The history of Sea Island cotton
Sea Island is the rarest and finest cotton in the world, used to make the softest and most luxurious fabrics. Here's its story...

SEA ISLAND - THE RARE COTTON WE ALMOST LOST
Sea Island cotton was developed around 1700 and was a common cotton variety until the early 20th century, when a widespread weevil infestation in the Caribbean and the USA almost wiped it out.
Despite this disaster, determined efforts by cotton specialists prevented the complete demise of Sea Island cotton; the surviving seeds were saved and carefully cultivated, so that this rare and valuable cotton was preserved for future generations.
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Not all cotton is created equal: In addition to the conventional varieties, there is also Sea Island cotton. It is the star of our new men's fashion collection and is one of our absolute favorite materials. We investigate why this luxurious type of cotton, which was discovered in the West Indies in the 18th century, is now one of the finest and rarest fabrics in the world.

FIBERS WITH OUTSTANDING PROPERTIES
Sea Island cotton or "Gossypium barbadense" has unique properties that set it apart from all other types of cotton. It offers a particularly long and incredibly fine staple fiber of 36/37 mm with a micronaire value of 3.1 to 3.4. This indicates the air permeability of the cotton fibers under pressure. In addition, it has a high color brightness with a reflection level of 73. All of these special features ensure that Sea Island cotton is much more robust, softer and more luxurious.
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WHERE IS SEA ISLAND COTTON GROWN TODAY?
Sea Island cotton still relies on specialists: it is grown and hand-picked by a few dedicated experts on small islands in the Caribbean, including Antigua, Barbados and Jamaica, which have the optimal mix of sunshine, rain and humidity. Once the annual crop is picked and baled, it is sent to the few experienced spinners around the world who have the skills required to weave the material. It will always be a rare commodity, but its future is assured.
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Only 150 bales of this exclusive fibre are produced each year, 70 of which are produced in Barbados. Compared to the 110 million bales of cotton produced worldwide, this is only a tiny fraction.
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SEA ISLAND COTTON - THE RIGHT CONNECTIONSSea Island cotton has long been associated with the finest quality clothing, its popularity secured by the British aristocracy and royalty. Queen Victoria favoured Sea Island cotton handkerchiefs, setting the standard for delicate noses; their preference, the cost of cotton and the difficulty of growing it have contributed to its exclusivity and appeal.
When Colin Tennant (3rd Baron Glenconner) bought the Caribbean island of Mustique – now a luxury holiday destination for those who value privacy – for £45,000 in 1958, he also bought the then-struggling Sea Island cotton plantation. Tennant was determined to make Mustique a household name, and so his first priority was to put the cotton plantation on a secure footing. In her memoirs (Lady in Waiting), his widow Anne Glenconner writes that her husband was very proud of the estate's high-quality, "very soft, like silk" cotton. At home on Mustique, Tennant usually wore a pajama-style suit made from his own Sea Island cotton.
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JAMES BOND, IAN FLEMING AND THE ALLURE OF SEA ISLAND COTTON
Of all the lovers of Sea Island cotton, James Bond is probably the most famous. Its creator, writer and former naval officer Ian Fleming, bought GoldenEye, a house and estate in Jamaica, one of the Caribbean islands most associated with cotton, in 1946. It remained his tropical home for thirty years, where he wrote all fourteen James Bond novels. It's no wonder that Fleming, who liked to wear Sea Island cotton, especially when he was in GoldenEye, made his favorite cotton clothing Bond's choice as well.