Egyptian Cotton Varieties: The Complete List of Giza Grades

Egypt names every cotton variety with a “Giza” number. If you’ve seen Giza 45, Giza 87 or Giza 96 and wondered how they rank, here’s the full picture.

Before you buy: a lot of what is sold as “Egyptian cotton” is blended or mislabelled. Here is how to spot fake Egyptian cotton before you spend a penny.

In short. The Giza varieties split into two tiers. The extra-long-staple (ELS) grades — Giza 45, 87, 88, 92, 93, 96 — are the premium fibres used in fine shirting, bedding and knitwear. The long-staple grades (Giza 86, 90, 94 and others) are grown in larger volume and still excellent. Giza 45 sits at the very top.

The extra-long-staple Giza grades (the premium tier)

Extra-long-staple means each fibre measures roughly 35 mm or more. Longer fibres spin into finer, stronger, smoother yarn — the hallmark of luxury cotton. The ELS Giza varieties are Giza 45, Giza 87, Giza 88, Giza 92, Giza 93 and Giza 96.

Giza 45 is the most prized of all — the finest and rarest, grown in a small area of the eastern Nile Delta, and reserved by Japanese and Italian houses for their best shirting. Giza 87, 88, 92, 93 and 96 are the workhorses of premium Egyptian cotton: still ELS, more available, and superb for knitwear.

The long-staple Giza grades

Long-staple varieties (around 30–34 mm) such as Giza 86, Giza 90 and Giza 94 are grown in much larger volume. They’re still a clear step above ordinary upland cotton — soft, durable and the everyday backbone of Egyptian production.

Which Giza cotton we use

Giza Mills knits with long-staple Egyptian Giza cotton grown in the Nile Delta, spun and knit by hand in Cairo. It’s the fibre the great houses use — kept honest, in relaxed knitwear rather than four-figure shirts.

Common questions

What is the best Egyptian cotton variety?

Giza 45 is widely considered the finest — the longest, most uniform fibre, grown in tiny volume. Giza 87 and 92 are the next tier and far more available.

Are all Giza cottons extra-long-staple?

No. Only some (45, 87, 88, 92, 93, 96) are ELS. Others like Giza 86 and 90 are long-staple — still excellent, just not the elite grade.

Feel it for yourself — the collection is pure long-staple Egyptian Giza cotton, knit by hand in Egypt.

Related reading: What is Giza cotton? · Giza 45 vs Giza 87

From Giza Mills — we weave menswear from genuine 2-ply Egyptian Giza cotton, made in Cairo. If you would like to feel the cloth rather than just read about it, see our Egyptian cotton Oxford shirt, browse the full shirts collection, or read Is Egyptian cotton worth it?