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

Over the past few years, several local
clothing brands have grown into a position where they can realistically
challenge the big guns of high-street fashion like H&M, Pull&Bear and
the like. Ravin is one such shop. In a short space of time, the chain has grown
to open several branches in Cairo serving the young and trendy.

The shop’s branch in El Obour Buildings on
Salah Salem Street has a very chic exterior and is made up of two
floors; the ground floor holds the menswear collection, while the second hosts women’s wear. The interior is quite busy: posters and accessories line
most of the walls, although the lighting is comparatively modest and dim.

At
the time of this reviewer’s visit, the speakers around the shop were pumping
out a house song in which the words ‘Ravin Jeans’ was repeated. We actually
found it quite amusing. All the clothes are displayed in a completely
uncomplicated and unpretentious way, making it easy to spot and investigate
anything that catches your eye.

Also at the time of this reviewer’s visit;
we found that the shop had a sale of up to 70% off.  Although we found the original prices to be
very reasonable anyway, everyone loves a bargain.

Men’s jeans sell for between 150LE to 190LE
depending on the style and type of denim. Straight and skinny cuts are the most
stocked and available in all the basic colours, except for a dark blue, which
they didn’t have to our disappointment. One of Ravin’s advantages over its
peers is that its jeans are available in all sizes.

As expected, chequered shirts dominate the
men’s collection. You’ll find all the colours you might want in both short and
long-sleeved designs.The price range for the shirts is rather wide; you could
end up paying anything between 69LE and 170LE. The same applies to the funky t-shirts,
which range between 50LE and 120LE, depending on the colour and design.
Slightly more modestly designed polo shirts are available at similar prices.

Accessories-wise, belts and wallets sell
for around 60LE, while the small but impressive shoe collection has a price
range of 150LE to 190LE.

As with most unisex shops, the women’s
section offers much more of a colourful and eclectic range of clothing. Jeans
and 3/4-length trousers sell for around 160LE. Tops sporting the peace sign and
the faces of celebrities of the 60s and 70s sell for as little as 50LE, and up
to 100LE. In this male reviewer’s opinion, the very feminine sports bags (60LE)
stood out in their bright colours as did a range of large handbags (80LE).

The staff at Ravin is friendly, knowledgeable
and relaxed in their approach to dealing with customers. In short; they won’t
hound you. Be warned, though; at the counter, they will ask you for your mobile
number to text you when their new stock is in or to tell you about upcoming
sales.