What Is Alpaca? Properties & Looks

What is alpaca? Alpaca is the soft, smooth hair of the alpaca, a camelid from the Andes of South America, spun into yarn for knitwear and coats. On the label it is listed separately from virgin wool, because it does not come from the sheep.

The material label of a sweater or coat says “alpaca” or “baby alpaca”, and you wonder what sets the fibre apart and how it wears? Here you can read what alpaca is, what baby alpaca means, how alpaca differs from sheep’s wool and how to style alpaca sweaters and jackets.

What is alpaca? Origin and properties

The alpaca belongs to the camel family and comes from the Andes. A large part of the animals lives in Peru, and today alpacas are also kept in other countries. The animals are shorn and the hair is spun into yarn.

These properties are generally attributed to alpaca:

Soft and smooth. The scales on the hair are smoother than on sheep’s wool. That is why alpaca feels soft and has a light sheen.
Light and warm. According to widely cited information, the fibre has an air-filled core. Alpaca is therefore considered light and warming.
Without lanolin. Alpaca contains little to no lanolin, the wool grease of sheep. Many people therefore describe alpaca as less scratchy than sheep’s wool.
Many natural colours. Alpacas have fleece in many natural shades, from white through beige and brown to grey and black.

Huacaya and Suri: two types of alpaca

There are two types. The Huacaya is the more common one and has a dense, crimped, fluffy fleece. Thanks to the crimp its hair is well suited to knitting. The Suri is rarer and has long, silky, glossy locks.

What does baby alpaca mean?

“Baby alpaca” describes a particularly fine grade. The name refers to the fineness of the fibre and not to the piece being meant for babies. Very fine hair often comes from the first shearing of young animals. The finer the fibre, the softer the yarn feels.

Pure alpaca exists, but it is often blended with wool, polyamide or other fibres. How much alpaca is in a piece is shown as a percentage in the material label. You can find more about fabrics and material labels in the fabric glossary for women’s fashion.

Alpaca and sheep’s wool: the difference

Both fibres are animal hair, but they come from different animals and feel different.

Animal. Alpaca comes from the alpaca, sheep’s wool from the sheep. On the label sheep’s wool is usually listed as “wool” or “virgin wool”.
Wool grease. Sheep’s wool contains lanolin, alpaca little to none.
Surface. Alpaca has a smoother scale layer, hence the soft feel and the light sheen. Sheep’s wool is naturally crimped and therefore elastic.
Fineness. There is also very fine sheep’s wool. The difference holds on average and not for every single yarn.

Alpaca, mohair and angora

All three fibres are soft, but they come from different animals: alpaca from the alpaca, mohair from the Angora goat, angora from the Angora rabbit. Mohair has a long, feathery fuzz, angora a short, very fine one, alpaca yarn usually a calmer, smoother surface. You can read more in the articles What is mohair? and What is angora?

How to style an alpaca sweater

A sweater made of alpaca usually has a calm, smooth surface. So the outfit around it does not have to do much.

With jeans or trousers. Straight jeans, trousers or a skirt leave the sweater centre stage. You can find more about knitwear and layering in the guide How to style knitwear.
Combine natural tones. Beige, camel, brown, grey and cream look calm together because they stay in one colour family.
With a blouse underneath. The collar peeks out at the neckline and gives the sweater a clear edge.
Simple shoes. Ankle boots, boots or smooth sneakers are a calm addition to most sweater colours.

How to style an alpaca coat and jacket

Alpaca is also used in coats and jackets. The coat is then the main piece, so the outfit underneath stays plain: a thin sweater, straight trousers, ankle boots. You can find more ideas for cold days in the guide Winter outfits for women.

You wear a jacket open or closed over a sweater or blouse. Because knitwear needs room under a jacket, choose a fine sweater underneath rather than a chunky one.

Three looks with knitwear and a jacket

The shop pieces in the pictures are examples of cut and colour, not of alpaca. Which fibres a piece contains is shown in the material label on the product page. With an alpaca piece the combinations stay the same.

Burgundy sweater with grey trousers. A burgundy sweater, calm grey trousers and ankle boots. The sweater brings the colour, the rest stays muted.

Jacket over a sweater. A grey jacket with zip over a fine sweater, with light jeans. The jacket is the main piece, the sweater underneath stays simple.

Knit skirt with a white top. A knit skirt in camel with an open-knit pattern, a simple white top and boots. Camel and white make a calm pair.

Also in the shop: knit sweaters and winter coats.

Frequently asked questions

What kind of fabric is alpaca?

Alpaca is not a fabric but a fibre: the hair of the alpaca. It is spun into yarn that is made into knitwear, coats and scarves.

Is alpaca wool?

In everyday speech alpaca is often counted as wool. On the label it is listed separately from virgin wool, because it comes from the alpaca and not from the sheep.

What is the difference between alpaca and baby alpaca?

Baby alpaca is a finer grade. The name refers to the fineness of the fibre, not to a baby garment.

Is alpaca scratchy?

Alpaca is often described as less scratchy than sheep’s wool, because it contains little lanolin and has a smoother surface. How it feels differs from person to person.

How do I style an alpaca sweater?

With smooth pieces such as straight jeans, trousers or a skirt, and with natural tones such as beige, camel or grey. The surface of the sweater is enough texture, so the rest stays simple.