Different types of cotton and their prices: understanding what you’re buying
On a label, ‘100 per cent cotton’ can refer to a T-shirt costing ten francs just as easily as a shirt costing three hundred. On paper, the fibre is the same, but its length, how it’s harvested and how it’s spun make all the difference: softness, colour fastness, resistance to pilling and longevity. Here’s what you need to know to make sense of it all, and to understand why a beautiful cotton garment retains its value on the second-hand market.
What makes cotton high-quality
It all comes down to the length of the fibre. The longer it is, the fewer twists are needed to spin it, and the smoother, stronger and softer the yarn is. We talk about short fibres (such as standard upland cotton), long fibres and extra-long fibres. Added to this are the combing process, which removes short fibres and impurities, and the number of threads per centimetre for woven fabrics.
The main types of cotton
Coton upland standard
Around 90 per cent of global production. Short fibres, low price, drier feel, prone to pilling and losing shape after a few washes. This is the cotton used in mass-market T-shirts.
Combed cotton
The same cotton, but with the short fibres removed. The result: a smoother surface, less pilling and better durability over time, for only a modest extra cost. Excellent value for money.
Organic cotton
Grown without pesticides or synthetic fertilisers, and often GOTS-certified. The fibre quality is not necessarily superior, but the cultivation and dyeing processes are more strictly regulated. Expect to pay 20 to 50 per cent more than for an equivalent conventional cotton product.
Recycled cotton
It comes either from fabric offcuts from garment factories or from end-of-life garments that have been unravelled and then re-spun. The environmental benefits are real: a new cotton T-shirt requires several thousand litres of water, whereas a recycled one saves almost all of that water, with no need for new crops or dyeing when the fibres are sorted by colour.
There is a technical limitation: the unravelling process breaks the fibres and shortens them. Pure recycled cotton would therefore be fragile, which is why it is almost always blended – usually with 20 to 50 per cent recycled content mixed with virgin cotton or recycled polyester. The feel is slightly more rustic, sometimes with tiny specks of colour visible in the weft, which is precisely what gives it its charm. Look for GRS (Global Recycled Standard) or RCS certifications on the label, and a specific percentage figure: without these, the claim is merely a marketing ploy.
In terms of price, a garment made from recycled cotton generally costs about the same as a good-quality organic cotton item – between CHF 30 and 70 for a T-shirt. And it’s worth remembering that second-hand clothing remains the most sustainable option of all, as it extends the life of an existing garment without using a single new fibre.
Pima and Supima
Extra-long-staple cotton. The Supima label guarantees that the Pima cotton is grown in the United States, accounting for less than 1 per cent of global production. Silky feel, colourfast, very little pilling.
Egyptian cotton
The historic benchmark for luxury, also featuring extra-long fibres. Please note: this term is often misused. Genuine Egyptian cotton is usually certified and clearly labelled as such.
Coton Sea Island
The rarest and most expensive in the world, produced in very small quantities in the Caribbean. Reserved for the very high-end shirting and knitwear sectors.
Heavy cotton: the hallmark of luxury and streetwear
In recent years, heavyweight cotton has become an instantly recognisable mark of quality, both in the luxury sector and in high-end streetwear. Here, it is no longer the fineness of the fibre that counts, but the weight per square metre: the weight of the fabric per square metre.
For a T-shirt, the weight ranges from 140–160 g/m² for entry-level styles to 220–280 g/m² for so-called ‘heavyweight’ styles, and sometimes even more. A heavyweight sweatshirt starts at around 400 g/m² and can exceed 500 g/m². You can feel the difference to the touch: the garment has body, it hangs straight without clinging, it doesn’t show through the skin, and it retains its shape at the shoulders and collar even after dozens of washes.
Two techniques feature frequently in these garments. The loopwheel, a slow circular knitting process carried out on vintage machines – mostly Japanese – which produces a very dense, tension-free jersey: this is the gold standard for heavyweight sweatshirts. And garment dyeing, a post-manufacture dyeing process that gives the fabric that highly sought-after, slightly uneven patina.
In terms of key brands, these heavyweight cottons can be found at luxury houses and designer labels such as Loro Piana, Brunello Cucinelli, Bottega Veneta, AMI Paris, Lemaire and Jil Sander, and in the premium streetwear sector at Loopwheeler, Warehouse, The Real McCoy’s, Camber, Los Angeles Apparel, Carhartt WIP and Stone Island.
AMI Paris is a good example of this fusion of the two worlds: heavy cotton sweatshirts and T-shirts with a clean cut, a discreet embroidered logo rather than a printed one, and a dense knit that retains its shape. It’s typically a brand you often come across second-hand in very good condition, precisely because the fabric holds up so well.
When buying new, expect to pay around CHF 60 to 120 for a good heavyweight T-shirt, CHF 150 to 300 for a heavy Japanese sweatshirt, CHF 200 to 450 for an AMI Paris sweatshirt, and often CHF 400 to 900 for a piece from a major luxury brand. This is typically the sort of garment where buying second-hand makes the biggest difference, as heavyweight cotton ages remarkably well.
How to tell without a weight label: lift the garment – it should feel surprisingly heavy for its size. Hold it up to the light – heavy cotton is opaque. Check the collar, which is often lined with thick ribbing, and the shoulder seams, which are usually reinforced with tape.
Water-repellent cotton: when rain rolls off the fibre
We often forget it, but cotton can withstand the rain perfectly well without any synthetic membrane. The secret lies in an extremely tight weave of fine, long fibres: when they come into contact with water, the fibres swell slightly, closing the gaps and forming a natural barrier, whilst still allowing the garment to breathe. This is the speciality of the leading fashion houses.
Burberry gabardine is the most famous example of this. Invented by Thomas Burberry in 1879, the yarn is treated before weaving rather than the fabric afterwards, resulting in a dense, lightweight, breathable and water-repellent twill. It is the traditional fabric used for the trench coat.
The Ventile, developed in England during the Second World War, is made from extra-long-staple cotton woven so tightly that it becomes virtually waterproof when wet. It can be found at Ten C, Nigel Cabourn and Private White V.C.
Waxed cotton, on the other hand, is impregnated with wax: this is Barbour’s signature feature, with its distinctive smell and patina. It needs to be re-waxed every one to two years to remain effective.
After all, Aquascutum, Mackintosh (with its rubberised cotton) and Loro Piana, with its ‘Storm System’, each offer their own version of rain-resistant cotton.
What you should know before buying second-hand: all these treatments are water-repellent, not waterproof in the strict sense. During a prolonged downpour, water will eventually seep through. The water-repellent properties also diminish over time and with repeated washing, but they can easily be restored – by gently ironing or using a product suitable for gabardine, or by re-coating waxed cotton. When new, a gabardine trench coat from a designer brand often costs between CHF 1,500 and 2,500, whilst a waxed cotton jacket costs between CHF 300 and 600: these are all items that are well worth buying second-hand.
What about the weaves?
The type of cotton isn’t the whole story; the weave is just as important. Poplin is fine, smooth and slightly glossy, perfect for a smart shirt. Oxford fabric is thicker, with a visible texture; it’s sturdy and casual. Twill has a diagonal weave, hangs well and is crease-resistant. Jersey is knitted – it’s the fabric used for T-shirts – where the weight (from 140 to 240 g/m²) makes all the difference to the fit.
Price lists for new items
These price ranges vary considerably depending on the brand, the country of manufacture and the profit margin. A high price does not guarantee high-quality fibre, but high-quality fibre never comes cheap.
How to recognise good-quality cotton yourself
Hold the fabric up to the light: long-staple cotton is smooth and has a slight sheen, with no fine fuzz. Stretch the fabric; it should spring back into shape without leaving any creases. Crumple it in your hand; good-quality cotton will quickly regain its shape. Finally, check the weight: a T-shirt that looks see-through and is as light as a feather will not hold up well over time.
Caring for cotton properly
Cotton does not cope well with heat: wash at 30 °C, avoid the tumble dryer – which causes shrinkage and wears out the fibres – and lay heavy knits flat to dry so that they do not stretch out. Turn printed or dark garments inside out before washing, use washing powder sparingly and avoid fabric softener, which clogs the fibres and makes them lose their softness. Cotton that is looked after properly will easily last ten years.
And when is the T-shirt really finished?
Cotton that is too worn to be worn or resold is not waste – it’s a raw material. Before you throw it away, take a look at these options, from the simplest to the most creative.
Repair or transform. A stretched-out collar can be mended, a stain can be concealed with a plant-based dye, and a hole can be hidden behind a visible Japanese-style patch (sashiko), which is very much in fashion. A T-shirt that’s seen better days can also be turned into a vest top, a tote bag, a cushion or a headband.
Turn them into cleaning cloths. That’s the most obvious and effective use for them. Cotton jersey is highly absorbent, doesn’t shed fibres and won’t scratch surfaces: perfect for washing up, cleaning windows, dusting, cleaning shoes or polishing leather. Cut them into squares of about 25 cm, remove any thick seams and the collar, then machine-wash them so you can reuse them for years to come. A size M T-shirt makes about six to eight cloths.
Making ‘trapilho’. By cutting the body of a T-shirt into a long, continuous spiral strip, you end up with a jersey yarn that coils round on itself. It can be knitted or crocheted using a large crochet hook to make rugs, baskets or bag handles.
Textile recycling. In Switzerland, Texaid and Contex collection bins also accept damaged textiles, provided they are clean and dry: they are shredded and turned into insulation, padding or industrial rags. Remember to mark the bag as ‘not for carrying’. Some municipal waste collection centres in Geneva also have a dedicated textile bin.
In the garden and around the house. 100% natural, undyed cotton can be cut into small pieces and composted, used as twine for staking plants, as mulch, or even as washable make-up remover wipes.
The one thing to avoid: the ordinary bin. Natural cotton still has many lives ahead of it, and that is precisely the philosophy that drives us every day.
Why it’s worth buying second-hand
Exceptional cotton has already proven its worth: the fact that it still looks good after several years is precisely what demonstrates its quality. Cotton often improves with washing, becoming even softer. This is where second-hand items offer a real advantage: you can get your hands on a high-quality fabric for the price of a standard new item.
At VestiaireFMR, every item is checked and described in detail, complete with its composition and measurements, so that you know exactly what you’re buying.