at home and long spells in direct sunlight both pull the depth out of the dye, and once a black stole has gone grey-brown there is no bringing it back. Dry clean only — no washing at home, no wringing, no bleach.

Store it folded in cotton or muslin rather than plastic, keep a natural moth repellent nearby, and dry it in shade if it ever gets damp. Lint and stray thread show more on black than on any other colour, so a soft brush now and then keeps it looking new.