Move over cashmere. When it comes to cuddly sweaters, those made from the wool of the vicuna, a llama-like animal native to Peru, have you beat. The extreme fineness of the individual wool fibers (nearly half the size of cashmere fibers) is what gives vicuna such a soft texture. In fact, those who have worn vicuna sweaters say cashmere is rough in comparison.
The fur of the vicuna has been made into garments since Incan times. High fashion designers started using it in the early 1990s. The luxury comes at a price, however. A vicuna sweater (dry clean only, please) will run you nearly $5,000.
(Source: National Geographic)
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