FALA The Natural Fabric Index

Egyptian fashion

Egyptian clothing and textiles

A guide to Egyptian dress and cloth

Five thousand years in two fibres. Linen, from which Egypt made clothes earlier than anyone else, and cotton, which carries its name around the world today.

Timeline

  1. c. 5000 BCNeolithic linen from the Fayum, about 12 × 9 threads per cm.
  2. 3482–3102 BCThe Tarkhan Dress – the oldest known woven garment.
  3. c. 1950 BCModel weaving workshop from the tomb of Meketre: horizontal looms.
  4. c. 1491–1473 BC“Royal linen” with a density of 46 × 30 threads per cm.
  5. c. 1425 BCAn upright loom depicted in the tomb of Thutnofer.
  6. from the 3rd century ADLinen decorated with tapestry-woven bands of coloured wool.
  7. 1821Fine long-staple cotton is first grown.
  8. 1861–1865The American Civil War; Egyptian cotton exports soar.
  9. 1927Misr Spinning and Weaving is founded in El-Mahalla El-Kubra.
  10. 2000 / 2005The Egyptian Cotton™ trademark; an association to manage it.

The natural fibres of Egypt

Pharaonic Egypt was a land of linen. Almost all the pharaonic textiles described in the museum collections we draw on are linen – from Neolithic fragments to royal linen. Cotton spread widely in Egypt only much later. Today’s Egyptian textiles rest on cotton of the species Gossypium barbadense, whose extra-long staple allows an exceptionally fine yarn to be spun.

Almost all ancient Egyptian linen is woven in plain weave – the same weave in which percale is woven today.

Plain weave: interlacing diagram of the warp (vertical threads) and weft (horizontal threads) Weave draft: a filled square means warp on top, an empty one weft on top
Plain weave 1/1 alternation Each weft thread passes alternately over and under one warp thread; the next row does the opposite. The most interlacing points of any weave, so the cloth is firm and matt. warp on top weft on top (weave draft on the right)

Fabric passport

Fabric Passport No. FALA-01

Egyptian cotton

Gossypium barbadense

Origin
Egypt, mainly the Nile Delta
Fibre
Long-staple and extra-long-staple cotton (Giza varieties)
Type
natural plant fibre
Feel
Smooth and fine, with a subtle lustre when spun into a fine yarn
Breathability
High – the cellulose fibre absorbs moisture and breathes well
Durability
High – long fibres make a yarn that is both fine and strong
Best for
Bed linen, shirts, towels
Care
Usually machine washable; depends on the weave, finish and dye – follow the label

Relative tendencies how we rate

Softness
Breathability
Warmth
Drying speed
Durability
Easy care
Tendency to crease

An Egyptian origin does not by itself guarantee extra-long staple: Egypt also grows long-staple varieties. What matters is the variety, the yarn and the weave.

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FALA01<<SK<<2026<<NATURAL<FABRIC<INDEX<<<<<<

Caring for Egyptian cotton and linen

Cotton

  • First wash at a lower temperature than the label allows.
  • Line dry, or tumble dry on a low setting; overheating dries out the fibre.
  • Wash sateen bed linen inside out.

Linen

  • Don’t overload the drum, and don’t dry it to a crisp.
  • Iron while slightly damp.
  • Store loosely folded, not in plastic.

How to wash linen

In preparation

Topics we are working on. We will publish them only once we can back them up with sources.

Sources

  1. UCL Digital Egypt – Tools for spinning and weaving
  2. UCL Digital Egypt – Woven linen
  3. UCL News: Tarkhan Dress (2016)
  4. The Met – Length of Very Sheer Linen Cloth
  5. Egyptian Cotton Association – History of Egyptian Cotton
  6. Misr Spinning and Weaving Company (Wikipedia)

Last checked 12 October 2026. How we correct errors