ORGANIC PIMA COTTON

Pima cotton, along with Egyptian cotton, is considered one of the world’s best cottons. The cotton belongs to a small group of extra long staple cotton (ESL). Its staples are long, silky and wears well. Cotton staples belonging to ESL must be at least 3,81 cm. Pima cotton grows mainly in Peru, the US and Australia. There is also very limited production in some other countries.

The best cotton demands perfect growing conditions. The Sleepy Collection has chosen Pima Cotton that grows along the northern coastlines in Peru. There, the rich soil absorbs just the right amount of moisture for cultivating cotton and the plants get all the sunlight they need to grow. The ideal location and manual harvesting method is part of the reason why Pima Cotton is praised by experts for its softness and silky lustre. The cotton is also durable and does not form burls easily, which means that it lasts longer. Most cottons are machine harvested, but the Pima cotton from Peru is harvested manually. Machine harvesting creates more pollution, and the cotton staples are often thorn and get a yellowish hue. Manual harvesting is more sustainable, both during cultivation and dyeing.

The dyeing method that our producer in Peru uses is also organic and certified by Oeko-Tex 100.

Less than 1 % of all cotton cultivated around the world is organically grown. To cultivate organically means that you use biological pesticides, manual weed control methods and organic fertilizers. Farmers that cultivate organically support the natural cycle by using natures resources as much as possible. Thereby they minimize damage to our environment.

Organic cultivation demands greater effort and may give lower returns, but more and more farmers find that it is worthwhile since costs for chemicals are lower and the products fetch a higher price. Therefore both clothing companies and consumers pay more for ecological products.

GOTS CERTIFIED COTTON

All cotton used in The Sleepy Collection products are GOTS Certified.  That means that the supplier in Peru abides by the rules set up by GOTS, from cotton plant to finished product.

Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS) is an international certificate for clothes and textiles, that includes both social and environmental demands. GOTS was created in order to make it easier for consumers to choose textiles fabricated with both the environment and a social perspective in mind throughout the whole production chain. The production chain includes several different steps: cultivation, harvesting, preparation and manufacturing. You can read more about GOTS here.