Definition
Alpaca fiber comes from alpaca, a South American camelid. It is used for knitwear, coats, scarves and high-quality blended fabrics and, depending on the fineness, can be very soft or noticeably stronger.
In simple words
Alpaca is relatively light and warm and often appears smoother and less elastic than classic virgin wool. This means that knitted pieces fall softly, but can develop length more quickly. Blends with wool or polyamide are often used to improve dimensional stability and durability.
What to pay attention to
- Check how soft the material feels directly on your neck or wrist.
- When wearing knits, pay attention to stretching, pilling and the stability of shoulders and cuffs.
- Store heavy items lying down so they don’t lengthen unnecessarily.
Common misconceptions
Not every quality of alpaca is automatically cuddly soft. Fiber fineness, mix and processing determine the wearing comfort.
ESKYNA note
Alpaca appears quietly luxurious: warm, light and soft, but not always dimensionally stable.