Product Description
The cotton American flag is the traditional flag: the fabric the Stars and Stripes were made from for most of the nation’s history. Ours is sewn from 100% cotton bunting with embroidered stars and sewn stripes, finished with a white poly/cotton duck heading and heavy-duty brass grommets, and made in the USA.
Cotton has a matte, natural look and a weight that hangs beautifully, which is why it is the choice for ceremonies, historic sites, and indoor display. It is not the best choice for a pole that flies a flag every day in all weather, since cotton absorbs water and takes longer to dry than nylon. For daily outdoor use in wind and rain, see our nylon American flag or polyester American flag. Seven sizes are available, from 2 FT x 3 FT to 6 FT x 10 FT.
Cotton American Flag Features
- 100% cotton bunting – the classic flag fabric, with the soft finish and rich color that nylon and polyester do not quite match.
- Embroidered stars, sewn stripes – 50 embroidered white stars on a blue field and 13 individually sewn stripes.
- Heavy-duty brass grommets – two #2 brass grommets set in a white poly/cotton duck heading, top and bottom, that will not rust.
- Ceremonial weight – cotton hangs with a fullness that reads well indoors and in photographs.
- Seven sizes – 2 FT x 3 FT through 6 FT x 10 FT, including the 5 FT x 9.5 FT burial flag size.
- Made in the USA – sewn in the United States.
Historical Background
Cotton and wool bunting were the flag fabrics of the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. The flags that flew over Fort McHenry in 1814 and the flags carried through the Civil War were wool or cotton, hand sewn by flag makers who cut every star by hand. Cotton stayed the standard flag fabric through the Second World War, and a cotton American flag still looks the way most people picture the flag of that era. The United States Flag Code, adopted in 1942, set down the customs for displaying it that we still follow.
Synthetic fabrics took over outdoor poles after the war because they shed water and resist fading. Cotton kept its place for ceremonies, parades, historic reenactments, and presentation flags, where its look and feel matter more than weather resistance.
Symbolism at a Glance
- Thirteen stripes: the original colonies.
- Fifty stars: the states of the Union.
- Red, white, and blue: hardiness and valor, purity and innocence, vigilance and justice.
