Sea Island cotton
Also known as: Sea Island cotton, West Indian Sea Island Cotton, WISIC
Historically the finest ELS cotton, originally grown on the Sea Islands off South Carolina, Georgia and Florida; today only in tiny amounts in the Caribbean.
Description
Sea Island Cotton is an extra-long staple variety of Gossypium barbadense that was grown between 1790 and 1920 on the Sea Islands off the coast of South Carolina, Georgia and Florida (USA). It was considered the world's finest cotton: staple length up to 65 mm, fineness 2.4–2.8 micronaire, natural silky lustre.
American production ended in 1920 due to the boll weevil and shifting climatic conditions. Small remaining volumes are cultivated today in the Caribbean under the name West Indian Sea Island Cotton (WISIC) – primarily on Barbados, Jamaica, Antigua, Nevis and small amounts on St Vincent. The West Indian Sea Island Cotton Association (WISICA) has granted the origin mark since 1994.
The fibre is so scarce and expensive that it is used chiefly in luxury shirts by Japanese and British houses and in high-end sewing thread. Annual world output: around 100 tonnes – a tiny fraction of one percent of world cotton production.
Properties
| Species | Gossypium barbadense (ELS) |
|---|---|
| Staple length | up to 65 mm |
| Fineness | 2.4-2.8 micronaire |
| Historic origin | Sea Islands USA 1790-1920 |
| Today | Barbados, Jamaica, Antigua, Nevis |
| Origin mark | WISICA since 1994 |
| World output | ca. 100 t/year |
Related product categories
Sources & references
1- Wikipedia: Sea Island cotton Wikipedia — Freie Enzyklopädie https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sea_Island_cotton
