The Definitive Guide to Living in the Capital , Cairo , Egypt

We love
it when international fashion brands make their way to Egypt. It means that we no
longer have to travel abroad to get our hands on designer items or no longer
have to beg our friends travelling abroad to bring us things. It also means
that whenever someone brings up a certain brand we can say, in all modesty of
course; we have that in Egypt too.

American fashion brand Calvin Klein opened a
branch in Cairo’s Citystars mall several years ago, and a new additional branch
has recently opened in Mohandiseen. Calvin Klein has several different
lines, but the Cairo branch only sells Calvin Klein Jeans, the brand’s most
affordable and casual line.

The Citystars branch is a relatively big shop in Phase 1 next to Pull and Bear and across
from Virgin Megastore. There is quite an extensive selection available that mainly
focuses on menswear, while women’s wear is sparse.

The women’s wear collection is disappointingly limited
to simple basic t shirts, starting at 500LE and smart blouses at 850LE, while dresses
start at 1100LE. Unfortunately, this season’s collection has some pretty weird pieces
in it that are definitely not worth the money, such as a purple/turquoise/brown
striped shirt.

However,
the women’s jeans line has some nice pieces. Jeans are priced at 1250LE and above,
which is quite a price to pay for jeans in Egypt. There is also a collection of bikinis
available starting at 600LE. For the shoes and bag lovers out there,
Calvin Klein might be some sort of a tiny paradise. Several bag designs are
available, ranging from shoppers to clutches in a variety of colours. Most come
with matching wallets. The shoe department is tiny but not disappointing.
Prices of bags and shoes start at around 1000LE, with some bags reaching up to
3000LE and above.

Men have
more options at Calvin Klein Jeans. There is an extensive collection of jeans,
shirts and belts as well as shoes. Prices are comparable to the women’s
department with jeans starting at 1250LE and shirts at 500LE. The men’s wear collection
is up-to-date and has several trendy pieces in it. Calvin’s famous boxers are
available as well starting at 180LE. There is no guarantee that you will
resemble Mark Wahlberg when wearing them, though. However, since this is Calvin
Klein’s simplest line, there is nothing here that you can’t get anywhere else
for half the price. The only difference is that famous designer logo. 

Calvin
Klein uses cotton and leather for its products. The clothing is of good quality
but not high quality. The brand’s perfume line, which is customarily available
at all Calvin Klein shops, was not offered here. The staff is friendly but a
bit too overbearing at times. Since there are not many customers around, they
tend to follow you around as soon as you step in; it’s meant in good faith, but can be
a bit annoying.

Calvin
Klein is a pleasant enough designer shop, but there is nothing really special on sale in this Cairo branch.