When traveling through Peru, you’ll probably be tempted by all the brightly-colored textiles and fabrics that you’ll see in the marketplaces. With designs reminiscent of Inca times and adorable llama patterns, the items you find in touristic markets make for great gifts. However, it is important to know what you’re buying in order to get the best deal possible.
Alpaca wool is an amazing material. Soft and warm yet breathable, it is cozy for wearing during the winter months, but not too hot for slightly nippy spring or fall days. Alpaca wool comes from the alpaca animal, a domesticated relative descended from the vicuña which is widely known to have the softest and most expensive wool in the world. The wool that is sheared from an alpaca during the first two years of its life is considered “baby alpaca” wool and is prized for being super-soft. Moreover, alpaca wool doesn’t contain lanolin, a natural oil found in sheep’s wool that makes it feel itchy when placed directly on the skin.
In the markets of Peru, it’s always a good idea to haggle the price of what you buy, but it is also a good idea to know what everything is made from. Even though the tag may say that it is made from alpaca or baby alpaca wool – that may not actually be the case. Oftentimes products are made from all synthetic materials or a blend of alpaca wool with silk, sheep’s wool or acrylic fibers.
In order to know whether what you’re buying is made from real alpaca wool or synthetic materials, consider the following tips:
1. Feel the material
Compared to acrylic materials, real alpaca wool feels cool to the touch, whereas acrylic is warmer.
2. Consider its softness
Real alpaca wool is very smooth and soft, especially if it is baby alpaca. When acrylic is brushed it may feel soft on the outside, but the key is to feel the inside as it is likely much rougher.
3. Weigh the material
Alpaca wool is much heavier than acrylic yarn. One way to test whether a garment is made from real alpaca is to pick it up and measure its weight.
4. Examine the color
Most super-bright colors are likely to be made from synthetic, chemically-dyed materials. Alpaca products usually exhibit their natural color or are only dyed with natural dyes, which are typically earthy shades of white, brown, gray and red. You may also try holding the garment to the light. If you see red, blue or green sparkles, those are likely synthetic fibers that have been added to give the item color.
5. Check for seams
Oftentimes a quality, hand-made alpaca garment will be knit in one piece. If that is the case, there should be no inside seams. If a product has obvious inside seams, it is possible that it was mass-produced using a synthetic material.
6. Ask the price
If the price seems too good to be true, chances are that is the case. Clothing made from quality alpaca wool can often be a bit pricey, so be prepared to pay a pretty penny more than what you would for other materials.
When it comes to purchasing quality alpaca products when traveling in Peru, it can be hard to know if what you’re buying is true alpaca in the markets. To be safe, we at Enigma would always advise that you make purchases from trustworthy sources.
Some of our favorite places to buy stylish and quality alpaca clothing include KUNA and Sol Alpaca, both of which offer many diverse and beautiful designs made from only the best alpaca fibers. If you have any questions about purchasing products made from alpaca wool while in Peru, we’d be happy to help and maybe give some shopping recommendations!
