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Cotton

High comfort    Breathable    Versatile    Natural fiber


Cotton is a natural material consisting of seed hair fiber from the cotton plant. It is one of the oldest and most cultivated fibers of all time, and today there are cotton plantations in all sunny and warm parts of the world. Cotton is the material we use in most of our shirting, but also in T-shirts, polo shirts and some knitted garments. 


The material is usable for different purposes and has many beneficial properties. High quality cotton fabrics provide fantastic comfort for the wearer and due to its durability in combination with the proper garment care, the item may easily be worn time and time again.

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Cotton craves sunlight

Cultivation of the cotton plant demands a lot of sunlight, between 175 and 225 frost-free days and plenty of water during the growing season. After about nine months the plant reaches about the height of a man. When the flowers blossom, they are cream-colored but shift to pink within a few days. Finally, they turn red and fall off. After the flower drops off, a seed pod, known as the boll, forms. The boll grows to the size of an egg. After a month the fibers reach their full length. When the boll is mature, it opens, and the fibers swell and dry.


To ensure good yield and high quality, the harvest must take place in dry, sunny weather. Two main types of machines are used to harvest cotton: the spindle picker and the stripper picker. Spindles remove the bolls from the burrs attached to the plants' stems without harming the plant. Strippers remove the entire burr and are often used when it is too windy to use the gentler method, or in fields where the plants have been defoliated by chemical defoliation or cold weather.

Treatment after harvest

The seed cotton is packed tightly in bundles weighing 220 kg - 325 kg for delivery to the gin. Here, the bundles are loosened and seed pods and other debris are separated by special machines, leaving the ginned cotton in the form of meter-wide rolls. The fibers are straightened by a carding machine, so that they are relatively parallel, and leave the machine in the form of a thin gauze or lap. This material is drawn together into a loose and relatively thick rope, a sliver, and then sent to a drawing frame.


Initially, 6-8 slivers are passed through rotating rollers. One roll rotates faster than the other, so that the cotton fibers are stretched and straightened. Material from two drawing frames is then doubled together and led to a new drawing frame for further processing. Doubling may be repeated in several steps until the fibers are straight and aligned.



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The longer the fiber, the better the quality

To attain particularly high quality and high content of long fibers, the carded cotton is combed to sort out the shorter fibers. Cotton fibers have a length (staple) of between 0.32 cm and 6.40 cm. Fibers with a longer staple are also generally thinner. Egyptian cotton is mainly used in the manufacture of Stenströms shirts and blouses. 


Egyptian cotton is considered one of the highest qualities, and the staple varies between 3,8 cm and 4,4 cm. Sea Island Cotton has the longest fibers, between 3,5 cm and 6,4 cm, and is rated as having the highest quality. Very limited amounts of this variety are grown in the West Indies.

Twofold Cotton

Cotton yarns are available in a range of qualities and thicknesses, which is of great importance for the comfort and feel of the garment. Fabrics produced from single-thread yarns in both warp and weft are called single cloth, or singles. Fabrics produced from double-twist yarns in both warp and weft are known as two fold and this is what we mainly use across our shirting.


The quality aspect is an important factor, as the use of two fold yarn results in a fine, but durable fabric, with a more silky feel on the body. At the same time, the binding implies less wrinkles and is therefore a technical construction, which in turn reduces the use of chemicals and possible non-ironing treatments in the production stage. All cotton fabrics we use are certified according to the Oeko-Tex Standard 100, which means that fabrics have been tested for any harmful substances and considered harmless.

Organic cotton

You will find organic cotton in some of our 1899 shirts and in selected women's shirts, but also in some of our polo shirts and knitted garments. Organic cotton is cultivated using production methods that sustains the health of the soil, ecosystems and is not harmful for people working in the process.


In the manufacturing steps of organic cotton fabrics, there are no added petroleum scours, formaldehyde, anti-creasing agents, chlorine bleaches, or other unauthentic materials. Instead, there are natural alternatives used such as natural spinning oils and low-impact dyes. Earth clays may be used for coloration, and natural vegetable or mineral inks and binders are used for printing on organic cotton fabric.

Cultivation of organic cotton

The journey starts with obtaining untreated, natural (non-GMO) seeds. Once the seed is secured, the land needs to be prepared and the seed sown. It takes approximately 55 to 60 days from planting until the first flower appears, and bolls appear 50 to 60 days after bloom. The growth cycle of the cotton plant lasts for approximately 5-6 months.


During the time the plants are growing, the soil fertility, water, pests and weeds need to be managed. Soil organic matter is built through crop rotation, intercropping and compost whereas the water is retained more efficiently due to the organic matter in the soil.

Harvesting of organic cotton

The farmers maintain a balance between pests and their natural predators through healthy soil and use of beneficial insects, biological and cultural practices to control the pests. They can sometimes use trap crops to lure insects away. The use of toxic chemicals and genetically modified organisms are banned. Seeds will be controlled through cultivation and physical removal of weeds.


45 days after the cotton bolls appear, they will begin to naturally split open. Once the cotton boll is fully dried and fluffed, it is ready to be harvest. The bolls are carefully hand harvested and selected. The farmers prefer to harvest by hand, so they can visually analyze the maturity of the cotton before picking it. A more mature cotton produces longer staple fibers with the greatest strength. Using innovative technology our supplier can trace the cotton back to the cotton fields by DNA tracing.

Cotton through the ages

Cotton is known to have been used in Central America as early as 5800 BC. In China and India, it was used from about 3000 BC. Arab merchants began trading cotton products in Europe around the year 800. The Vikings brought cotton to Sweden and the rest of Scandinavia. It was not until the 1400s that cotton was processed in significant amounts in southern Germany. Up until the 1600s, Augsburg led the industrial mass production of cotton fabric, after which the Flemish and English cotton industry took over.


In 1733, Englishman John Kay invented the flying shuttle. This revolutionary invention led to an imbalance between weavers and spinners, since it took ten spinners to supply a single weaver with enough yarn. The spinning jenny, invented by John Hargraves in 1764, was able to spin eight threads simultaneously. The imbalance was thereby resolved. Richard Arkwright is credited with improving the machine by using waterpower to drive it. Arkwright is often considered the world's first industrialist.

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Using only the best fabrics and trims, we craft classic and contemporary clothing that has become internationally renowned. The perfect fit and feel based on more than 125 years of sustainable  craftsmanship.

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