Editorial Standards

This page explains how we decide what to publish about cotton, fabric and our own supply chain. We wrote it because the category is full of claims that cannot be checked, and we would rather be checkable than impressive.

Three kinds of statement

Everything we publish falls into one of three categories, and we keep them separate.

Industry data. Figures that describe cotton generally — staple length ranges, production volumes. These come with a named source and a date. They describe the material, not our specific lots.

Supply chain fact. Statements about our own fabric, supported by a document we hold: mill invoices, shipping records, the fabric affidavit under the United States–Peru trade agreement.

What we have not measured. We say so rather than leaving a gap for the reader to fill. We have not run laboratory testing on our fabric for shrinkage, pilling or weight, so we publish no numbers for them.

What we will not claim

We do not describe our garments as hypoallergenic, as we hold no testing that would support it. We do not state that our cotton is hand-picked, because we cannot document the harvest method of our lots. We do not claim colorfastness without the corresponding test. We do not describe our fiber as the finest in the world; that is a preference, not a measurement.

We do not make comparative claims about other brands' materials.

Certifications

Where we name a certification, it belongs to our mill and we say so. We do not present a supplier's certification as our own.

Corrections

If we publish something inaccurate, we change it and note what changed. Write to help@boablanca.com if you find an error, including in the figures we cite.

Why this page exists

A brand that only says good things about its own material is not a source. It is an advertisement. The distinction costs us some superlatives and buys something we think is worth more. Where our fabric comes from