Alpaca clothing is extremely healthy and comfortable to wear. The lack of lanolin in the fleece together with its beautiful silky handle mean that alpaca garments are luxuriously soft to the skin. The absence of guard hair consistent with the finest of alpaca fleeces eliminates the scratchy “prickle’ so commonly identified with other fibres such as wool.
Those who cannot wear wool can comfortably wear alpaca so it is also referred to as hypoallergenic. There is no need for harsh chemical treatments as in other fibres therefore alpaca retains its characteristic sensual feel. Other than mohair, alpacas produce the strongest animal fibre in the world and is recognized for its durability. Exhibiting natural restorative properties, alpaca, with respectful and minimal care can last a lifetime just like the extraordinarily preserved fine woven garments that were recently discovered in Peruvian ruins dating back 2500 years.

Raised for centuries high on the Altiplano where it freezes every night, Mother Nature has endowed the alpaca with a fibre where each individual fibre has microscopic air filled cells and therefore the alpaca has developed more thermal and wicking capacity in its fibre than almost any other animal. In addition, alpaca is water repellant because of the minimal natural lanolin content it subtly retains and can resist the solar radiation effectively.
These characteristics guarantee the animals a permanent and appropriate coat to survive the extreme changes of temperature as found in the Altiplano. Highly regarded by outdoor enthusiasts, garments made from alpaca offer wonderfully cozy, featherweight warmth that sheep’s wool, goose down or even the new synthetic fabrics like Gortex and polar fleece cannot possibly begin to compete with.

Unlike other mono-coloured animal fibres, alpacas produce fleece in more than 22 different colours although shading of colours creates nearly limitless possibilities of natural, earthy hues. Natural colours will always be in demand however alpaca does accept dyes readily. This amazing spectrum of colour delights hand spinners and manufacturers because it reduces the need for dyeing which compromises the fibre’s natural durability, resilience, softness, flexibility and hypoallergenic properties.

A fibre that can be so easily worn against the skin, alpaca is now mixed with wool, mohair, silk, cotton and most recently hemp as well as many other fibres to produce exquisite variations of texture that promises the warmth, strength and softness of alpaca.

Fashion designers around the world now commonly include alpaca garments in their collections. Although many import their fibre directly from Peru, many countries are now raising their own herds from which they harvest their own homegrown fleece and are subsequently processing into exciting end products. In Canada, the Canadian Camelid Fibre Co-Op annually collects the harvest from its Canadian breeders and offers to discriminating consumers many wonderful products to include 60” wide fabric, yarns, accessories, duvets, sleeping bags and even teddy bears to name but a few. Those who are creative and are the mainstay of the cottage industry produce even more exciting examples of this luxurious fibre and are limited only by their imagination.