Cloak yourself in a shawl that is an homage to the secret history of the Bougainvillea plant and the first woman known to have circumnavigated the globe — Jeanne Baret. 
 
Baret was the lover and housekeeper to the French naturalist Philibert Commerson. In 1766 the French government commissioned Admiral Louis-Antoine de Bougainville to sail worldwide in search of new territories for France. The Admiral brought Commerson to collect plant samples for the government, and Commerson, in turn, took Jeanne along as his assistant.
 
The French navy absolutely and explicitly prohibited women on naval vessels. Nevertheless, Baret disguised herself as a man and sailed with Commerson. And, while the Admiral and his team were in  Rio de Janeiro, they collected the first bougainvilleas known to western science. Baret probably found bougainvillea and many of the other plants Commerson described for science. The surviving journals of the expedition barely mention her, probably due to a mix of sexism and fear of the consequences of admitting that they knew the "no women!" rule was broken. 
 
Jeanne's Bougainvilla Shawl is a sturdy yet sheer blend of silk and wool, colored like the rich cobalt  and turquoise blooms of its namesake plant. Versatile and adventurous (just like Jeanne), you can wrap this shawl around you and go anywhere. The cerulean shades pop when paired with everything from military green to dark denim, and the generous length of this panel makes it a perfect sarong for a day at the shore. 
 
THE DETAILS:
• 30 inches wide  x 72 inches long
• 63% silk, 37% wool
• Hand-rolled hem completes the finish
• Dry clean or hand wash with mild soap
• Iron or steam press with moderate heat