When choosing materials for a collection, you consider many details, as they are crucial and affect the whole production process. Some of these factors are:
- The fabric quality and properties
- Price
- Country of origin
Your brand can opt for various fabrics, but the popularity winner goes to cotton between denim, satin, knit, or silk.
Cotton is considered one of the world’s most important non-food agricultural products. It has been used since ancient times by the Egyptians in Asia and the Incas in South America. Today it is one of the key staples of the textile and fashion industry.
What makes cotton such a popular fiber? Many characteristics have turned this material into the designers’ favorite but two of them stand out:
- Comfortability: Clothes made of cotton are comfortable year-round, being adequate in any weather. Due to the space between the fibers, clothes can «breathe» and absorb the body’s moisture, making them perfect for the hot season. At the same time, the material can retain body heat and remain dry while in cold weather.
- Softness: Its fibers’ length makes cotton a very soft material; it is also lightweight and versatile, making it a very valuable fabric, whether alone or blended.
There are several types of cotton: Pima cotton –originally from in Peru-, Egyptian cotton, and Upland cotton. All of them can be produced following organic standards conserving the characteristics but with their particularities.
Why is Peruvian cotton considered the best cotton?
Peru is the original region where Pima cotton comes from. People refer to it as the «white gold,» and they are not wrong. Pima cotton is the finest type of cotton in the world, and it is produced in Peru. It is considered the best type due to its extra-long fibers, making it softer and more absorbent than other varieties.
In addition, Pima cotton is also hypoallergenic, and it has exceptional strength and resilience, making it durable and resistant to fading, tearing, and wrinkling.
Peru has a great combination between natural conditions and good agricultural practices. Pima cotton in Peru is harvested with environmentally friendly hand-harvesting techniques. This avoids the tearing of fibers, a very common situation in industrial harvesting affecting cotton whiteness.
Is Peruvian Pima cotton the best choice for your fashion products?
Peru has been exporting Pima cotton fashion products for over 50 years. Along with the Alpaca fibers, they have become the leaders of the luxury textile sector. The United States is the country that concentrates the biggest demand for the Pima cotton garments, with many American fashion brands choosing Peru as their apparel sourcing. However, the European markets with brands from the highly demanding Sweden and Belgium markets require these products too.
Even though COVID-19 impacted the industry, the demand for Peruvian textile products has not decreased. On the contrary, only in the first trimester of 2021, the textile exports increased 22,7% compared to 2020, being the sales of local products such as Pima cotton and alpaca fibers the drivers of the industry.
Southern Textile Network is an experienced garment producer working with Pima cotton, mastering the material and processes to deliver the best quality products.
«Pima cotton produces garments of high softness, breathable, and with a product quality that transforms in long duration. Southern Textile Network, has been working with Pima cotton for over 20 years. As a result, they guarantee our clients’ satisfaction by offering high-quality products at competitive prices», said Juan Miguel Raffo, CEO of Thimble Sourcing, an international apparel broker.
If you want to offer high-quality fashion products, Peruvian Pima cotton is the right choice for your collection. At Southern Textile Network we are proud to be part of the top Peruvian apparel manufacturers that work with Pima cotton among other fibers. Whether you are looking to produce premium polo shirts, premium golf apparel, premium Pima cotton tee shirts, performance polo shirts, high-end polo shirts, or cotton apparel, STN will be your right sourcing partner.
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