Cameline

Cameline (/ˈkæməliːn/ KAM-ə-leen) was a fabric material used in the Middle Ages for cloth. By tradition it is commonly thought to have been originally made of camel's hair in Asia. It was imported from Cyprus and Syria into Europe. Cameline is described also as a cloak of the Arabs made of camel's hair which is oftentimes striped white and brown in color. Since history records it many times as a "common and cheap" textile it is thought that it was an imitation of the original Asian camel's hair fabric. It was sometimes a lower quality French cloth imitation made of goat's hair. The fibers were spun into yarn and produced in Flanders and the Duchy of Brabant in many colors in medieval times. It is also described as a warm light woolen textile of camel's hair combined with wool or cotton. It is considered of lesser quality than that of camlet, which is also made of camel's hair.

Cameline is described in textile dictionaries as a coarse medieval fabric. The cloth of camel's hair is sometimes used in combination with other fabrics and made into a twill weave pattern or a basket weave which is finished with a soft nap. It is said to have been used in woolen clothing articles similar to cashmere wool clothing. Some authorities even think cameline is the same as we call today cashmere.

Middle English, from Old French camelin, from camelus, pertaining to a camel. From Old Italian of cammellino, Middle Latin of camelinuw, also camelinus – a textile made from camel's hair.

Cambolism seems to be recorded in Old French and English as the same as cameline. It is described as a brown cloth supposedly made of camel's hair, similar to that of camlet.Marco Polo records in his notes camlets made at Ninghaia with camel's hair in the 13th century. Chou Ch'il-fei in 1178 records of camel's hair satin camlets of many colors.

...
Wikipedia