German hosiery specialist FALKE recently launched the most expensive socks in the world as a part of their fall/winter collection. These socks will set you back $1,200, but they might just be worth all that moolah. Not only are these socks part of a very limited series of 10 pars, but they are made from the rarest and most expensive wool in the world – Vicuna wool.

The Vicuna – the national animal of Peru – are distant cousins of the Llama and ancestors of the Alpaca. These unique creatures are endangered and live high up in the Andes, making it very difficult to obtain their wool. They cannot be domesticated, so all the wool is taken from wild animals that are caught and sheared once every two years. Each animal only produces about one pound of wool, making the fabric extremely rare.

Photo: FALKE

Vicuna wool is the finest of all animal-derived fibers; it is just 12 micro-meters in diameter. Because it is so fine, it cannot even be dyed without being destroyed completely. So FALKE Vicuna socks are only available in one color – golden-brown – the natural color of the animal.

The luxury socks come in individual wooden presentation boxes. Along with the 10 pairs of socks, FALKE has also announced the launch of 20 Vicuna pullovers, with a choice of roll or v-necklines. Each pullover is priced at approx. $3,000, created from the same fabric.

According to the FALKE website, “Vicuna wool is the rarest and most expensive wool in the world, being softer, lighter and warmer than any other wool. The fine wool and thermal properties of Vicuna communicate the uniqueness of the yarn.”

Photo: David Torres Costales

Going by the pictures, Vicuna socks really do look like they are soft, rich and worth owning. The box packaging looks even more tempting. I’d buy them in a jiffy. If I had $1,200 to spare, that is.