Ooh, gurl! Check out those tan wedges!

And now, what I'm sure you've all been holding your breath for... THE FASHION ENTRY!

Here are a few of the local fashions I've observed so far:

• Converse sneakers- Okay, so it's not like other Europeans or Americans don't love their Converse because obviously we do. But they are nowhere NEAR as ubiquitous in the States as they are here. I think I counted two of my students who were NOT wearing them today.
• Juicy Couture velour sweatpants- Now, when I was in middle/high school and you wore sweatpants to school, everyone knew you'd had a rough night. This was known as "bumming it"-- an activity reserved for days when that alarm clock just came too early and your only thought was hell no I am not putting on pants. These overpriced sweatpants are practically first date outfit caliber here. Your Converse sneakers should be peeking out from underneath, of course.
• Any sweatpants, really- Can't afford Juicy sweatpants? Well, then you probably don't go to the school I teach at, but if you do happen to be watching your wallet girth, it seems regular sweatpants could likely get you by while trying to survive the piranha pit known as middle school.
• Tan wedges- Somewhere between stilettos and Elton John lives the wedge heel. And if you're trying to be a trendy Athenian woman, the only color on the palette is tan.
• Smoking- I am putting this in the fashion entry because cigarettes are absolutely a fashion accessory here, as well as simply a national pastime. To be even more specific, rolling one's own cigarettes. Your cabbie is going to light one up while you're in the car, the guy cooking your food is definitely smoking back there, and everyone who has a beer or a coffee in a street-side cafe, well, that's just a no-brainer. One place you're not supposed to smoke: Athens College. Please. You think these kids would rock their Converse kicks and Juicy pants and leave behind the most important accessory? Of course not. They sneak off to smoke in the bushes. You can tell where the favorite smoking nooks are on campus due to the mini-landfills of butts.
• Ray Bans and Dolce & Gabbana sunglasses- These are the two designer eyewear labels that I see the most, I'd say.
• Blondes- It is a bit of a Greek myth, if you will, that there are NO blondes in Greece. I've seen quite a few that I would certainly deem natural blondes. They are definitely a rarer breed, though. I think I've spotted maybe three "LA blondes" at school but there is a normal amount of dirty blondes, I'd say. The problem comes when the deep brunette tries to go Nordic blonde... and a LOT of them do. Just stop. Nobody believes you. On a semi-related note, I have yet to see a red-headed Greek.
• Tous- Wanna get a trendy bag? It's probably going to have to be Tous then.
• Frappes- These are right up there with cigs. People just always have them nearby... sometimes even just the aftermath of one. People will hang on to an empty frappe cup forever. I've never seen a cabbie actually drink his frappe, but there is ALWAYS one either on the dash like a hula dancer or in the cup holder.

I am positive that this will not be the last or only entry on fashions, but these are some good starters. Now, if you'll excuse me, I gotta go lace my Chucks and take a drag.