Style in Your City - Cairo, Nihal Abd El Aziz

We are pleased to present our very first 'Style in Your City' guest blog post, by Nihal Abd El Aziz, who writes about the style in Cairo.

Sex and the City meets Gossip Girl: Cairo…

What’s the first thing that comes to mind when you think about Cairo: veiled women and black attire, right? Well, the correct answer ladies and gents would be a definite NO.

Before I explain why, let me first start by giving you a brief history lesson.  Cairo is the capital of Egypt, the country with one of the richest histories in the world.  It started with the Phaoranic civilization, later occupied by the Romans, Greeks, Turks, French and last but not least the Brits.

This interesting mix of cultures that Egyptians have been exposed to has made the culture very rich and diverse: hence the Modern Egyptian.  Now take that Modern Egyptian, and add in globalization, Satellite TV, social networking, internet sites, Egyptian Lifestyle English and Arabic Magazines, as well as international brands, clubs and pubs, parties and a killers beach scene.  It is safe to say that the population has been totally “styled up”

Walking around the city, you will find women of all ages, all looking very fashionable, depending on what’s in that season.  From skinny jeans and gladiator sandals, boots and scarves, bangles and head bands, heels and leggings, funky sunglasses to designer bags, it’s like watching an episode of Sex and the City meets Gossip Girl.  That’s all besides the hair and makeup and the perfectly manicured nails with oh la la colors.  It’s not all about the detail…it’s about what you can throw in to an outfit to try to stand out and personalize it.  That gave more space to all the current Egyptian and Lebanese designers in the region who fuse the funky western look with a touch of authentic feel.

With the girls all dazzled up and looking like magazine material, the guys are also joining in the fun.  With designer labels and accessories, a guy is expected to look like he made an effort putting an outfit together, rather than just throw anything on.  Yes, Metrosexuality is totally and utterly in vogue.  So with guys and women totally living it up, and having to meet at a lot of social events and obligations, people look like they are ready to pose for a magazine...because usually they are.  Social magazines are present at every event and you’ll probably be featured in the next issue, so you better be ready to strike a pose and show us what you’ve got.

To sum it all up, it’s about what’s in, what’s hot…..with a touch of classic Art!