When it comes to alpaca wool, has lots of great advantages for the environment and people. Its benefits and properties are very well known, making it currently one of the most demanded types of wool in the world to produce alpaca scarves and other products. What especially stands out is its demand in the fashion industry.
The fashion industry, as a huge part of the world economy, for a long time has been challenged about the pollution it provides to the environment and nature. That comes from the use of all different kinds of ingredients, and chemicals, releasing water and waste into the environment, from the manufacturing plants, etc. However, with the greater demand for the alpaca came the restructuring in one part of the fashion, which pointed to a more sustainable approach.
One thing that stands out about alpaca wool and refers particularly to fashion is the colors. Colors are a big part of life. They make every fashion piece look more beautiful, and lively. In terms of textile and materials, there are many options to make a piece stand out and not just be black or white.
That is why the fashion industry includes lots of dying options. A particularly interesting type of material is the alpaca wool since it has high-quality fiber and it may have several different shades.
The wool of the alpaca is one of a kind. It is very soft and durable, and it is way warmer than sheep’s wool. At first thought, the majority of people think of the alpaca as an animal similar to the sheep. And with that comes the perception of the most common color of wool – white. Although most alpacas are white, that is not entirely the case.
Among the other great benefits and properties that alpaca wool has, one of the things that especially stands out is the color. Alpaca wool has a natural color, and the yarn can show anything from black to different shades of brown, grey, and even silver and rose. So, for those who did not know, alpaca wool naturally comes in almost 22 colors with different shades.
You can also read: Reasons Why Alpaca Wool is Such an Amazing Material
The alpaca has two breeds: the Huacaya and the Suri, which differ in their fiber. Huacaya fiber is opaque, curly, and fluffy, similar to sheep’s wool, while Suri fiber is straight, silky, lustrous, and shiny, similar to the softness of cashmere and the luster of silk. In both breeds, not only are there white alpacas, but also animals of natural colors, which, according to specialists, reach 22 different shades.
Currently, the population of both breeds is very different. White alpacas are abundant in most of the herds of the southern Andes. This reflects the process of «fiber bleaching» which has been taking place for more than one century as a consequence of the requirements of the international and domestic textile industry which prefers white fiber as raw material to be dyed with synthetic dyes and industrially processed.
From the perspective of biodiversity conservation in the Andes, this situation is causing the loss of natural colored alpacas, especially the Suri breed, which is in process of extinction. This is affecting the future of this animal species and the livelihoods of human groups linked to their upbringing in the Andes.
Despite these apparent problems, these alpacas have been maintained, although in small numbers, in the herds of the small alpacas breeders and breeders of the communities. These populations have maintained and bred them, allocating the valuable fiber of the natural colored Suri alpacas to the production of garments like the chuku of Aymara women, a garment covering the head and body, made of black Suri alpaca fiber.
The «relatively predominant» colors of Suri alpacas are light coffee and dark coffee. And the «rare» colors are the roan (known locally as api), indefinite grey, silver grey, dark grey, light black, and dark black. Observing patiently the exquisite fleece in the softness and shine of natural colors is a spectacular privilege.
All of these properties and benefits make the alpaca wool one of the most demanded and sought-after textiles. It is an option that is great for the entire year since it has really good properties that can keep you both warm and cool, depending on the outside temperature.
And with all of these properties comes the high fashion demand for pieces that will captivate in different colors and styles. From the most sought-after accessories, the alpaca wool shawls and the alpaca wool throws are pieces that are simply a must-have.
At Silkeborg Uldspinderi, one of the best-selling products is particularly the black alpaca scarf and the grey alpaca throw. These colors are considered both fashionable and minimalist, making them garments that are simply a must-have. However, for all those of you who would like to try something else, there are also many other throws and scarves in colors that you can choose from. Take a look and find your pick!
