From the earliest use of animal furs in human societies to the intricate and exquisite silks we have today, humans have used a huge variety of fabrics across the course of history. Whether for our clothing, to create bags or other storage, or to upholster our homes, fabrics have provided us with countless ways to improve our daily lives and continue innovating new ways to express ourselves. But which fabrics stand above all others as the most coveted, the rarest, and the most expensive to purchase and own? Let’s take a quick look into the different types of fabric we can buy, and which is the most expensive of each type!

Wool: Wools have been utilised by humans for thousands of years. Historical evidence points to sheep first being domesticated up to 11,000 years ago! The Vulcana sheep is responsible for producing the most expensive wool in the world. The Vulcana sheep is the national animal of Peru and can only be shorn of its fleece once every three years! This makes Vulcana wool the rarest you can get, and means that Vulcana wool fetches a sky-high £1300 to £2100 per yard. At this cost, an average-sized scarf would have a price tag of around £15000! Move over Cashmere, Vulcana wool is the most luxurious and expensive wool on the market!

Fur: Fur is the oldest material used by humans to create clothing and bedding. Animal furs were warm, versatile, and a great way to use the skin after hunting for meat. However, with the emergence of cheaper industrial methods of producing fabrics and modern-day animal rights movements, real fur is now a rare sight and considered by some as one of the most luxurious apparel fabrics in the world. Now commonly illegally poached animals are the source of the rarest skins which fetch the highest prices. Leopard furs are considered as the most expensive fur you can get!

Linen: Linen is another material that has been around for millennia! The oldest evidence of linen being woven and used dates back to 6000 BCE, found around the Dead Sea. Linen itself is expensive because of the high labour hours it takes to weave the fabric, and the time required to grow the flax plants. The quality of the plants very much affects the quality of the eventual material so great care and attention is required to cultivate linen!

Silk: Silk had long been considered one of the most lucury fabrics in the world. There are countless varieties of silk that claim to be more exclusive and higher quality. Some, like Mulberry silk, is produced by exclusively feeding the silkworms a diet of Mulberry leaves. Others, like Muga silk, Spider silk and Charmeuse silk are also rarer and more expensive than standard silk fabrics. Mulberry silk is the finest silk and most expensive silk fabric in the world!

If you’re interested in getting your hands on some more affordable silk products like sick pyjamas, silk face masks, or silk scrunchies, check out DREAMSILK today!