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

Parties and party dresses go hand in hand, and in the city that never sleeps, every party girl needs a colourful wardrobe; something that, sometimes, comes at an inexplicably high price. International chain, Quiz, may be the answer; its branch in Heliopolis’ Sun City offers a wide variety of colourful party clothes to the capital’s divas.

The glass-fronted shop on the third floor attracts attention with its bright pink signage and plethora of dresses, largely adorned with plastic-looking, sparkling gems. Unfortunately, the immediate impression is one that encourages avoidance, although as the shop is so girly, there’s a feeling of hope that, amongst the tacky, there might actually be something worth trying.

The sections are not particularly organised, meaning you really have to wade your way through to find what you’re looking for. A flowing white maxi dress with chunky diamante detailing was overpriced at 1099LE and also comes in in cream and black. Short party dresses with sweetheart neck lines, puffy skirts and glitzy diamantes start at 849LE and come in an array of colours; namely powder pink, cream and coral. Fitted dresses were also aplenty; a glittering black velvet mini dress was 499LE, while a cream, sequin patterned dress with long, sheer sleeves was priced a little higher at 599LE. More unusual dresses came in light, zigzag patterned material, zebra print and striped midis (399LE).

Amongst the dresses, you may find more casual items including the odd pair of lycra-infused black leggings (129LE), white jeggings (399LE) or straight leg jeans (349LE). A pair of comicstrip leggings enveloped with the word ‘geek’ were 199LE, whilst a black midi skirt complete with leather effect panelling was 199LE.

T-shirt styles range from girly to tomboy, from pastel butterfly print cotton (399LE) to loose crops with words such as ‘raver’ emblazoned across them (249LE). Thick, elastic striped crops were 199LE, whilst a tight black lycra crop with net sleeves was priced at 199LE. Flimsy string overtops and cardigans were shimmering with small, shiny beads and started at 199LE and a sporty fit jumper with ‘love’ in glitter across the front was retailing at 229LE.    

The accessory range was almost non-existent, offering just a couple of pairs of fussy peep toe shoes (650LE), a few glittery clutch bags (169LE-499LE) and two or three pairs of costume jewellery earrings.

The dress range at Quiz sports more glitz than glamour; the costs are high and rarely match the quality of the items. Some of the dresses are likely to turn heads, but not necessarily for the right reasons. However, with such diversity and constantly changing stock, it could be worth a quick look.