The Decoder: The world's most expensive sock

A sock priced Dh5,163 is in stock at Harrys of London branches in the UAE.

Cervelt Socks from Harrys of London. Courtesy Harrys of London
Powered by automated translation

Available at the Harrys of London stores in Abu Dhabi and Dubai and limited to just 100 pairs, these socks priced Dh5,163 are being marketed as the most expensive in the world. So what makes them so special?

Cervelt is known as the 'Diamond of Clothing Fibres' is the superfine down fibre of the New Zealand Red Deer. Only 20 grams of fibre can be collected from each animal every Red Dyear. Its unique qualities and rarity make it the most sought after and highest quality natural fibre in the world. Made by specialist artisans in Italy, the handwork, dying and weaving of Cervelt highly unusual and requires the highest attention to craftsmanship.

The deer were given to the Otago Province of New Zealand by the Earl of Dalhousie in 1870 from his estate of Invermark, Scotland. The animals of the Otago herd are perhaps the only surviving gene pool of pure stock of this subspecies, Cervus Elaphus Scoticus, in the world.

Their environment are subject to extreme temperatures, and to protect them from the cold and wet, the Deer produce a soft layer of down underneath their coarse outer coat. No deers are harmed in the wool harvesting process.

Fine yet strong and lighter and softer than Mongolian cashmere, considered the finest in the world, the wool is naturally elastic making it resilient to creasing.

The natural properties of the fibre also make it pill-resistant - small balls of fibre won't collect on the surface, making for a refined appearance.

Allows the body to breathe because moisture is moved away to the outer layer of the fabric.

Body warmth is maintained through the action of millions of air chambers that form inside the natural creases of the fibre - ideal for cold weather.

Stockists

Marina Mall, Abu Dhabi, 02 665 3299 Level Shoe District, Dubai Mall, 04 501 6945