Johnstons of Elgin's Gauzy Cashmere Travel Stole is woven from 100 percent cashmere in a two-ply gauzy weave, sized 180 by 90 centimetres. It is made in Scotland, product code HAA03407.

The gauzy weave is the technical point: open enough to drape without bulk, warm enough to matter when the cabin air turns arctic. At 180 centimetres it wraps, folds into a pillow, or spreads as a blanket.

A black and red paisley shawl
A black and red paisley shawl. Photograph: Unknown (Public domain)
A 19th century Indian shawl
A 19th-century Indian shawl. Photograph: Unknown (Public domain)
An abstract Deco textile drape
Abstract Deco textile drape with a gauzy weave. Illustrative image. Not the property or person described. Illustration: Villa & Palace

For the traveller who refuses the airline blanket, this is the alternative with nothing to prove: pure cashmere, generous dimensions, and a weave designed for transit.