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

Looking for
an inexpensive replica of your favourite brands for casual wear in Cairo? A
long-time resident of Mohamed Mansour Street in Zamalek, Fostoq is a super budget-friendly
clothing shop that sells everyday clothing staples for men, women and children.
This includes long- and short-sleeved shirts, trousers and jeans, pyjama sets
and lounge wear in a plethora of colours, patterns and prints. Fostoq is ideal
for picking up wardrobe basics and knock-offs of brands like Bebe, Express, Tommy
Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ralph Lauren, and Lacoste.

Three
simple changing rooms with a mirror and curtain are spread out through the shop
and a few female attendants are ready to help –
but don’t expect them to approach you; if you need help you must ask for it. Jeans, shirts and more are
crammed from floor to ceiling; be armed with cash, some energy and your iPod,
because this is the kind of shop that you must walk into knowing that it will
be both a hunt and a gamble to find something worth buying.

You could easily
spend an hour perusing the immense stock of clothing before finding something –
and there definitely are pieces worth buying; you just have to find them first. This isn’t as true for the men’s collection though, which was quite limited,
evidenced by the fact that the section is tucked away in the back of the shop.

Very little
can be said about the quality of most of the clothing; with the exception of a
few pieces. Most items are made of basic, soft cotton of varying plies. While
it may not be cashmere or silk, the items’ affordability renders
the quality of the clothing rather unimportant. The pieces may not last more
than a season or two, but considering that the most expensive item in the shop
costs 150LE, it would be unreasonable to expect it to last any more than that.

Baby’s and children’s items range from 18LE to 50LE per piece, while women’s
tops range from 40LE to 100LE. Women’s bottoms (including harem pants, jeans
and suit trousers) start at 100LE and rarely exceed 150LE.

Surprisingly, Fostoq
had a selection of light grey suit trousers (appropriate for the office) that
resembled in cut and cloth the Editor trousers cut from Express, a famous US apparel
shop. Needless to say it was a knock-off, but it looked impressively like the
real thing. At only 130LE, it was one of the best finds of the shop – one of
those gems that you must look high and low for before finding. Men’s pieces
range from 80LE to 150LE per piece.

You get
what you pay for at Fostoq, which is arguably the best shop for individuals who
prefer quantity over quality. Don’t expect to find the trendiest tops or
bottoms here – just the basics.