Apparel | Sunday, May 16, 2010

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THE SCIENCE OF SUPIMA: Wear testing—and why Supima doesn’t behave like ordinary cotton

By Greg Wang

NEW YORK—Sometimes we can’t really explain why a particular shirt . . . or set of sheets . . . or pair of jeans makes us feel so good.

And sometimes we can.

Last year, Supima commissioned an independent textile technology laboratory to see how Supima stacked up against other types of cotton. We included other types of extra-long staple cotton (like the finest Egyptian cotton), long staple cotton, upland cotton, and even other blends.

We knew that it’s strong enough to stand up to more machine washings. That it keeps its incredible luster and retains the brilliance of the original color long after other cottons fade away.

But we wanted to understand how and why.

Here you’ll read—on a question-by-question basis—the technical data proving why clothes made from Supima are less prone to pilling. And you’ll see actual laboratory tests that confirm what you probably already know: that towels made from Supima not only absorb more moisture but bounce back faster than towels made from other fibers.

Every last one of these attributes is backed up by state-of-the-art wear-testing and exhaustive comparison studies conducted by the world-renowned textile technology expert Yehia Elmogahzy Ph.D., Professor of Fiber and Polymer Engineering at Auburn University, who substantiated Supima’s structural superiority—all the way down to the molecular level.

Why doesn’t Supima behave like ordinary cotton?

First, Supima is actually a whole different species (Gossypium barbadense) than ordinary cotton (Gossypium hirsutum). The fibers yielded by these specially cultivated cotton plants are automatically longer, more lustrous, and more dense than run-of-the-mill cotton.

When it’s compared to ordinary cotton, Supima provides an average of 18 to 20 percent more fiber. But even compared to other types of specialty cottons—such as Egyptian cotton and other elite varieties that are also categorized as “extra long-staple”—Supima offers measurably more.

On a microscopic level, Supima fibers proved to be aligned more smoothly, instead of being twisted and tangled like most plant fibers. Which accounts for the lustrous look and “silky” feel.

Using sonic testing to measure molecular orientation in cotton threads that were identical in every respect but the original fiber, Dr. Elmogahzy determined Supima’s superiority: “In practice,” he explains, “this translates to a combination of smoothness and durability, more consistent dye affinity, and high fiber resiliency.”

And that’s just the beginning.