Sea Island cotton
The exceptionally fine, long-staple types of cotton grown in the West Indies
see cotton
Textile Resource (http://www.textile.org.uk)
Finest of all cotton, very white and silk-like with staple of 1.5″ or better. Before the American Civil War, this type of cotton was raised on the islands of the Carolinas and Georgia. No longer raised in the United States today, it is raised in Mexico and Central America and goes into fine, expensive dress goods and men’s shirtings.
Textile Links (http://www.textilelinks.com)