Fitted, Stylish and Ironed

You could use this title to describe the general dress code of the Greeks. There are variations that come with age, region and, of course, earnings, but the general formula exists. The wandering tourist can witness trends that range between the most traditional and conservative to the most colorful and radical. Whatever the case, Greeks dress to impress.

Let's start off with the teenagers, who tend to massively embrace new trends. Now the city teen differs from the rural teen, as does the Athenian teen from the Thessaloniki teen. Jeans are a favorite. Skinny leg for girls and fitted for guys. Ok... guys used to wear super-tight pants a few years ago, but thank God they've loosened up in recent years. Any weird t-shirt - colorful, trendy, with a statement- will do. Shoes are most likely Converse or some other funky brand, but they're definitely not bland. Now, if you're really following the trends, a row of bracelets and/or necklaces, earrings etc will give the final touches to the "careless teen" look. The last couple years in Athens have seen a rise in the Emo generation, which really differentiate themselves by wearing their hair in front of their faces and lots of eye makeup. This is supposedly symbolic for their despair after seeing all of this sorrow and instability in their future. In the richer neighborhoods of Athens and elsewhere, you can also see many preppy kids with their sweaters thrown around their necks, their 500-euro moccasins and the look of I'm-about-to-go-to-a-tennis-match. Now in Thessaloniki just take the sexiness up a notch. Lots of makeup, dark sleek hair, jewelry and sexy outfits. Guys there also tend to follow fashion a bit more fanatically and it shows in their hair styles, which are fixed with gel down to the last piece of hair. I would say that the young people of Thessaloniki have a more polished look.

The transition from a young person to an adult does not mean that you start dressing in pleated mom-jeans for the Greeks. It just means you wear age-appropriate clothes that are still stylish. Some women in their 40s do tend to dress like their 15-year-old daughters sometimes, but you won't see them going out in pjs and huge boyfriend sweaters. Everything is fitted, ironed and clean. (Read more about what to wear in Greece at www.allthegreeks.com)

Image: http://www.flickr.com/photos/44571756@N00/1428445587