A walk in the park, attending a Summit, meeting with a client, a date evening… what is common in all these situations? Everyone’s wearing one or the other type of cotton. As common as the word is Cotton, is fascinating it’s History!
The word cotton comes from the Arabic word “quton.” The earliest production of cotton was in India, where the material dates back to the fifth millennium B.C. The first cotton gin, which is a tool that separates the cotton fluff from the plant seeds, was invented in India in the thirteenth century. The cotton gin made the production of cotton much easier and faster, helping the fiber spread as a widely-used textile. Cotton is a staple fiber, which means it is composed of different, varying lengths of fibers. Cotton is made from the natural fibers of cotton plants, which are from the genus Gossypium. Cotton is pure cellulose Cotton is spun into yarn that is then woven to create a soft, durable fabric. fragments of cotton fabric dated to the fifth millennium BC have been found in the Indus Valley Civilization.
- Pima cotton – Considered the finest type of cotton in the world, pima cotton’s fibers are extra soft and extra long. The cotton is native to South America and the American Southwest. Pima cotton fabric is very highly-sought after, as it is resistant to fading, tearing, and wrinkling.
- Egyptian cotton – Egyptian cotton is very similar to pima cotton. The two are even in the same scientific class: gossypium barbadense. It has the same resistant qualities, but it is grown in the Nile River Valley in Egypt.
- Upland cotton – Upland cotton has very short fibers and makes up about 90% of the world’s total cotton production. The crop is native to and grown in Central America, Mexico, the Caribbean, and southern Florida.
- Organic cotton – Organic cotton is any type of cotton that is grown without chemicals and from plants that are not genetically engineered.
Customers know that Egyptian Cotton and Supima Cotton are the best in quality than others in the world. Products made from both of these cotton bear a very high price tag that influences the customer while buying.
The finer yarn means that your cotton shirts, sheets and bathrobe are gloriously soft to the touch, and it only gets more luxurious as the thread count increases. The extra long fibres in Egyptian cotton are resistant to pilling and will actually become softer with each wash, so Egyptian cotton will be lifelong better.