Tag Archives for Pima cotton

New Pima Polo for Petite Package Pushers

Queensboro has a new polo, and it is particularly precious.  Our Women’s Fine Pima Jersey Polo ( style 1456), is a slim-cut women’s polo, similar to our Men’s Fine Pima Jersey Polo (Style 1450).  The ladies polo has a ribbed collar, while the men’s version has a self-fabric collar-that is one major difference.

Overall, because the collar of the Women’s Fine Pima Jersey Polo has a button placket, rather than a v-neck johnny collar (like our other popular women’s polo, the Women’s Two-Ply Pima Jersey Polo, style 1446), this new polo makes it possible to provide men and women working at the same company with a very nearly identical look.

Below, are the collars of the Women’s Two-Ply Pima Jersey Polo (Burgundy shirt) and the Women’s Fine Pima Jersey Polo (Black shirt), for comparison.

[PLEASE NOTE REGARDING THE COLORS: The burgundy is a true burgundy, and black is black, but Kate's camera and lighting leaves something to be desired. The pictures are for size and style comparison, more than color comparison!]

One thing to note, if you are a frequent buyer of our style 1446, the Women’s Two-Ply Pima Jersey Polo, is that our new polo, the style 1456 Women’s Fine Pima Jersey Polo, is cut much slimmer.  Below, is a photo of two smalls from each type, for size comparison.  The new shirt (black) is much smaller and fitted.

The neck and bottom vent taping on the black shirt are light blue, but Kate’s camera isn’t the best, so the taping looks white.  The blue taping on the black shirt is quite stylish, if the shirt is worn un-tucked.

Shirt Jargon

This post does contain a fair amount of shirt jargon.  I guess the “proof is in the picture.”  I wanted to take some pictures, even though I’m an un-sophisticated photographer, to let you compare them side-by-side.  If you’re interested in wearing either shirt, here are links to them on the Queensboro website.  They’re both super-comfortable; you’ll love either one. I promise!

Women’s Fine Pima Jersey Polo, Style 1456  (new shirt, black in picture above)

Women’s Two-Ply Pima Jersey Polo, Style 1446  ( burgundy in picture above)

Polo Price Drop!

Within the pages of J.R.R. Tolkien’s massive Lord of the Rings trilogy you’ll discover a sage piece of advice that Bilbo Baggins gives to his nephew Frodo.

“It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don’t keep your feet, there’s no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Almost all adventures begin with small, simple steps that lead to surprising places. We’ve recently experienced that phenomena here at Queensboro.

Like most businesses in America, we’ve had to take some extraordinary steps in the past year or so. We’ve renegotiated contracts with some of our vendors, sought out ways to work smarter, brought in new suppliers and manufacturing facilities who could perform quality work at reasonable prices, and made dozens of other moves to keep our costs and prices low without compromising the quality you deserve.

It’s been an ongoing process with a lot of twists and turns and several stretches of bumpy road. Although we have encountered no orcs or elves on our extensive journey, we have arrived at some interesting locations, so far.

Classic Piece-Better Price

For instance, I recently discovered that we could lower the regular price of our signature shirt to $19.95.

This marks a somewhat historic day for Queensboro. Those of you who have been with us for awhile may remember the days when our Classic Two-Ply Pima Pique Polo sold for $29.95. In recent years, we’ve been able to maintain the stunning quality of this shirt and sell it for a regular price of $24.95.

With its new regular price of $19.95, this just might be the best regular value in the logo apparel industry. While others sell their single-ply regular cotton polos for $40 or $50 with a designer logo, our classic is still knit from premium twisted two-ply 100% Pima yarn for softness, strength, and a superior drape. It is still double-needle stitched for shape retention and durability.

It remains the direct descendant of the shirt that I sold from my dorm room three decades ago. My love for that shirt caused me to launch Queensboro in 1982 and, even today, it remains the heart and soul of our product line.

So, if you haven’t given this classic polo a try, now’s a great time to get one with your very own logo.

Have a great week everyone!

Best Wishes,

Pumas in Pima

Pumas roam the Santa Catalina Mountains in Pima County, Arizona. Some scientists report that pumas have lived in this area for more than 100,000 years.

At the risk of twisting your tongue, I guess it could be said that the population of pumas in Pima predates the population of Pima by people.

Just so you know – I’ve got a soft spot for Pima County, Arizona.

Back in the early years of the 20th century, the USDA, several universities, and the Pima Indian tribe combined forces in this area to help develop one of the world’s softest, strongest, and silkiest cottons. Since that time, Pima cotton has undergone continuous improvement.

This premium cotton is now grown in several sections of the world. Despite that fact, it still accounts for less than three percent of the total worldwide cotton harvest.

Two-Ply Pima Jersey Classic Polo

Pima demands a longer growing season and extra care, both before and after harvesting. As a result, Pima is generally more expensive than shorter-staple cottons. Once you’ve experienced the pleasurable sensation of the superior fabric made from this premium fiber, I’m sure you’ll agree it’s worth the extra effort.

Our line of Pima Jersey Polos is made from the highest-grade two-ply Pima cotton yarn. You’ll feel the difference the moment you take them out of the box.

You’ll be even more amazed once you’ve owned these polos for a few months. That’s when you’ll begin to notice that these exceptionally soft polos become more comfortable with every washing. You’ll have a long time to appreciate that sensation.

We designed this special line of shirts to stand up to your most strenuous working conditions for years and still retain their classic good looks. You’ll be proudly displaying your logo on these comfy polos for years to come!

Best Wishes,

Fred Meyers

All About Cotton


Here at Queensboro, we sell lots of fine cotton shirts. I’ve been a big fan of cotton ever since I got into this business more than a quarter of a century ago.

I’m willing to grant that there have been a lot of great advances in fabric technology since 1982, and I’m proud to say that we also carry a fine selection of shirts that utilize these technological breakthroughs. When I don my 100% Pima cotton turban and gaze into my handy desktop crystal ball, though, I still see us selling fine cotton shirts far into the future.

Why?

100% Cotton Fabric Facts

100% Cotton Fabric Facts

Cotton—the Natural Performance Fiber

Cotton has a natural comfort that is hard to duplicate. For our shirts, the ends of cotton fibers are spun very tightly into the yarn, so that the fabric doesn’t irritate the skin or cause static electricity. Unlike some fibers, cotton is hypoallergenic. It won’t irritate sensitive skin or aggravate allergies.

The natural structure of cotton fiber creates a fabric that breathes easily to help keep you cool. Cotton can take up to one-fifth of its weight in water before it actually feels damp. Cotton absorbs body moisture and evaporates it to the surrounding air, thus allowing your body its natural tendency to breathe–keeping you cool in summer and dry and warm in winter.

The high tensile strength of natural cotton provides exceptional durability to the fabrics we use in our cotton shirts. Since cotton is 30% stronger when wet, it will withstand repeated washings in the hottest water and is free of static electricity, which causes fabrics to cling and soil easily. Cotton fibers also accept the fastest dyes, providing you with vibrant, colorfast yarns.

With all these benefits, cotton just makes sense. Of course, when you use a premium cotton, the benefits multiply even more.

Comfortable, Affordable Luxury from Pima Cotton

Two-Ply Pima Jersey Classic Polo

Two-Ply Pima Jersey Classic Polo

Extra-long-staple Pima cotton is one of the world’s premier cottons. It has fibers that are longer, stronger, and smoother than regular cotton. Fabrics made from 100% Pima cotton are valued for their long-lasting softness and silky touch. Because of this, shirts made from premium Pima usually carry a premium price tag. Queensboro’s online catalog offers a variety of comfortable pima cotton shirts in a range of affordable prices. Two of Queensboro’s best selling Polos, the Two-Ply Pima Jersey Classic Polo (Men’s style 1430 and Women’s style 1436), and the Two-Ply Fine Pima Jersey Polo (Style 1490) are made from soft pima cotton, are always budget-friendly and they come with your personal, embroidered logo.

Best Wishes,

Fred Meyers, President and Founder

What is Pima Cotton?

Pima cotton is a species of cotton, Gossypium barbadense, also called ELS, for Extra Long Staple. All cotton plants produce fibers, called staples, which grow around the cotton seeds, in the fruit of the cotton plant. (More about cotton botany in another post!) Gossypium barbadense is the wild species that has been domesticated as “Pima” cotton, a process that has occurred over the past 125 years, or so. The name “Pima” comes from the Pima Indians, who helped grow and develop the cotton varieties on a USDA research farm in Arizona.

Pima cotton differs from Upland Cotton, Gossypium hirsutum, in several ways. Pima cotton staples are at least 1 3/8 inches long and are stronger and smoother when spun and knit into fabric. The Pima cotton plant also has a distinctive bright yellow flower. (G. hirsutum has a creamy yellow flower.) Growing, harvesting, spinning and finishing Pima Cotton is more labor intensive than Upland Cotton, and thus the price of items made with Pima Cotton are usually reflective of the production costs. Queensboro is fortunate to make and sell some of the most affordable 100% Pima Cotton polo shirts available. Visit the Queensboro website to find these and other great products.