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Called the “cashmere of cotton” by the Supima Cotton website, Supima cotton is easy to maintain, vibrant and soft against the skin. The Supima brand name on a cotton product indicates that the American Pima cotton used in the product has been licensed and trademarked by the Supima organization.
What Is It?
According to the corporate website, Supima is “the promotional organization of the American Pima cotton growers.” The organization's board of directors is composed of Pima cotton growers from the United States who focus on three major goals. The organization aims to increase the amount of American Pima cotton used and purchased throughout the world. It sponsors a variety of research programs attempting to improve the quality of American Pima cotton. It also works to maintain a fair market for the growers of American Pima cotton.
How's It Different?
For a product to be labeled as “Supima,” it must be made of 100 percent American Pima cotton. This type of cotton is mostly grown in the United States, Peru and Australia. It’s grown from the Gossypium barbadenese species -- which might not seem important to the typical fashionista, but it makes a big difference when you’re looking for quality fabrics. This species produces a type of cotton that is extra long, considerably stronger than other types and uniformly fine.
Who Uses It?
To maintain its status in the Pima cotton industry, Supima sets high standards for use of the "Supima" name. Licenses for the use of Supima-brand cotton are only awarded to textile mills, apparel manufacturers and textile manufacturers who use at least 300-fine count cotton in their products. Apparel retailers might also be awarded a license -- but only if they sell products made from 100 percent American Pima cotton. At the time of publication, retailers selling Supima cotton products include Bloomingdale’s, Brooks Brothers, Bed Bath and Beyond, Lands’ End, L.L. Bean, Lord & Taylor, Ralph Lauren, Springs Wamsutta and Target. Supima cotton shows up most frequently in clothes, towels and bed linens.
What About Care?
Unlike other high-quality fabrics, Supima cotton is quite easy to care for. Its strength often makes it more durable than regular cotton. Textiles made from Supima cotton can be run through the washing machine and tossed into the dryer with no complications. Of course, you wouldn’t want to wash a bright, white Supima sweater with a brand new red sweatshirt -- but you can be pretty casual about the care.
