What do I wear to Egypt in June?

[phillyraqs]

So I'm so excited to go to the Nile Group festival next month and will be in Egypt June 9 - 23. But, what the heck do I wear? I hate being hot, I sweat like a pig, and I am so worried about wearing long sleeves in the heat.

For the seasoned Egypt travelers - is it ok to wear short sleeves or 3/4 sleeves? I have read conflicting travel reports - some say to wear longer sleeves to look more conservative, others say tourists wear whatever. (Keep in mind that we are staying in Zamalek but also meeting up with friends in Moqattam hills and Alexandria, so we won't always be in touristy areas.)

Any suggestions on where to buy travel clothes, preferably online?

(And I was planning on wearing long cotton broomstick like skirts the whole time - easy to pack!)

Thank you!

[beafarhana]

Short sleeves are ok, make sure the shoulders are covered up.

Bear in mind no-one is going to mistake you for an Egyptian. They don't *expect* you to dress like they do.

[Nepenthe]

If you want to hedge your bets, take a light-colored button-down cotton shirt to layer over a t-shirt. That's a combo I wore a lot. I could always take off the top layer if I felt I could be comfortable.

My favorite thing that I bought to wear in Egypt was a long skirt. I got mine at SHUKR | Islamic Clothing for Muslim Women, Men and Children - it's basically a cotton mermaid skirt. I bought this one: Embroidered Belt Skirt - but all the long skirts are beautiful and mine was very well-made and fit extremely well. It was as if they were designing for adult women with hips, imagine that. Anyway, I wore it all the time there, and felt totally comfortable. I was only sexually harassed ONCE in Egypt, which I understand is a pretty good track record.

[khalida777]

I'm so excited for you!

I would suggest clothing that is light and loose, i.e. cotton blouses/tops, skirts, cardigan, trousers, and a scarf or hat to protect your head from the sun. Personally, I prefer to wear long sleeves, but many tourists wear short and 3/4 sleeves. Be sure to wear shoes, not sandals as the sand drifts everywhere and the streets can be a bit mucky :)

What not to wear: skimpy t's, short/tight/revealing clothing that calls attention to the shape of your body.

Although I didn't go to any nightclubs while I was there, apparently the dress code is much more relaxed and westernized, same for the hotel and resort areas frequented by tourists.

Here are some excellent suggestions by Keti Sharif:

Keti's Travel Tips for Egypt

Happy planning!



Khalida

[beafarhana]

They have beautiful long skirts there- save on your packing and buy a couple out there!

[*Shira*]

Look for 100% cotton rather than polyester blend. The disadvantage is that it'll wrinkle, but polyester is hotter than pure cotton. Loose fitting is good because it lets the air circulate. If you're planning to spend time out doors, light colors are good because they reflect the sunlight rather than absorbing it.

[cbarros]

I take a couple of long sleeved cotton/linen shirts to toss on over the sleeveless and short sleeved tshirts while I am out and about. Looser clothing is going to be cooler in the hot months of the summer so the long loose cotton skirts are a good idea. I like to have the long sleeved shirt to help protect me from the sun too . . . it will be intense during the summer.

You will probably notice that there are young Egyptian women running around in tight jeans with head scarves (amongst many others wearing long skirts, full coverage, etc). I saw many wearing short sleeved shirts with long sleeved stretchy ones underneath (I kept think how hot they must be as those long-sleeved ones are probably polyester).

Hehe, you can even find bright colored leggings to buy to wear under your skirt as I had one guy at a street corner scarf shop (really just hanging on the sides of the bldg and down the alley) pointing them out and trying to sell them to me . . . i didn't want them, but I probably should have bought some to see what they are like.

While in the hotel at the Festival, you don't have anything to worry about. And in most places you go, it won't be a problem. But I feel it is better to err on the side of being a bit over-dressed than under-dressed while you are downtown.

At the tourist spots, you will see everything including beet-red sunburned skin on many tourists! Take the sunscreen and something to protect your head and arms . . . avoiding shorts is good too even though you will see many a tourist wearing them. You want to enjoy your time in Egypt and not be suffering due to the heat and sun!

I never seem to have time to run out to buy any additional clothing items once I am in Egypt . . . so I usually take what I need with me. But scarves/shawls are everywhere, so definitely you can pick up a few that are NOT for dancing . . . although I do see some head scarves that do have sequins and beads on them.

[Sashy]

Cotton,loose fitting,shoulder covering is the key to Egypt walking around.

[lizajuk]

My suitcase is almost packed for Luxor in May...lots of cotton, baggy trousers and overshirts ('cos I burn!) and T shirts some with short sleeved and some strappy for hotel garden and nightime in hotel ( depending on how fearsome the air con is!)
and some very sensible shoes for the Valley of The Queens ...oh yes and a natty sun hat to stop the bleach getting bleacher'd.
Cotton do you hear cotton and sensible comfortable shoes for day pair of dainty heels for night.
Two small suitcases will ensure I can't buy too much !
ooops just looked at the packing and I don't know where his stuff is going

Ah yes a gallon of factor 40

[leylalanty]

Everyone's made great suggestions for both clothing and shoes. Keep in mind that it will be humid as well as hot - 100% cotton or rayon or rayon/linen blends work well. Be sure your tops do not let in the sun or always put sunblock EVERYwhere before going out in the sun! Once I took a "slinky" knit top and found that after a day outside I had a "tan" made up of hundreds of tiny little tan spots where the sun shone through the tiny little holes in the knit!!

I always take broomstick skirts and 3/4 sleeve or short sleeve cotton knit or rayon/blend tops. I find that in the summer, pants (even loose legged) are just too hot for me. OTOH, as Bea Farhana said, they have beautiful skirts there at very reasonable prices - shop the downtown clothing stores.

Make sure your skirts you wear on the street will not show the outlines of your legs when the sun is behind you! Either take totally opaque skirts or take a long cotton half slip to wear underneath. If you buy a skirt or two there, they will be opaque.

...and - HAVE A GREAT TIME!!

[*Shira*]

If you have any desire to ride a camel while there, take at least one pair of loose fitting pants with a loose tunic long enough to cover the hips. The salwar-kameez sets are nice for this purpose, and you can use the sash that comes with them to get your hair up off the back of your neck and up on your head in some form.

In my earlier message, I said that light clothing helps reflect sunlight rather than absorbing it, which is true, but I should point out the negative of wearing light colors - they show dirt/grime more easily. This could be an issue when sight-seeing and wanting to sit on the grass or nearby stone wall while waiting for your bus to come. So, you'll just have to decide what tradeoff is right for you.

Regarding shoes, take an old pair that is very, VERY comfortable. New shoes may give you blisters with all the walking involved in sight-seeing, and you don't want to get them scuffed up with all the walking around. I remember the teen-ager in our tour group a couple of years ago who was quite unhappy after accidentally stepping in a pile of camel dung and permanently staining her brand-new pink tennis shoes.

[tahiradancer]

salwar kameez also have the advantage of being easy to pack. I usually travel with a few of them.

{{{hugs}}}

[palmier]

I will recommend Tilley Linda Lunstrom collection.
+The black travel skirt is the 1 item i wear the most when I am in Egypt , it is not see through and covers your legs. never lost a tiny bit of its colour , I lived in the desert in Egypt for a while and that skirt was the envy of the bedouin women. It is the only item that i bring that is not cotton but it is amazing never wrinkles and dries overnight too.


I did many trips in the desert over the years, from 3 days to 4 months and let me tell you this was the best investment i ever made for Egypt.
They are expensive , they are made in canada ( not in China for a change) , The quality is amazing and they have a web site for the USA.
I have worn my Linda lunstrom pants and skirts and tunic and tanks tops over and over again for the last 6 years and they are still in great shape.
Very light, they feel like 100% cotton , easy to mix if you want to change your look, they dry over night , easy to wash in a sink and in desert they dry in an hour or 2 max. + all skirts and pants have an inside pocket big enough to carry your passeport.
The tunic is very practical cause if you wear a tank top you put the tunic over and it does not make you any warmer but it cover your arms.
From Syria to Yemen i have always covered my arms and legs and it is not warmer.
I bring the skirt and tanks if i go to central america or the carabbean and they make me look classy in the middle of people who are well dressed.
ok can you tell i am a fan . I didnt buy everything at once cause they are pricey but over 3 years i added a couple pieces here and there and the stuff i bought 6 years ago.

The only downside to the Linda Lundstrom polynesian skirts is that they gave a little opening on the side, so ok for Cairo and Alexandria but you might get some people staring at your ankles in small places..they have lots of other travel clothes but the style is a little bit too "older lady" for me . that is why i stick with that particular collection.

ok enough said Tilley Endurables - The Finest Hats and Travel Clothing in the World

[bellydancewear]

I always bring a lot of packaged wet naps and tissues. Some of the bathrooms will not have toilet paper, and many times there are women in the restrooms handing you toilet paper and wanting a tip (such as in the airport) I give them about 1 LE, Egyptian pound, (1 LE = $1.00 USD). And yes it is very dirty there!! So hence the wet wipes. I wear cotton skirts (usually made in India) that go past my knees and regular short sleeve cotton t-shirts to be comfortable. I almost always wear flip-flops but yes your feet will get dirty, but wearing shoes just gets too uncomfortable and hot for me. In the hotel Pyramisa you can wear anything, but I suggest wearing some type of light cover up to walk to your classes. It is nice and you will enjoy yourself.
Be careful where you buy cothes, some places cost the same as in the US, and some others just aren't very good quality. I must admit I almost never find anything decent there and I am not very picky. Someone suggested downtown, this is correct, but you must know exactly where they are refering to, it is where the Egyptians do their mall shopping, a short drive from Khan el Khalili, the taxi drivers will know as "wuisT balad (meaning the center of town). I personally don't shop there but go with my Egyptian friends that do and for the relaxing shisha while sitting out on the streets.
If you go by the nile and have fair skin or get a lot of mosquito bites (there are a ton of good restaurants on the nile) then I highly suggest putting on "Off" repelent and using cutivate cream for any bites. Cutivate is a Glaxo Smith Kline product that you can buy in the pharmacies there. It works well on insect bites. And for diarrhea I suggest Antinal, also available at the pharmacy. And there is a pharmacy in the Pyramisa Hotel.
It WILL be hot there, about 100 F, 30+ C, and I do recommend wearing hats or some type of cover for your head, especially while visiting the pyramids. It is humid, and may or may not cool down at night, so bring a light sweater or jacket but nothing heavier than that.
Hope this helps! Have fun and let us all know how your trip went.
Happy Traveling!!
Barbara
Bellydancewear

[bellydancewear]

oops sorry it is about $1.00 USD to 5.5 Egyptian pounds (LE), at least that is what it was last month. So 1 Egyptian pound is about 20 cents.

[nadira seattle]

This is all great info - thank you for posting! I'll be in Egypt June/July as well! We should put together a bhuz meet up :) :)

[azhaar]

thanks for your tips everyone! i'll be there June 13-28 too! :)

[*Shira*]

Originally Posted by Nepenthe

I got mine at SHUKR | Islamic Clothing for Muslim Women, Men and Children

I saw some really cute items when I visited this link, so I ordered a couple of tunics and a couple of skirts. I received a discounted hijjab because my order size was over $100. (Ie, they applied a credit of $9.95 toward my purchase of the hijjab of my choice. Some of their hijjab cost only $9.95, so if I had chosen one of those I could have had it for free, but I opted for a more expensive one and paid the difference.)

Anyway, my order arrived today, which was the 6th day after I placed it, so I felt good about how fast it came. The two skirts are both made of a really nice twill fabric (the same type of that nice pants such as Dockers or Gap pants are made of). They're opaque enough to not show the outlines of my legs which is important for Egypt. What's more, the skirts and tunics are cute enough that they COULD be something I would wear casually here in the U.S. when I want to be a bit dressier than blue jeans but still casual - for example, at a hafla. The fit of the garments is perfect - at the time I ordered, I compared my measurements against the size chart on the web site and chose sizes accordingly, and the actual garments suit the size chart exactly right. (A tip to anyone ordering tunics - be sure to consider your hip size when ordering tunics, because they're long enough that they need to fit over your hips.)

So, attractive products, well made, good fit, fast delivery = satisfied customer.

I plan to take these items plus one shalwar/kameez set that I already have with me to Egypt this year.

[phillyraqs]

Thanks to you all for these wonderful tips and suggestions! I can't wait, and feel so much more prepared after this discussion.