Pima cotton costs more for four reasons that compound: the fiber is scarce, combing discards part of what is bought, fine yarn spins slowly, and every stage favors quality over yield.

How scarce is extra-long staple cotton?

Extra-long staple cotton is a small share of the world crop. Peruvian Pima specifically runs to roughly 15,000 bales against a global cotton harvest of about 116 million bales. (Source: USDA Economic Research Service, August 2025)

Scarcity here is agronomic rather than artificial. ELS cotton needs a long growing season, a specific climate and more careful handling, so it cannot simply be planted in more places.

What does combing cost?

Combing is the step that removes the shortest fibers before spinning, and it removes real weight. A meaningful share of the raw material is taken out and sold as a lower-grade byproduct.

That discarded weight is paid for and not sold as finished fabric. It is one of the clearest single reasons a combed Pima tee costs more than a carded one.

Why does fine yarn cost more to spin?

Finer yarn is spun more slowly. A spinning frame producing a high-count Pima yarn runs at lower throughput than one producing a coarse yarn, so the same machine hour yields less. Breakage is also less tolerated, which slows the line further.

Does a higher price guarantee better cotton?

No, and this is worth saying plainly. Price signals positioning as often as it signals material. A premium name does not create a premium garment: the fiber must be combed, spun consistently, knitted at the right density, finished carefully and constructed to hold its shape.

What you can ask any brand is who made the fabric and whether they will name them. That question is harder to answer with marketing.

What you are paying for

Fiber and process. Not a label, and not a category. A Pima garment made carelessly is an expensive ordinary T-shirt. What is Pima cotton?