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

With
several branches throughout Cairo, La Senza caters to the young Egyptian woman
with colourful and supposedly affordable lingerie. We say supposedly because as
much as we love the brand, the Egyptian franchise prices just don’t match the
brand’s global image of being an affordable option. With underwear starting at
75LE and pyjama sets at around 300LE, shopping at La Senza is not exactly
cheap.

Located
in Maadi City Centre next to Costa Cafe and Faces, La Senza’s space is open and
simple with white walls, wooden shelves and bright lighting, exuding a fun,
young feel. Catering to a younger consumer with its loud colours and funky
prints, La Senza’s summer 2011 line is less about subtle, inconspicuous
underwear and more about summery pieces that might as well be swimwear with
their designs and prints.

The
selection of briefs, boy shorts, bikini cuts, thongs and g-strings is made in
either cotton or a cotton and polyester blend, with many pieces accentuated
with lace trimming, bows and all. It’s a very girly collection with large
flower prints, fluorescent yellow, orange, purple, sky blue and fuchsia.

The bras
at La Senza come in diverse designs, such as the simple cotton underwire bras
without padding for 205LE and above, or the ITEC bra (350LE), which moulds
perfectly to your curves using hi-tech fibre, and gives amazing support that is
well worth its price. Bra sizes range from 32A to 38D, though you may spot up
to a size 40DD on certain designs.

Aside
from the bright collection of lingerie sets, robes and garters, La Senza has a
decent selection of sleepwear, ranging from boy shorts and tank tops to slips
and pyjama trousers. During this reviewer’s visit, the highlight of the
collection was a pair of sailor-themed blue and white striped pyjama trousers
with a dark blue lace hem and a blue sash at the waist. As fun and attractive
as their pyjamas look, paying 350LE for a cotton tank and shorts combo with
purple lace detail is just plain ridiculous, especially since La Senza’s quality
is definitely not top of the range.

The other
fly in our ointment is La Senza’s staff. Having visited almost every single
branch in Cairo, this reviewer has concluded that it is company policy to
follow you around and stand just one inch behind you when you pick up a piece
of clothing. There’s a significant difference between attentive service and
being treated like a potential shoplifter; so perhaps it’s best to develop a
thick skin when entering La Senza.