In past years there has been pressure on women to be in tip-top shape 24 hours a day. This rule still applies today. What has changed is that it now also applies to men!

A woman should dress according to the way of life she leads and depending on her family's financial resorts. If a lady is wearing an impressive evening dress while her husband is clad in a humble, cheap suit, the combination looks odd. True elegance is when someone wears the appropriate clothes at the appropriate time. It is foolish for a woman to consider herself well¬dressed if she copies an expensive, complicated dress using a cheap fabric and an inept dressmaker.

A black dress is a timeless item. It suits all women of all ages. It matches with all kinds of jewelry and accessories, and can even be worn in the morning - unless it is made of satin, velvet or silk.

- When in doubt as to what one should wear for an evening invitation, less is more.

- Wearing clothes that suit our body and age is key. While in our twenties we may wear anything as long as it is decent, but during our fifties our clothes should cover our imperfections.

- It took a long time for women in Greece to adopt the habit of wearing trousers. Although trousers may suit models, they are not necessarily suitable for all types of female bodies.

- It is inelegant for a woman to walk her dog, or even just cross the street to buy a newspaper, wearing her bathrobe or pyjamas.

- A lady should never comb or brush her hair in public.

- Nothing is more cute and feminine than a lady who removes a pocket mirror from her bag to check on her lipstick, or who apologizes and goes to the ladies room to powder her nose. However, when she gets out her whole beauty case, spreads her day creams on her work desk, paints her nails in the bus, and delays a whole line of cars when applying her eye-liner at the traffic lights, no matter how attractive the result may be the whole process seems totally inelegant. While women's fashion changes every season, men's fashion remains more or less the same, resisting time.

- An elegant gentleman ignores fashion's foibles and extravagances. He is aware that eccentricity in clothing is not meritorious in men. He avoids flashy colors, outrageous outfits and daring combinations. He should wear new clothes, paying attention to each and every detail, but he should ensure that his appearance is subtle. His clothes should not seem as though they have been just bought, but as though they had been tailor made for his body, fitting him snugly and suitably like an animal's fur or a bird's feathers. A man's appearance should be described in three words: uniform, simple, neutral.

- There are two theories behind the wearing of a white T-shirt underneath a shirt. The first says that it is useful, since it protects us from perspiration in the summer, and from cold in the winter. The opposing theory holds that it is pass& and that the sight of a white T-shirt protruding out of the shirt's collar is an unpleasant sight. However, as it happens in most cases, the truth is somewhere in between.

- We are only allowed to wear shorts in the city in two occasions: if we are sitting outside at our own home's swimming pool (if we are lucky enough to have one, of course), and if we are very young, since most things are pardonable in the young!

- Speedo swimming suits should have a weight¬rate warning. They should only be worn by well-formed, lean bodies.

- When visiting someone's house, a gentleman should only remove his jacket after receiving permission from his hosts.

to be continued...

THE ATHENS 2004 DVD SET in NTSC IS HERE !!!! As announced in our previous month's newsletter the Athens 2004 DVD set is now available and shipping. Please also note that we are also extending the free Athens 2004 t-shirt offer to all our members of our mailing list. To claim your free t-shirt enter the size in the "Special Instructions" box during checkout when purchasing the Athens 2004 DVD set. This is similar to the PAL version of the set also sold here but features the ability to view it with Greek or English subtitles. It also features some extended footage not previously available in the Greek version. DVD 1 - Opening Ceremonies - 211 minutes DVD 2 - Highlights From the Games - 62 minutes DVD 3 - Greek Athletes & Their Greatest Moments - 93 minutes DVD 4 - Closing Ceremonies - 136 minutes DVD Set includes a 68 page photoalbum illustrating various athletes, events, and glorious moments of the Athens 2004 Olympic Games. The narration is in Greek but the DVD includes the ability to select subtitles in English and Greek (for the hearing impaired). For more details on the Athens 2004 DVD set click here!