Vicuña wool

[4] The cell arrangement of the fiber is bilateral in transmission electron microscopy (as also in guanaco hair), while it is disordered in llama and alpaca.

[6] The Incas herded vicuñas by the tens of thousands into pens, sheared the wool for the exclusive use of high nobles, and then released the animals.

[7] In the 20th century vicuñas were hunted for their fur, so that the population declined to about 8,000 animals and was put under wild life protection.

[1][3] In Peru, three companies were licensed in 1994 to harvest vicuña wool legally: Loro Piana, Agnona, and Incalpaca TPX.

[15] In addition to knitted sweaters and socks, vicuña wool is also used to weave fabrics that are made into exclusive tailored clothing.

Due to a tendency to felting, textiles made of vicuña wool should not be wrung or rubbed, but can be dabbed.