New multifunctional properties of wool fabrics were achieved through combining silica and silver nanoparticles on the surface of fibres. The modified wool fabrics support bright colours due to the localised surface plasmon resonance of silver nanoparticles. Silica nanoparticles were first assembled on the wool fibres, and then silver nanoparticles were adsorbed on the fibre. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterise the surface features of the treated wool fabrics. The results indicated that the silica nanoparticles and the silver nanoparticles were combined together on wool fibres. The existence of silica nanoparticles on the fibres enhanced the colour of the modified wool fabrics and produced super-hydrophilic property in wool fibres. Moreover, the wool fabrics with silica and silver nanoparticles showed obvious antibacterial activity because of the presence of the silver nanoparticles. (c) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.