By now you already know there is much more to Athens than ancient ruins and modern eateries. But what about its sartorial footprint? Greeks have always had a great appreciation for the male form and it still shows today in their men’s fashion brands and boutiques. From well-priced local designers to high-profile luxury labels, the Greek capital is home to plenty of cool shops for men who love style and appreciate craftsmanship.
Christakis Athens
The closest to a Jermyn Street shirtmaker the city has to offer, Christakis has been on the scene since 1947. The eponymous founder, a Constantinople-born tailor, is still alive and sometimes seen chatting to long-time customers and mentoring his grandchildren.
Christakis made a humble start in the basement of his now legendary store, but quickly grew in prestige and fame, attracting a select clientele of businessmen and politicos (the most famous being Constantine Karamanlis, “Greece’s De Gaulle” and the country’s best dressed statesman).
Christakis passed on the art of shirtmaking to his nephew (who remains senior cutter) and then his two grandchildren, Antonis and Christos. Two genteel young men who still furnish their old clientele with quaint products like smoking jackets and velvet slippers, alongside a new generation who dress and accessorize for the Instagram cognoscenti.
Insider tip: Ask the brothers to show you to the secret third floor. You’ll walk up the creaky wooden steps of a Harry-Potteresque staircase to find yourself in the old atelier where shirts and robes de chambre are sewn. A workshop that has barely changed since the forties, strewn with memories and filled with treasures.
Bespoke Athens
Founded in 2004 by pathological perfectionist Vassilis Bourtsalas, Bespoke Athens is (as the name suggests) an address for top-notch gentlemen’s tailoring. Conceived as a time capsule to preserve the last of the old school Greek tailors, Bespoke Athens has morphed into a vestiary style lab with international reach. Master tailors such as Valentino Ricci of Sciamat and Gennaro Annunziata of Chiaia Napoli visit regularly and suits are flown back and forth from Italy for a discerning Greek and global clientele.
Only passing through Athens? Bespoke Athens also does a charming selection of men’s accessories, from silk pochettes by the Parisian maison Charvet to the handmade beauties of Dolcepunta, Italian king of neckties. Looking for a total makeover? Go for the signature look at this temple to timeless style: grey pleated woollen trousers, wide lapelled blue blazers with a dramatic silhouette, Bengal stripe shirts and muted cashmere ties. Don’t forget to cap it off with a crisp linen pocket square.
Insider tip: At the adjacent shirt atelier, customers can witness the cutting and stitching of shirts, made entirely by hand in the finest poplins.
