How should a Western woman dress for Egypt?
There are two things to consider – tradition and climate. Sandals are OK – everyone in Egypt wears sandals, but Jeans is too hot, unless you are traveling during the winter months. Tee shirts and shorts are not ok in my opinion at all. They are also not the most practical wear for the climate. Loose cotton tops with long or short sleeves will be better than anything tight. Wearing shorts is completely out unless you are on the beach in Sinai, and even then not more than 10 meters from the watter. Loose cotton trousers, or a long skirts will be OK. I would avoid anything tight and stretchy. I often notice while traveling that some Western tourists really like to attest their right to wear whatever they feel like completely disregarding local customs and traditions, gosh, how silly they look. And how much disrespect they get from their hosts.
I remember clearly after spending a couple of months in Egypt being astounded at Heathrow at the amount of cleavage on display. I don’t think I saw any in Egypt at all, even in downtown Cairo, or what I did was extremely modest. Slimeline has it really: trousers or long skirts all the time, and covered shoulders and arms. I also wore some long-shorts with my ankles bare, but it’s a good way to get filthy, that. Guidebooks often mention the groping you get from Egypt men. On returning to England I understood why, because for the first half an hour everyone looked incredibly slutty.
Zadcat’s experience leads to practical advice, Lucie has it. Wear sneakers, save the flipflops for the beach. As a general guide to the dress code, think, oh–Connecticut in the 1950s. If a decent woman wouldn’t have worn something then for fear of scandal, it’s probably inappropriate for Egypt. It is very cosmopolitan and they are used to the entire world passing by–Egypt has veen a crossroads for millennia. At the same time, it’s poor, often inconvenient, and it doesn’t rain enough to keep the sidewalks clean and shiny like London. So protect your feet, wear shoes with good traction, and dress semi-conservatively.
I usually go to Cairo for Christmas, and have spent about two months there over the years. Jeans, long sleeved shirts, forget the sneakers and sandals. Cairo is a messy and dirty place. I wear Doc Marten boots. With the exception of Giza and the Museum of Egyptian Antiquities, the most interesting stuff is off the beaten path. But these are typically the poorest, most debris strewn parts of town. You’ll see dead animals on some of the side streets – dress appropriately! The Islamic Quarter and The Cities of the Dead are my particular favourites. To get an idea what these parts of Cairo are like you can check out some pix from my last trip. I couldn’t go last year as there was too much Anti-American crap going on, so I went to Bombay instead.
I was there last week, and, to start, Cairo was surprisingly cold (15degC) for early November. The Sinai/ Red Sea coast was far warmer. In the really touristy areas, anything goes. I was quite shocked at the short skirts and cleavage (and the high heeled sandals – great for walking through the sand) as I had prepared to dress with reasonable modesty. I found the Egyptian men to be grabby no matter what was worn – prepare your stony face and ‘la shokrun’ means ‘no thankyou’ (important for when any random male near you is offered 15 camels for your hand or you need to refuse the crappy souvenirs for the 25th time). I found a headscarf very useful – keeps the sun and wind off and can be worn in mosques. I also wore it whenever I felt it would be more appropriate/comfortable to have my head covered, which happened more often than I anticipated in the souks. I wore Doc Marten sandals the entire trip and they were fine. So, basically – ensure you have layers for the weather, dress comfortabl
