There’s a fabric out there that costs more than cashmere and silk combined. However, if you buy, sell, or own it, you are committing a crime.
Yes, wearing garments made of this material can not only cost you a lot of money, but it can also land you a six-figure fine and five years in prison in the United States.
“It’s the forbidden fruit of fabrics,” a source told Elle Decor. It weighs nothing and compares to vicua [another expensive cloth manufactured from South American vicua camelids].”
We’re talking about shahtoosh, which is manufactured from the hair of the rare Tibetan antelope chiru and is highly sought-after because of its scarcity and super soft texture.
Its attraction began in the 1990s with the popularity of pashminas, vividly colored cashmere shawls woven from the wool of Tibetan mountain goats that grazed every well-dressed woman’s shoulders.
People were drawn to the pashmina because of its exotic name and origins, but the term was soon applied to denote anything that kept your neck warm.
By the time the fad peaked, a ‘pashmina’ could be purchased for dirt cheap from street sellers and Hare Krishna temple gift stores.
Shahtoosh, like true pashmina, comes from the Himalayas, but instead of goat hair, it is manufactured from the underfur of the chiru, a type of antelope native to Tibet.
Unfortunately, the chiru must be slaughtered to obtain the wool. This resulted in the species being designated as endangered in the 1970s and the killing of them being banned.
Of course, this just increased the scarcity and value of shahtoosh, with poachers selling the shawls for as much as $15,000.
Even as late as 1998, they were aggressively exhibited for sale in high-end boutiques and marketed in periodicals.
Then governments all around the world began to tighten down on imports.
Owning shahtoosh and intentionally transporting the fabric into the US is now unlawful.
It was claimed in 2001 that a handful of high-profile ladies, including supermodel Christie Brinkley, had been served with subpoenas for possessing shahtoosh.
Denise Hale, a socialite, told Vanity Fair at the time, “Darling, everyone I know has one or two.” Or two, three, four, or five. This is the first time I’ve heard that it’s unlawful.”
Aside from its scarcity, the shahtoosh’s superfine threads and smooth feel make it particularly desirable.
According to an Elle Decor insider, “it feels like it’s been woven from the hair of an angel fallen from heaven.”
Heaven, on the other hand, will have to wait unless you have $15,000 to spare and are ready to have a criminal record.