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

Just a couple of meters away
from the famous Zamalek café area of Om Kalthoum Hotel is Orange Square, a
formal men’s wear shop best known for their tuxedos and tailor-made suits.

Underneath a hard-to-miss
orange sign and a window display showing off some normal and off-the-wall suits
are a few steps leading down into this tiny, submersed shop.

Walk inside to notice the chic
decor, warm hues and awkward lighting, making the small shop appear large
enough to accommodate a small gathering (it really can’t though).

Naturally, with one wall
covered entirely by a mirror; the other three have to be loaded with
merchandise. Still, the clothes are arranged neatly without detracting from one
another. In the centre is a mirror-surfaced high table with merchandise hung
and stacked beneath it, not the most convenient of displays; but it looks
quirky and completes the shop’s decor.

Orange Square boasts a healthy
collection of suits starting at 3200LE, ties for 100LE upwards, and leather
belts for 600LE and above. A small collection of coats starting at 3000LE is on
display and a couple of shoes are scattered around the shop. The
collection is definitely geared towards the younger generation with a huge assortment
of tight-fitting suits and brightly coloured skinny ties.

Service in Orange Square is
excellent, though you may walk in and find no one there; they’re
in the backroom where all the tailoring action happens. Just give them a minute
or so to come around and they’ll be more than happy to help you out.

All the clothes are tagged as Orange
Square, an obscure brand that Google knows little about. When asked where their
merchandise comes from, the salesman first said England then Italy; it seemed that
he couldn’t make up his mind.

However, other sources claim that
this shop only imports its materials while the suit itself is made right here in Egypt.

The highlight of Orange
Square is all in the tailor-made suits. You can come in at anytime straight
into their backroom, which is actually further inside of the shop’s building. Their suits are made using either imported
English or Italian materials (Italian is your best bet), and they are of course
tailor-made to fit your exact measurements.

Suits will usually take from
ten to fifteen days to be made, but off-the-shelf items can be shortened and
fitted to your size in one day, or even a couple of hours if you’re stretched for
time. They also tailor-make tuxedos and any other formal attire that you can
think of.

Cheaper than an Armani suit but pricier than one at
BTM, Orange Square is right in the middle of the formal attire price scale. If you’re
planning on splurging on a suit but you don’t want to break the bank; then this
shop is for you.