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

One of the latest women’s wear brands to
reach Egypt, Monsoon has opened two branches in Cairo so far; one in Maadi City
Centre and the other in 6th of October’s Mall of Arabia.

Known for its pretty and feminine clothing,
Monsoon is an ideal brand if your style is less edgy and more about pretty
details such as flower prints, broderie anglaise and crochet details. The Mall
of Arabia Monsoon duel branch, referred to as such because Monsoon shares the space
with Accessorize, is located in shop number G073-075 next to Scarpa and
across from Faces.

With yellow mustard walls, a high ceiling,
bright lighting and wooden-hued flooring, the shop is spaciously arranged so
that you can browse through the racks freely, unless of course, you’re being
followed closely by an overly attentive shop attendant.

The shop includes casual wear and evening dresses at the front, separated by a large wooden table displaying dainty jewellery by Accessorize, with a corner in the back devoted to the accessory brand’s jewellery, scarves and bags. Also in the back is a modest collection of baby and kids’ wear, starting at a few months up to six or seven years. Priced in the range of 400LE to 500LE, there are several party, birthday and bridesmaid’s dresses for young girls, decked out in tulle, sequins and frills in pretty colours.

At the time of
this reviewer’s visit Monsoon’s women’s wear included tapered trousers with sash
belts, airy-light cardigans, crochet-trimmed short dresses and several
feminine shirts. The colour theme is largely sedated, in pastels, camel beige
and greys, in addition to this summer’s colours of deep purple, red and blues.

Clothing includes a white broderie anglaise
shirt (around 400LE), a loose, striped and long-sleeved cardigan with detailed
stitching at its hem (410LE), and Monaco grey jasmine trousers with a loose
polyester sash at the waist (515LE).

Dresses seem to be the brand’s forte and all
follow the same simple, pretty and tailored theme. A mink-coloured, silk Elba
dress with black dots and layered frills will set you back 970LE, while chic evening wear options include a
Julianne black crochet knee-length dress (770LE) or the Bloom dress with orange
and pink flowers against a grey background, cap sleeves and a navy belt. A stone-coloured shirt dress (620LE) and
Susanne Monaco dress with a woven camel belt make chic clothing for the office.

For something more whimsical, there’s the
flower dress with blue, white and red flowers and a thin waist sash (770LE), and
the teal ruffled deep neck Gypsy Orelia shirt (565LE), which is perfect as a cover up over a swimsuit or as a modest summer top. The most expensive dress this reviewer saw was a long teal
Daltson dress (1490LE) with chunky beading that could definitely be pulled off
at a wedding or party.

Monsoon may not be at the cutting edge of
fashion, but it does offer a mature prettiness to its casual wear. Its evening
wear collection is quite limited, and the displayed collection of Accessorize
is the same you will find at all branches in Cairo.

The brand’s high prices put
it towards the higher end of affordable foreign brands in Egypt – think more
Zara and less H&M. That being said, Monsoon is a good option for light summer clothing, matching accessories and a party
dress for your young daughter.