Kashmir shawls are seen within victorian literature and beyond as a status symbol.  This is due to the romantic connotation that is derived from their foreign nature, create a more exoritic elure while still holding the respectability which was associated with the garment. (Daly, pg 12, 15)  

These associations can be seen in works by the Bronte sisters including Charlotte Bronte Villette which includes an uncultured Irish women acquiring a job within a prominent household due to her being in possession of a genuine Kashmir Shawl. (Daly 14) Following the Sepoy rebellion the prominence of original Kashmiri shawls dropped in popularity and instead were replaced with english made copies of the patterns. (Daly 33)