How much money to take!?

[hoodledoodles]

Hi,

I'm going to Cairo in a couple of weeks' time and am hoping to buy a costume or two...

Can you recommend designers who are good for curvy girls - I'm a 30G cup and really a designer who really knows how to support big bazookas but also to make them look great!

Who should I go for? And how much approximately should I be looking at spending?

Thanks!

Heth

[*Shira*]

The budget depends on which designer's costumes you want. Some designers are more expensive than others.

If it's Al-Wikala (Mahmoud al-Ghaffar) I suggest allowing $175-$200 for a dress, or $150-$175 for a bra/belt set.

If it's Hannan Mahmoud, I suggest budgeting $350-$450 for a dress. Not sure what she charges for bra/belt sets. She tends to charge more (ie, around $450) when there's a big festival going on (such as Ahlan wa Sahlan or Nile Group), and less if it's between festivals.

I can't give you advice on your fitting needs, since that's an issue I haven't needed to solve. Good luck!

[khalida777]

I would suggest visiting Mahmoud's establishment aka Al-Wikala in the Khan al Khalili market as soon as possible after your arrival. He has a wide choice of beautiful, high-quality costumes in all sizes and an excellent seamstress who can make adjustments within a few days to a week. You may require a custom costume if there is none close to your size and/or style preference. Mahmoud is a pleasure to deal with, honest and courteous. One thing; his prices are fixed, so no bartering as with other Egyptian merchants

I have another excellent resource in Mohammed Ali Street, but the info is at my office and I'll post it for you later.




Khalida

[hiba]

If you're willing to spend more on a sahar okasha, they are not only the sturdiest bras I have ever seen/worn in my life, but the absolutely most comfortable costume bra, and while I'm not a G cup hehehe, my D's are very happy in them.

[Candi]

Another vote for Mahmouds i've had some great bargains from here over the years. Hannan too has some great designs and she can adapt anything you see in her atelier so if you find a skirt to fit she'll re do the top. Try Eman she does good sturdy bras-the only trouble is sometimes her bras can give a bit of an "audience frightening effect" with a larger chest-but worth a look. i also like Amira at Pharonics.She also does good sturdy bras-and are a nice flattering shape for a larger bust.
With all the costumiers you have to make an appointment early on in your visit. At Mahmouds its a huge shop in the Khan el Khalili so you call in whenever. He is also great for props and accessories.

[outi]

As people have said, the best place for you depends for many things... where you are performing, how much, what style you need, how much money you are willing to pay etc..

But you can find information of all the places mentioned - and some more - in my web site Outi of Cairo

[hoodledoodles]

Hi - how much more would a Sahar Okasha cost compared to a Hannan, for example? I think I could go to about $475 on a costume - I'm just not sure I could justify much more... and some just look really tacky. And if I went to Eman Zaki or another designer who doesn't tend to have stuff on the rack - how likely would I be to get something that I liked that really suited me as well? What advice would you give to make sure I got something that really did suit my shape?
Ta
H

[Candi]

its all trial and error I'm afraid.Sahar costs about 4 times as much as Hanan. If you are talking $475 you are looking at Hanan,Raqia and Eman and maybe 2 from Mahmouds.Sahar is twice as much.Go look see what you like

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by hoodledoodles

And if I went to Eman Zaki or another designer who doesn't tend to have stuff on the rack - how likely would I be to get something that I liked that really suited me as well? What advice would you give to make sure I got something that really did suit my shape?

Hoodle, how long will you be in Egypt? If you have 2 weeks, and if you can place your orders on the first or second day you're there, there's a chance you can have something custom-made while you're there to take home with you.

If you decide to request something custom-made, tell them you're leaving town a day or two earlier than you actually are. Egyptian costume makers tend to run things up to the VERY last minute, and I've been known to spend almost my entire last day in Egypt sitting at the costume-makers atelier waiting for my costume to be done.