A method of making a deep pile fabric that closely resembles natural sheepskin fleece. The method includes forming a length of pile fabric having fibers on one side and a scrim on an opposing side, where at least a portion of the fibers are natural wool fibers, and finishing the pile fabric as natural sheepskin by polishing the fiber side of the pile fabric, including guiding the length of pile fabric over at least two polishing rolls, where the two polishing rolls rotate in opposite directions.