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

The fashion scene in Egypt is cut-throat. With a plethora of malls and foreign brands raiding the country, finding affordable, good quality clothing becomes increasingly difficult.

Fortunately, Reserved, a well-established Polish brand has opened up its first Middle Eastern Branch at Cairo Festival City Mall. With popular competitors, it might be hard to win over Cairo’s fashionistas, but with fashionable pieces and affordable prices, Reserved seems to be a good contender.

Offering apparel for men, women and kids, Reserved incorporates underwear, casual wear, nightwear and formal/smart casual attire, as well as footwear all under one roof. With a clean-cut black and white interior, the shop imbues a slight air of contemporary sophistication.

The minute we walked in, one of the sales personnel was by our side inquisitively inquiring about any prior knowledge we may have regarding the brand, explaining the basics and then politely retreating. The women’s section, which takes over the front half of the store, is divided into a smart wear section and a casualwear section.

Items that stood out in both included a plain electric blue cocktail dress (299LE), heeled black booties (699LE), an elegant nude handbag (479LE) and a long, chunky, knit grey cardigan (459LE).

Making our way to the back of second half of the store, our eyes traced the men’s section, landing on a selection of long-sleeved t-shirts (139LE), printed t-shirts (150LE), a smart casual blue blazer (480 LE), a puffy parka (459 LE) and fitted, light-washed slim jeans (299LE).

Generally, the sales personnel were polite and helpful, but at times got a bit too pushy. While we appreciate the gesture, offering to find our size in every item we so much as glance at can become very distracting.

Quality wise, the clothes are not immensely impressive, yet the store does generally offer good value for money with its noticeably appropriate pricing. The bottom line is we’ll definitely hit the store again for a basics shopping spree that won’t put our finances in dismay.