There is something very satisfying about dressing for a specific activity, even when the activity does not technically require dressing for. An ice cream, for example, does not care what you’re wearing. Neither does a taverna. A walk certainly doesn’t. And yet, here we are. For the last days of summer, we picked a few things we genuinely like doing and gave ourselves permission to take the outfits as seriously as the plans. This means some sensible choices, some less sensible choices, and at least one outfit that should probably never have been taken on a hike.
For a Stroll
Stella’s
I’m notorious for dressing inappropriately for outdoor activities. I famously wore a pair of silk trousers, a men’s shirt, and boat shoes on a 5-hour hike in Andros. I love dressing for the occasion, but outdoor activities simply aren’t occasions I’m interested in dressing for.
Enter a lightweight tencel shirtdress, which I do believe is the right choice (if you disregard the fact that, because of its length, it constantly gets twingled in thorny bushes). What I would suggest against, however, is wearing soft leather mules on a hike. Just wear Supergas or All Stars. But then again, who am I to give advice on an outdoorsy outfit?
Valisia’s
Call me Huey, Dewey and Louie all rolled into one. After all, I was a Girl Scout as a child, so wandering off the beaten path is practically in my DNA. I love stepping out of my routine and discovering places I’ve never seen before - and Athens is full of secret little treasures waiting to be stumbled upon.
There’s something magical about unfamiliar landscapes. They make you look around differently, switch on your imagination and, suddenly, even a street you’ve walked past a hundred times feels like an adventure.
For this kind of mission, I want something relaxed and easy, so naturally I went for an oversized “1” T-shirt. And when I say oversized, I mean XL. I love the whole “borrowed-from-someone-three-sizes-bigger” effect, especially when paired with tiny athletic shorts. The shorts are there, technically. They just have a tendency to disappear underneath the T-shirt. Oh my, I am such a sucker for this illusion of nudity!
Alexandra’s
In the summer, I want my clothes to be almost imperceptible. I want barely-there tops that could easily pass for a bikini top. I want low-waisted bottoms. I want fabrics that are so lightweight I forget they’re there. I want to be able to walk through a hill, end up by the sea, sit somewhere for three hours and not once think, why am I wearing this?
The current obsession is monochrome outfits that combine different textures. Silk + denim is a particularly good match. I’ve also become a little obsessed with culottes. They have all the ease of shorts but feel a little more put together, and, importantly, they are much better for wandering around in nature than a skirt.
For accessories, I want a big suede bag that can hold an unreasonable amount of stuff and shoes that can survive a full day of walking. Boat shoes or Converse. Both work.
For Lunch
Valisia’s
“Valisia” is practically synonymous with beer. When someone asks me out for coffee, I’m like, no, no, no. I don’t do coffee dates. Let’s go for a beer. And I’m telling you, there is no better combination than a cold beer, good food and a relaxed, true-to-the-core Greek taverna.
For the occasion, I went for the relaxed, cool fit of the Saíno blouse, paired with the ABOUTBLANK wide leg jeans. It’s an effortless outfit, but there’s still something quite sculptural about it. The subtle balloon curve of the jeans meets the elongated endings of the blouse, creating these beautiful, almost architectural drapes. Basically, casual, but with a degree in architecture. Because apparently even my taverna outfit needs to have a little something going on.
And honestly, if there’s a better way to spend your last day in Athens than sitting under a pergola with a cold beer and eating half the menu, I don’t want to hear about it.
Alexandra’s
I’ve reached the point this summer where I don’t really want to assemble an outfit. I want one thing to make the decision for me.
For a long taverna lunch, this is especially important. I want to be able to sit around for hours, eat too much, wander around afterwards and, ideally, end up somewhere for a drink without having to go home and change.
The Basilisco Común dress from 2WO+1NE=2’s S/S ’26 collection is very good at this. You put it on, add sunglasses and slightly heeled sandals, and you’re done. It’s fitted where you want a bit of shape and relaxed where you want to forget you’re wearing anything at all. There’s a little shiny finish to the fabric, a plunging neckline that looks even better left bare (ideal for those of us who don’t particularly like accessorising), and a maxi length that makes the whole thing feel sufficiently evening-adjacent.
I’m also very into this particular terracotta shade. It’s basically the colour of tanned skin, which is helpful when you’ve already spent half the summer doing everything except getting a tan.
Stella’s
Lunch, dinner, any kind of meal counts. The time when it’s still quite hot, you’re still in the city, and you’re enjoying it all by yourself is also the time to be very comfortable. And, you know, chic too; the cicadas are watching.
I guess everyone’s goal when going out for a meal, especially to a taverna, is to have enough room to eat as much as they want, and I’m no exception. That’s why the Mono Carablanca is the perfect summer dress for me. It’s black, it’s sexy, it’s laid-back, and it’s extremely comfortable. I would’ve also worn an anklet if my mind hadn’t been so focused on zucchini fritters and tzatziki.
For Ice-Cream
Alexandra’s
I used to count my ice creams as a true ’90s child. I even had a notebook for them, which, looking back, feels like an insane amount of administrative work for someone whose biggest decision of the day was whether she wanted the “strawberry footprint” stick or the “banana/choco face” #iykyk.
My favourite way to eat one was on a walk with my brother. Our parents would be asleep, we’d head to the bakery in our neighbourhood, get something we liked, and walk around with it, trying to eat it quickly before it melted. This still sounds like a perfect afternoon to me. The only thing that’s changed is the outfit.
Black is my favourite colour, so it felt only natural to dress for my favourite afternoon activity in it. A spaghetti-strap playsuit with a very short hem keeps things playful, which seems appropriate when you’re eating an ice cream, while a sheer silk jacket adds the layer I inevitably feel the need to have. In a little breeze, the sleeves turn into bat wings, which is a fairly good reason to keep it on.
Chunky ’90s-style heeled sandals, black sunglasses, salted caramel cone. The notebook is gone. The ice-cream walks remain.
Stella’s
Ice-cream outings are always connected, in my mind, with the ’50s and American diners. Maybe I’ve watched one too many The Last Picture Show-kind-of movies. Anyway, the point is that if I’m going on an ice-cream date, I’ll wear something that loosely nods to the beloved rock-and-roll-crazed decade. And do you know what they wore to dance and sway? Circle skirts. The kind of skirt that begs you to twirl.
Hot tip: wear fun underwear because the twirling will inevitably lead to some innocent peeking.
A cotton paisley bandana is a must. Skip silk scarves altogether in summer and opt for cotton instead. They’re less precious and can handle the heat without being ruined.
Valisia’s
For some reason, going out for an ice cream makes me time-travel straight into the pages of a Wilkie Collins novel. Suddenly, I’m a 19th-century heroine wandering around, waiting for something mysterious and probably slightly scandalous to happen. However, the outfit is considerably more 2026.
The Rana Verde de Ojos Rojos skirt couldn’t be more ideal for this particular fantasy. Its maxi length and endless movement create that wonderfully romantic, almost cinematic quality. The front-and-back overlay and side slit give it just enough movement and drama without turning the whole thing into Wuthering Heights: The Athens Edition.
I paired it with a simple black open-back body, keeping the proportions clean while showing a little skin. Yes, there’s already that sneaky glimpse of leg through the slit, but I needed a little more skin to balance all that fabric. There is a lot of skirt happening here, people. We need ventilation.
To finish the look, a woven straw hat pays homage to my imaginary heroine, except mine is black and comes in a baseball-cap shape.
Bisous bisous
Alexandra + Valisia + Stella