Know your fibers
Cotton
Cotton is the fiber where the word on the label tells you almost nothing and the staple length tells you everything. Staple is the length of the individual fiber, and longer staple means fewer ends poking out of the yarn, which means a smoother hand, less pilling, and more strength at the same weight.
This is why two 100 percent cotton t-shirts can differ by a factor of ten in price and the more expensive one is not simply a markup.
- What decides quality
- Staple length
- Extra-long staple
- 34mm and up
- Weakness
- Holds damp
The names worth knowing
- Extra-long staple, which covers Pima, Supima and Egyptian Giza. Fibers of 34mm and up. Smooth, strong, and worth the premium in shirting and tees.
- Upland, around 90 percent of world production, 22 to 32mm. Everything ordinary is made from it.
- Supima is a trademarked certification for US-grown Pima, so it is one of the few cotton claims independently verified.
- Organic speaks to how it was farmed, not how it performs. A separate question from quality, and the two do not track each other.
- Mercerised cotton has been treated under tension for lustre and dye uptake. A finish, not a grade.
Weight in GSM tells you more about a cotton tee than any word on the front of the label.
Where cotton is the wrong answer
Cotton holds moisture against the skin and gives up its insulation completely when wet, which is why it is a genuinely poor choice for cold-weather base layers and for anything athletic. Wool or linen does that job better. Cotton is for everything else.
Care, which decides how long it lasts
- Wash cool. Hot water is what shrinks cotton, not the drying.
- Tumble low or line dry. High heat is the single biggest cause of premature wear.
- Turn printed and dark cotton inside out to protect the surface.
- Do not over-dry. Pulling it out slightly damp prevents most shrinkage and stiffness.
- Denim can go much longer between washes than people think. Wash it when it needs it, cold, inside out.
The honest trade-offs
Wrinkles readily, shrinks on first wash unless pre-shrunk, holds damp, and conventional cultivation is water and pesticide intensive in a way that is well documented.