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

There’s a never ending supply of both labels and replica garments the Cairo shopping scene, although it’s rare that these two ever come together. However, Pulse Outfits on El Merghany Street in Heliopolis does combine the two; offering customers some original items along with some convincing copies, which we of course do not condone.

The small shop – identifiable by the luminous, bright green sign above the door – is decorated to resemble a qwerky, retro boudoir. Several items are hanging in the large window displays, brightly lit by glowing panels. Pulse is separated into men’s, women’s and children’s sections, with the men’s clothes taking up about two thirds of the hanging rails. 

In the men’s section, we first spotted a large collection of authentic True Religion jeans in a range of washes and colours, discounted to 1750LE along with imitation Massimo Dutti jeans and real, soft Ralph Lauren tracksuit bottoms (520LE). Pastel and deep coloured Ralph Lauren zip-up hoodies were priced at 740LE whilst long sleeved tops from the British brand, All Saints, retailed at a reasonable 300LE. Comfortable, casual Ralph Lauren and Hackett rugby shirts were going for 790LE whilst fake Hugo Boss, brown and navy blazers were tagged at 350LE. We also spotted a bright red, polka dot tie by Tommy Hilfiger for 290LE.

The women’s section was small and limited to Ralph Lauren heavy knit jumpers (890LE), the iconic chequered Burberry shirts (790LE) and plain jumpers with patterned cuffs, and a range of Tommy Hilfiger polo shirts (390LE).

Unsure of what was real or not, we asked the chatty shop assistant for help. Although his word on the men’s clothes seemed reliable, we’re fairly sure that the women’s section was largely made up of imitation pieces.

The children’s section was the smallest of the three and had some of the most adorable designer pieces. A pink Ralph Lauren one-piece was priced at 425LE, whilst tiny knitted cardigans were 485LE and a short-sleeved knitted jumper for a baby boy was priced at 480LE. Judging by their prices, we assumed these items were original – perfect for a designer baby.

Although we questioned the authenticity of some of the items, most seemed viable and if they weren’t real, we certainly couldn’t tell. Pulse Outfits may be a good place to check out if you’re unwilling to pay the full price for certain brands although we’d probably air on the side of caution if you’re unfamiliar with genuine pieces.