I grew up in the age of polyester.
When I got to touch real silk, cotton and velvet
the feel … blew me away.
— Colleen Atwood
With the spring equinox behind us and the summer solstice fast approaching, many of us are spring cleaning. In addition to the flurry of general deep cleaning of the house, it is time to edit closets for the coming seasonal change.The comforting, cozy sweaters and puffy coats are replaced with crisp and colorful summer fabrics.
Though less stringently observed than in the past, Memorial Day traditionally marks the official day to begin wearing whites, pastels, and intense, vibrant colors in linens and cottons. When budgeting and shopping for summer wardrobe updates and vacations, it may help to know a bit about the classifications, definitions and qualities of these popular summer fabrics. Over the next few blogs I will discuss these classic summer fabrics. Today I will discuss cotton — “the fabric of our lives.”
Cotton, the world’s favorite and most used fabric, is a plant based seed fiber grown in tropical and sub-tropical regions around the world. In addition to some ancient wild species still found today, there are four domesticated commercial species. Cotton fabrics are classified by the length of the fibers from which they are made: short staple, long staple (LS) and extra long staple (ELS). The last is the highest quality and most expensive, if pure and not mixed with shorter fibers.
- Pima cotton and Egyptian cotton are similar as both are considered LS and are of high quality. However, much of the Pima and Egyptian cotton fabrics are often blended with short staple yarns to reduce cost (and quality). Egyptian cotton is particularly less regulated and it is difficult to know the blend ratio. Here one must be sensitive to and trust the “hand” (see Texture blog December 17, 2023). American made Pima cotton fabrics are more reliable with fiber content often found on the origin and care label. Both Pima and Egyptian cotton fabrics are high quality if pure.
- Supima cotton is American grown and is derived from the same strain as Pima but it is strictly regulated and is made from ELS fiber. These regulations ensure that the Supima fabrics are of reliably high quality and exhibit the best features of cotton.
- Sea Island cotton is a LS cotton originally cultivated in the low country of South Carolina. The boll weevil infestation almost entirely wiped out the Sea Island species by 1916. The plant was resurrected using only a few remaining seeds and is now grown in the Caribbean. The bolls of the plant must be harvested by hand picking to preserve the long fibers. Its relative scarcity and hand processing make this a top quality cotton on the expensive side, but worth the investment.
- Suvin Gold is the longest and thinnest cotton fiber in the ELS category. It is a hybrid of the Egyptian “sujata” cotton plant and a Sea Island cotton derivative called “St. Vincent.” It requires regular rainfall, hand picking and new seeds each year for planting. Often called the “cashmere of cotton,” it is the gold standard of all cotton fabrics.
We often think of cotton as being white and then dyed various colors. However, for purists and ecologically minded consumers, cotton also grows naturally in shades of brown, pink and green. Cotton is also available as a 100% fabric or as a blend with other natural fibers such as linen or silk as well as with synthetics to derive the best qualities of each fiber.
Cotton, either pure or blended, offers durability, softness, moisture absorption and structural integrity (no pilling, for example), easy care and a classic look and feel.
Cotton fabrics, including pre-shrunk, should be laundered in cold water and hung to dry. If not pre-shrunk, 100% cotton fabric can shrink as much as 20% — just ask anyone who has tried on classic jeans out of the dryer! Iron cotton with a hot iron for best results.
Armed with this basic information, you can be confident in selecting the best cotton fabrics to express your Purely Personal Summer Style.
