You'll Know the Difference When You Wear a Pima Cotton Shirt (2024)

As spring turns to summer, we’re always on thehunt for clothing that looks great, wears well, and helps us stay comfortableall season long. When it comes to the best fabrics, it’s tough to beat pimacotton. Check out our tips for incorporating soft, breathable, and durable pimacotton into your summer wardrobe.

You'll Know the Difference When You Wear a Pima Cotton Shirt (1)

What is Pima Cotton?

Cotton actually comes from two different speciesof plants. The most common type is Upland cotton, which makes up nearly 90% ofall cotton produced around the world. The remaining 10% is made up of twohigher-quality cottons — Egyptian cotton and pima cotton, which are both “extra-longstaple” cotton. These longer, silkier individual cotton fibers create a premiumfabric that is both luxuriously soft and incredibly strong. While Egyptiancotton, whenit’s authentic, is a premium fabric from the Nile River Valley, pimacotton has a decidedly American story.

What Makes Pima Cotton Shirts Great?

When you think of what you love about yourfavorite shirt, comfort, style, and durability likely come to mind. For theperfect summer shirt, one fabric is the clear winner – cotton. Cotton isbreathable, absorbent, and versatile, making it the original, all-naturalperformance material and helping you stay cool when temperatures rise. Pimacotton is the highest quality cotton available, thanks to those long, silkyfibers. This means that pima cotton t-shirts, dress shirts, or polo shirts willnot only be some of the most comfortable items in your closet, they’ll besofter, stronger, and more colorfast too. Pima cotton resists fading andpilling and is easy to maintain – because who has time for hand-washing whenthere’s summer fun to be had?

How to Shop for Pima Cotton Shirts

We’re used to checking out shirt labels for brands, sizes, and even countryof origin. But it’s often easy to overlook fabric. Taking a momentto fully read all the labeling on the tag or packaging can help you be sureyou’re getting a high-quality product. Cotton labeling can be confusing, andunscrupulous producers may try to blend different cottons to pass it off as asuperior fabric. If you want to be sure you’re getting the best, familiarizeyourself with FTCregulations, which are straightforward enough for the average consumer to understand. In short,it’s important that you look for more detail than just “100% cotton” and choosecompanies you trust who make their commitment to sustainable, transparentsourcing clear and verifiable. As a producer of verified purepima cotton, we’re fans of all the companies who work to make iteasier for consumers to find clearly labeled, high-quality goods. With just alittle bit of extra legwork, you can stock your wardrobe with pima cottonshirts that are sure to become your summer go-to’s in no time.

You'll Know the Difference When You Wear a Pima Cotton Shirt (2024)

FAQs

You'll Know the Difference When You Wear a Pima Cotton Shirt? ›

The longer fibers of Pima is extremely soft, high quality cotton. It can be used to create luxuriously soft fabric that's pill resistant, incredibly strong, and often more wrinkle resistant than cotton fabrics made from lesser upland cotton.

Is Pima cotton better than regular cotton? ›

Pima cotton is a higher-end, ultra-soft material that has longer fiber than standard varieties. Most consumers prize Pima for its reputation for producing smooth fabric that is rich in texture, extremely durable, wrinkle-resistant, pill-resistant, and soft to the touch.

What is the advantage of Pima cotton? ›

Pima cotton offers numerous benefits. Here are just a few advantages: Softness: It's incredibly soft to the touch, making it comfortable to wear for long periods of time. Durability: It's highly resistant to pilling, tearing, and stretching, which means it will last longer than other types of cotton.

Is 100% Pima cotton good? ›

Pima cotton fibers are also durable, wrinkle-resistant, and less vulnerable to fading and pilling. These make them easy to care for and a good investment if you're looking to buy a softer and more durable cotton bed sheet that will last longer.

Which is better, Egyptian or Pima cotton? ›

Aesthetic Appeal and Luster: Egyptian cotton's lustre adds a touch of elegance, while Pima cotton offers a luxurious softness. Pricing and Value for Money: Egyptian cotton sheets are often considered a higher-end option, while Pima cotton balances quality and value.

Does 100% Pima cotton shrink? ›

Due to the nature of this incredibly soft cotton, you should expect some shrinkage upon washing. We add extra length to our clothing to allow for this, but please follow the care instructions. Pima cotton is delicate but it can absolutely go into the washing machine. Select a gentle cycle and wash with similar colors.

Does Pima cotton get softer after washing? ›

Yes. It's a well-known feature of Pima Cotton that the fibres will change when washed, but instead of deteriorating they simply become softer. The sheets and covers will be even more luxurious to sleep in the next time you put them on the bed.

Is Pima cotton good for shirts? ›

Longer lasting.

Being 30% stronger has a multiplier effect on clothing. Meaning clothing made from Pima cotton should last well more than 30% longer than clothing made from common cotton.

Is Pima cotton good for sweating? ›

Pima cotton sheets have similar qualities which makes them a good remedy for night sweats. The fabric is also significantly breathable so it also makes you sweat less as it keeps you cool.

Which brands use Pima cotton? ›

Important brands such as Armani Exchange, Polo Ralph Lauren, Tommy Hilfiger, Guess, and Lacoste prefer to work with Peruvian Pima Cotton as it allows a very fine and even spinning. Due to its attributes, clothes that are light as well as highly durable and resistant to washing can be produced.

Is Pima cotton luxury? ›

Pima Cotton Origins and History

Originally grown in Peru, it found its way to the American soil, where ideal climatic conditions allowed for its flourishing growth. This long-staple cotton, known for its lengthier fibers, has been a symbol of quality and luxury for decades.

Are there different grades of Pima cotton? ›

There are six official grades (grades “1” through “6”) for American Pima color and six for leaf.

What is the best cotton in the world? ›

Pima is considered the finest cotton on earth. As an extra-long staple (ESL) cotton, its long fibers make it extra soft and extra strong. The result? Luxuriously smooth fabric that is resistant to fraying, tearing, pilling, wrinkling, and fading.

How to wash Pima cotton? ›

Hand washing is one of the best methods for washing Pima Cotton. Wash in warm or cool water to prevent fading and shrinking. Washing in hot water can cause the fabric to shrink. Avoid fabric softeners too, as this can dull the finish of the fabric.

Is Pima cotton expensive? ›

Pima cotton is significantly more expensive than other types of cotton. While prices of textiles vary depending on the country of manufacture and the processes used, this type of cotton generally costs twice as much as short-staple cotton.

What type of cotton is the highest quality? ›

Pima is considered the finest cotton on earth. As an extra-long staple (ESL) cotton, its long fibers make it extra soft and extra strong. The result? Luxuriously smooth fabric that is resistant to fraying, tearing, pilling, wrinkling, and fading.

Is Pima cotton good for hot weather? ›

One of the main reasons that people love pima cotton is because it is ideal for keeping you cool in the summer, and warm in the winter. It has excellent temperature regulating properties, making it the original, all-natural performance material for all kinds of activities.

Is Pima cotton scratchy? ›

Pima cotton comes from Peru and has a silky soft texture.

Does Pima cotton wrinkle easily? ›

It's extremely soft and durable

These longer, silkier fibers produce a luxuriously soft fabric that is also incredibly strong. It's resistant to fraying, tearing, and wrinkling and is very absorbent.

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