The Llama fleece types, subjectively defined as styles, are described objectively through different types of fibres, which differentiate each other in length, thickness, type of waves, and presence–absence of lustre. Repeatability of styles and fleece types objectively defined is high. Fleece types can be redefined as double coated and single coated; lustre and hemilustre; intermediate coated as intermediate between lustre and single coated; and intermediate between single coated and double coated, respectively. The differentiation is carried out among the most representative types of fibres of each fleece type considering that the frequency of these fibre types does not influence greatly in the differentiation.

One of the quality characteristics most demanded from animal fibres is skin comfort or the effect the garment fibres have on the wearer’s skin. This comfort (or absence) is the product of the quantity of protruding fibre ends in contact with the epidermis. The fibre of mixed fleeces (fine and coarse fibres), such as llama fleeces, requires a special textile process for the garments made from them to be comfortable. This process is known as dehairing. It has different effects according to the fleece type used. Dehairing results in the structural change of the raw material since it extracts the coarser, longer and straighter (objectionable) fibres, thus affecting the rest of the textile processing, whether worsted or woollen. This research was designed to test the effect of fleece types on llama fibre dehairing performance, yield, bulk and sensorial attributes. Lustre fleeces have less bulk capacity and double‐coated fleeces, a lower overall yield due to a higher coarse fibre dehairing loss. Dehairing reduces the ‘prickle’ sensation, fundamentally with double‐coated fleeces and less notably with single‐coated non‐lustre fleeces, whereas with lustre fleeces no effect is detected. These results show that fibre classification by fleece type is fundamental when processing Argentine llama fibres.