Guide · Premium Cotton
Pima vs Supima Cotton
Both are premium long-staple cottons. Only one carries a legal guarantee. Here's the difference — and why it matters when you're buying a t-shirt you plan to wear for years.
What is Pima cotton?
Pima is a family of extra-long-staple (ELS) cotton, grown mainly in the US, Peru and Australia. Its fibres are around 34–40 mm long — roughly 50% longer than the short-staple upland cotton in most commodity t-shirts. Longer fibres mean fewer joins in the yarn, which means less pilling, softer hand-feel, and stronger fabric.
What is Supima cotton?
Supima ("SUperior PIMA") is a trademarked, quality-controlled subset of Pima. It's grown exclusively in the United States, tracked from farm to finished product, and licensed by the Supima Association. Every Supima garment is verifiably American ELS Pima — no blends, no substitutes.
Side by side
| Pima | Supima | |
|---|---|---|
| Origin | US, Peru, Australia, India | USA only |
| Fibre length | ~34–40 mm | ~34–40 mm |
| Certification | None required | Trademarked & tracked |
| Durability | High | Verified high |
| Softness | Very soft | Very soft |
| Price | $$ | $$$ |
Which should you buy?
If a brand says "Pima", ask where it's from and how it's verified — the name alone isn't a guarantee. If it says "Supima", you know exactly what you're getting. For everyday essentials that need to survive years of washes, both are a significant upgrade over standard cotton. Supima costs more because the traceability costs more.
The Bruno approach
Bruno builds essentials around premium long-staple cotton — the same fibre family — because a t-shirt you wear every day deserves fabric that keeps its shape, stays soft, and lasts.