Who produces the finest cotton fabrics?

Text: Lucie Krůčková
Photo: Ilja Hubálek

You can recognise the highest-quality cotton at a glance and, above all, by its touch. Its colours are beautifully rich. A luxury cotton fabric has a subtle sheen. The real wonder, however, begins with the touch. It is so soft. You will want to put on clothing made from the finest cotton straight away. The material's greater durability, which ensures the garment's longevity, is then the proverbial cherry on top. Let us introduce the types of top-quality cotton and the leading makers of the finest cotton fabrics.

When a fabric carries one of the following names, you can be sure that what lies before you is a unique piece of textile craftsmanship.

Extra-long fibres with a diameter of 2.95 microns come from Egypt, specifically the Nile Delta region. Giza 45 cotton is very soft to the touch with a fine, smooth surface, which is why it is called the queen of Egyptian cottons.

Giza 87 cotton has long fibres with a diameter of 3.10 microns. This cotton also comes from the fertile Nile Delta region. Fabric made from such cotton yarns is exceptionally soft. It also stands out for its high durability. It is used mainly for white shirts because it is the purest.

Another long-staple cotton, this time with a diameter of 4 microns, originates in America. Supima cotton fibres are extra long and have a uniform structure. Supima excels in tensile fibre strength. Fabric made from this cotton has a silky sheen and is exceptionally pleasant and soft to the touch.

Sea Island cotton comes from Barbados. Its fibres are extra long and measure 3.1–3.4 microns in diameter. Sea Island cotton is the rarest, because there is very little of it. Fabrics made from Sea Island cotton are soft, silkily lustrous and very durable.

Filo di Scozia is the name of a yarn twisted from Egyptian, double-mercerised long-staple cotton. It is soft to the touch and has an interesting lustrous appearance that strikingly resembles silk. The colours are rich, vivid and resistant to fading. Materials made from Filo di Scozia yarn also excel in functional properties – they breathe naturally and absorb moisture superbly. The resulting product is therefore hypoallergenic and antibacterial.

You will find cotton everywhere. It is one of the most popular natural materials of all. Bed linen made from Egyptian cotton and cotton sportswear are both favourites. Cotton is also the basis for immortal jeans and denim garments. In elegant fashion, cotton holds its irreplaceable place in shirting fabrics and summer suits. Light cotton trousers, elegantly conceived polo shirts and cotton sweaters are frequent parts of informal outfits.

In Europe, the production of cotton fabrics has a long tradition. Thanks to it, materials of the very highest quality are created here. The leading European makers include the Italian Albini group with its Cotonificio Albini and Thomas Mason brands. In Great Britain you will find the famous company D & J Anderson, and in Switzerland, for example, Alumo.

Shirts made from the fabrics of Italian maker Cotonificio Albini are among the best the market offers. The fabrics are woven from long-staple cotton. Sometimes the yarn is dyed, other times the woven fabric itself. It depends on the effect to be achieved. Albini fabrics also play with structure and prints. By combining base dyeing, a unique print and an interesting structure with a high-quality raw material, unique fabrics for luxury shirts are created.

Originally a British brand, Thomas Mason is today part of the Italian Albini group. The fabrics draw on a rich history, when the brand tailored for the English aristocracy and the business elite. Thomas Mason fabrics have a varied structure. The collections include bold textiles from strong yarns as well as fine, featherlight fabrics. The collection features shirtings, classic denim, jersey fabrics and luxury blended materials such as cotton-cashmere for winter or light cotton-linen for summer. The patterns bear the mark of classic English style, yet they are not without a fresh new breeze.

The European king of linen and luxury cotton fabrics. The light Solbiati Zefino fabrics are made of 100% cotton and are suited above all to light summer jackets. Solbiati fabrics excel in quality and pleasant, sophisticated patterns. At present, the crêpe pattern, which is pleasant to the touch, is very widely used.

The D & J Anderson brand was founded in 1822 in Glasgow and today it too belongs to the Albini group. D & J Anderson specialises in producing fabrics from Egyptian Giza 45 cotton, one of the finest cottons in the world. D & J Anderson cotton fabrics are unique and are loved even by truly demanding customers from the British royal family.

In Switzerland too we can find several excellent producers of luxury cotton fabrics. Among them, the company Alumo stands out. It produces double-faced shirting fabrics from extra-long-staple cotton.

Cotton is simply a wonderful natural material that, in the hands of top experts, acquires unique properties. It gives fashion designers enormous creative scope, and customers enjoy the softness and fineness of top-quality luxury cotton. The Blažek brand, too, includes the finest cotton fabrics in its collections. Shirts made from Albini fabrics, light summer jackets or informal cotton trousers must not be missing. You can view these and other pieces from the current Blažek collection in the e-shop or directly in our brick-and-mortar stores, where our fashion specialists will help you with your selection.