Special Cotton, a luxurious extra-long staple (ELS) cotton variety, is classified among the finest of fabrics owing to its fibre length, uniformity, color, and a range of other determinants of quality.



Interestingly, its cultivation was first advocated by a Frenchman - Louis Alexis Jumel - who discovered a languishing cotton plant in a Cairo garden in the 1850's. His confidence in Egypt's climate convinced the country's then-monarch Muhammad Ali Pasha to plant quality cotton in the alluvial Nile Delta.

The chaos of the American Civil War drove desperate European mill-owners to buy Egyptian Cotton as they scrambled to keep their Lancashire mills turning. Prices rose across the worldwide market and the reputation of Egyptian Cotton as a global luxury fabric was secured. Today, Egyptian Cotton is treasured the world over for its fine texture, breathability and strength.