The same features that make the hair useful to the animal make it useful for clothing. Camel's hair is said to have the best insulation properties of any fiber. This makes sense, since the camel has to be protected from the cold mountain air as well as hot valley air on long journeys. Camel hair is collected when the animal sheds and from places where the animal lies at night to sleep. To make a piece of clothing, individual fibers must first be combined to form the threads that are then woven to form fabric.
Fabrics come in hundreds of weights and weaves.
Nonetheless, each fabric retains the characteristics of its woven fibers. Weavers of the past did not have access to the array of fiber choices available today. By testing fabrics, we can appreciate some of the subtle differences of the fibers that go into the production of woven threads. Sources Hardinham, Martin. The Fabric Catalog .