Gerry Weber: Quality Clothes for a Mature Shopper in Heliopolis

If there’s one thing that's true in this world, it’s that you can definitely never have too many shoes – guys and girls. Hush Puppies in Citystars has quite a collection that is variable to an extent, yet they don't seem appealing enough- even for a dedicated shoe addict- to stand out in the midst of all the affordable, practical shoes shops that have taken over Cairo. A look at the dozen or so pairs in each of the three departments for women, men and children will give the impression that these shoes have been on the shelves for at least two years, and their styles don't suggest otherwise. The quality of leather and fabrics of the shoes are very good, though; their smooth leather is both comfortable and chic-looking. A pair of high heeled plain black shoes will set you back 750LE. However, you can find a more impressive pair of gold sandals for 600LE and they are definitely more comfortable. Though you’ll almost certainly find one type of shoe to your liking, there aren’t many choices of within each style. Classic brown short-heeled shoes (500LE) can be found next to ballet flats (188LE), which sit right beside flowery flip flops (300LE); wherever you look, there’s something different, for better and for worse. Most of the items in the men’s section look almost exactly the same. A basic pair starts at 700LE and there’s a small section where you can find leather flip-flops for 400LE. There's also quite a lot of shoe care items for leather and fabric sneakers, which are available for many colours and start from 39LE. The kids’ department is the smallest section of all. In fact, you can easily miss it if you’re not looking thoroughly through the ladies’ department, as it is right next to it. Hush Puppies may well be the owner of the tiniest shoes on the face of earth, and though this thumb-sized footwear cost 200LE, it’s hard to resist buying it. Hush Puppies also provide accessories such as socks and shades with quirky designs, like the huge-framed glasses with red leopard print (300LE). A couple of not-so-eye-catching handbags hang on the wall of the store, but will do if you’re looking for a plain, well-made leather bag which can cost around 500LE. Despite the cute puppy logo sympathetically staring at you, Hush Puppies isn’t a store to fall in love with from the first visit. You might be lucky and find what you’re looking for, but due to the limited number of options, this might not always be the case.

Fashion-conscious ladies often find a hard time locating shops in Cairo that offer high-quality fashion at moderate prices. Unless you are willing to drop a week's pay on a single clothing item that looks somewhat decent, Cairo is not the best destination for fashion-seekers.

La Blanca is one of those shops that offers a lot of modish women's clothes. But like all things nice, they come at an oh-so-high price. We were smitten with an über-trendy black coat, but, we all but had a minor heart attack when we caught sight of the hefty price tag; the 1175LE coat, we decided, was not that stylish anyway.

With a sinking heart, we started looking around the shop for more affordable items. A plethora of leggings starting at 80LE  were found everywhere around the shop. Said leggings were available in a variety of colours, including bright orange, black, brown and grey. The shop also offers a collection of skirts; a knee-length pleather skirt was available for 240LE and a black pencil skirt sold for 195LE.

While most shops organise clothes either by colour or function, we couldn't pinpoint a particular pattern for organising the clothes at La Blanca, which made for a slightly uncomfortable shopping experience.

The sales attendants don't hover around; they let you do your own thing and are helpful enough when approached for assistance, but they mostly let you shop in peace.

Although many items were overpriced, La Blanca had a few discounted items as well. A plain white blouse sold for 195LE instead of 425LE, a black and white jersey dress sold for 295LE instead of 375LE, and a knee-length strapless dress with a front zipper was priced at 295LE instead of 445LE.

La Blanca also had a collection of blazers, though quite limited. A black blazer (495LE) made of leather and velvet looked as if it were seamed together using leftover fabric.

The shop also had a varied collection of accessories, purses, scarves and belts. A basic, simple black handbag sold for 295LE and belts started at 150LE. A pair of beige boots was priced at 300LE, but they looked a little too worn-out and shabby.

A short flight of stairs tucked behind the cashier will take you to the shop's second floor where the evening attire is located. La Blanca's collection of evening dresses mostly consisted of knee-length, strapless gowns.

A glittery golden and black dress was priced at 395LE, while a leopard print asymmetrical dress sold for 345LE. A silver sequined jacket (575LE) and a strapless glittery green blouse (195LE) were also available.

What we like best about La Blanca's evening gowns is that they tend to stick to the simpler side of things. Without too many embellishments, sequins or glitter, La Blanca's dresses would cost you more than 300LE, but they offer good value-for-money.

Although La Blanca might not be your first stop when on the lookout for quality, affordable fashion, it never hurts to give it a browse anyway.