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Be careful, because after wearing Sea Island cotton, you will have a hard time going back to more common categories of cotton!
October 22, 2020
Why you have a 99% chance of never wearing Sea Island. And why is it a shame...
In the large cotton family, there is one that stands out for its rarity, the length of its fibers and the quality of the resulting products. This is Sea Island cotton, or “West Indies Sea Island”. Cotton is grown all over the world, but some varieties produce longer fibers than others, and the longer the fiber, the better the quality!
- Very limited global production
Among all existing cottons, 0.004% of production concerns Sea Island cotton; this shows the rarity of the product. Rarer than Egyptian cotton, the low proportion of Sea Island cotton makes it a highly demanded product. A quality product, Sea Island comes from a combination of very specific geographical and climatic conditions.
- A specific development framework
Particularly delicate climatic conditions are required to allow cotton flowers to produce so-called “Sea Island” cotton. This name comes from the geographical area in which these cotton plants are found. Sea Island cotton, scientific name Gossypium barbadense, is an elite form of American cotton. It thrives in the unique climate of islands off the coast of the southeastern United States and on West Indian islands such as Barbados.
- Extra-long fibers
The cocktail of sun and humidity allows the Sea Island cotton plant to produce cotton fibers. These threads are a mass of extra long fibers, 40 millimeters compared to 26 millimeters for more ordinary cotton. The best cotton thread is made from extra-long fibers. The longer and finer the fiber, the rarer it is. These are then the finest, silky and shiny qualities.
Harvested by hand, the fibers of this cotton are among the longest cotton fibers. Exceptional lengths allow it to make very fine and soft threads. This finesse gives the fabrics their softness and this incomparable silky appearance.
- Quality control
To guarantee impeccable quality of Sea Island cotton, quality control is put in place. It takes place as soon as the manual harvesting of the cotton bales takes place. This is the WISICA label of authenticity, the “West London Sea Island Cotton Association”. This group of textile experts attests to the origin and quality of the raw material, but also verifies that the production phases comply with the processes, from planting the cotton to harvest.
Sea Island Bresciani cotton socks
- A recognized product, or how Sea Island appeals to connoisseurs
Queen Victoria, Queen of the United Kingdom, required handkerchiefs in Sea Island. Praised by such a personality, the Sea Island cannot disappoint the most demanding among us.
More recently, it was the famous secret agent James Bond, a gentleman par excellence, who appeared with clothes and underwear made from Caribbean cotton. In his novels, Ian Fleming had already specified that the materials used by 007 were in Sea Island. For those who always make their outfits flawless, the Sea Island has become a basic element in their wardrobe.
Already popular with tailors, particularly in the making of shirts, Sea Island cotton is now used to make knee-highs.
- Cashmere from cotton
What cashmere is to wool, Sea Island is to cotton. Putting on Sea Island knee-highs means ensuring unparalleled comfort, extreme softness and unrivaled finesse. This rare type of cotton combines the softness of cashmere and the resistance of wool.
- An easy to maintain product
The Sea Island knee-highs can easily be machine washed at 30°. A high-end product that cares like a pair of cotton socks.
- The art of choosing noble materials, or how to wear Sea Island cotton
True to the quality and representations you can now have of Sea Island cotton, Bresciani makes 100% Sea Island cotton knee-highs . Relatively thin, these socks are perfect for dress shoes. Silky and soft, they will add an extra touch of refinement to your outfits.
