Important processing steps are necessary to turn natural fibers into the cotton shirts we love so much. However, cotton alone does not make a perfect men's shirt, as the popular natural shirt fabric has too little elasticity without further finishing and is also difficult to insulate against heat and cold and is also crease-sensitive. A further step is therefore needed to meet the high demands of men. Fortunately, cotton fibers can now be processed and noticeably refined in a variety of ways using special processes, resulting in exclusive new fabrics with a wide range of positive properties.
What are the advantages of cotton shirts?
What properties actually make cotton shirts so popular? Here are all the advantages of cotton for men's shirts at a glance:
- very durable & tear-resistant
- Easy to wash
- durable
- good moisture absorption
- breathable
- smooth & soft to the touch
- pleasant on the skin
What is cotton?
Cotton is a single-celled, soft fiber that grows from the husk of the seeds of the cotton plant. The fibers are spun into threads and used to make soft textiles. Both the fiber and the textile are called cotton.
Cotton: a single-celled, soft fiber that grows from the skin of the cotton plant
The history of cotton
Cotton has been used to make the best cloth for thousands of years. However, in the past it was really just cloth. Nowadays, the most beautiful creations are made from it, and cotton is one of the most widely used fabrics in the world. The oldest written records of cotton come from India, from around 3000 B.C. The Greek historian Herodotus wrote: "There are trees there that grow wild, and the fruit of these trees is a wool that is more beautiful and better than that of sheep." Indian industry perished due to a discovery of the British Revolution. Richard Arkwright's invention, the 'spinning machine', made weaving cotton so easy that it could be mass produced. Today, cotton is grown all over the world, and special varieties are used that are bred so that each plant yields more.
Different types of cotton
What is high-quality cotton and how can you recognize it? To recognize high-quality cotton, you should pay attention to the following points: What type of cotton is used here? There are three types of cotton that are most commonly used for 100% cotton shirts, namely Sea Island, Egytic and American or PIMA cotton. Around 23 billion kilos of cotton are grown every year. That is 3.5 kg of cotton per person on earth. Most shirts today are made from very high quality cotton.
Sea Island cotton
Sea Island is one of the oldest cotton varieties in the world. It accounts for only 0.0004% of global production. This type of cotton is mainly grown on the Caribbean islands. The cotton is picked by hand and then cleaned of dirt. This type of cotton is so rare that only the highest quality shirts are made with this type of cotton.
Egyptian cotton
Egyptian cotton guarantees high quality and is also one of the best-known varieties. It is known to be soft, robust and of high quality. Egypt used to be called "a gift from the Nile". This is because the crops were located on the banks of the Nile due to the constant flow of water.
American or PIMA cotton
PIMA cotton is grown in the southwest of the United States. The name comes from the PIMA Indian tribe who helped grow it on a farm in Arizona. This type of cotton is very hard-wearing and therefore stays good for a long time. Together with Egyptian and Sea Island cotton, it is one of the highest quality cottons in the world.
The cotton fabric
There are different types of woven cotton. The three most important are explained below:
- Poplin is a fabric made from evenly woven, fine, firm cotton yarns. This is used very frequently and produces the typical striped look due to the thicker yarn. It is much more finely woven than "normal" fabrics. Poplin is also often used with silk or wool (in addition to cotton).
- Twill (also known as twill weave) is a cotton weave that is used for denim, for example. A twill weave is often easily recognizable by its pattern. The pattern of a twill weave is a kind of grid. The threads run under and over each other, creating a grid of threads. There are many variations of cotton. For example, if you buy a carpet with many figures, it is always a twill weave. This is because the point at which the threads are inserted can be easily changed.
- Oxford is similar to twill weave, but in this case the threads are only woven straight together. It has the same pattern, but there are almost no variations. In addition, thicker cotton yarns are used for the Oxford, and often two threads cross instead of one.
Past versus present
Cotton is very sensitive to parasites. In the past, several pests have completely ruined cotton cultivation. However, the use of chemical pesticides is prohibited. This is why genetically modified cotton has been developed. A gene has been inserted into this cotton to produce the Bt toxin. This ensures that the abdominal wall of the insects is damaged so that they no longer infest the cotton. It is grown worldwide. Modified cotton requires 80 % less chemical agents. In Australia, the cultivation of genetically modified cotton has become a disaster. Cross-fertilization with other cotton varieties has led to various lawsuits. The introduction of a second type of modified cotton was more successful. By 2009, the proportion of modified cotton had risen to 95%. The original variant has since been banned.
