I recently went on a shopping trip with a male friend of mine. For some reason men think that because I am a woman I have some innate sense of what it is they should be buying for themselves, as if I have been dressing as a man all my life. They are always asking me to go shopping with them. When they ask, I always warn them that I don’t really do menswear, but say I’ll be happy go join them if it makes them feel more comfortable. I imagine that being seen with a woman while clothing shopping makes men feel a little more masculine about the whole endeavor, but that’s just speculation. Anyway, during this particular shopping trip my retail partner stated that he desperately needed underwear. I don’t really do menswear in the panty department either, but I acquiesced and we hit up the intimate apparel section. As we stared at a wall of tiny boxes, faceless bare torso after faceless bare torso stared back at us, all perfectly sculpted and beckoning ‘come hither’ from behind an array of tightie whities, the subtle differences in which I could hardly decipher. Body Trunk, Body Hip Brief, Body Regular Brief, Pro-Stretch Trunk, Pima Cotton Brief, Steel Low Rise Micro Trunk, Steel Cotton Boxer Brief, Flexible Fit Trunk, Ribbed Flexible Fit Trunk, Knit Slim Fit Boxer, Seamless Boxer Brief… my mind reeled, it was surprisingly overwhelming. My friend then turned to me and said “Well?” I perused the boxes, then took a stab. “Pima Cotton is nice.” It seemed like the only advice I was qualified to give. He went for it, got the Pima Briefs, and we continued on our journey.

The next day he called me up and enthusiastically insisted that we go find more of the amazing Pima underwear that he was presently sporting. “Pima. Pima Pima Pima.” He was chanting it the entire second shopping excursion like some strange textile mantra. I’m not even making this up. “Pima Pima Pima Pima Pima Pima Pima Pima.” All. Day. Long.

So it got me thinking about Pima Cotton and what the difference is between it and other cottons. I know that it’s soft, but why is that so? Apparently Pima Cotton comes from the Gossypium barbadense plant which was first domesticated in Peru (just like our friend the Alpaca) as far back as 4200 BC. The plant was later brought to western civilization by Columbus, then taken to be grown in Egypt (yup, it’s Egyptian Cotton) and eventually brought to Pima County Arizona (named after the Native American tribe) where it was cultivated into the cotton we know and love today. The reason fabrics made from Pima Cotton are so soft is because it’s unusually long and silky fibers allow it to yield a higher thread count than other cottons. Anyone who’s ever owned 600+ thread count sheets knows that thread count totally makes a difference. Besides luxurious softness and density, high thread count also means that the fabric is much more absorbent and up to 50% more durable than other cotton fabrics. Softer, more absorbent, more durable. Pima pretty much out cottons cotton.

So there it is. It turns out “Pima” isn’t just some hype-word used as a selling strategy like I’m certain “Chipotle” is. It actually makes a difference. My friend now refuses to buy anything cotton unless it’s Pima Cotton, and while I think that perhaps his stance is a bit extreme, I certainly look for Pima when I can, especially when it comes to basics. I mean, of course I’m not going to pass on an adorable Trenchette or a must have Pinstripe Dress just because the cotton might not be Pima, but in a sea of plain cotton bras and panties and tightie whities, why not go for the best there is?