Apparel | Wednesday, February 02, 2011

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THE SCIENCE OF SUPIMA: Why Supima is an essential ingredient to the best T-shirts

By Greg Wang

NEW YORK—It’s the cotton of choice for companies as selective—and varied—as Agave, Lane Bryant, Bodas, three dots, Brooks Brothers, Splendid, and Michael Stars.

Why do the best T-shirts and other cotton knits always seem to be made of Supima?

It’s true that Supima is especially sought out by for cotton knits, especially in categories like ladies’ lingerie or premium sportswear. But their affinity for Supima is more than a matter of prestige. It’s also practical.

After all, who wants to pay $200 for a “vintage-inspired” T-shirt or a gorgeous little camisole and then have it fall apart the first time it’s worn or washed?

To see how Supima stacked up against identical garments made both ordinary and extra-long staple Egyptian cotton, the labs of world-renowned textile technology expert Yehia Elmogahzy Ph.D., Professor of Fiber and Polymer Engineering at Auburn University, conducted state-of-the-art wear-testing and exhaustive comparison studies measuring these criteria:

• Resistance to pilling

• Bursting strength (how much the fabric resisted rupture)

• Resistance to dimensional changes (like shrinkage and twisting)

The tests included well-known brands of men’s and women’s undershirts, as well as heavy jersey knits.

In each test, as you’ll see, Supima came out on top, followed by Egyptian cotton.

In fact, choosing Supima over another cotton often resulted in a garment that lasted 40 percent longer than its competition.