Turning Bavarian

Posted by on 13 July 2008

I am happy to announce that I am now the proud owner of my very own dirndl. I love it more than I ever thought I could love traditional clothing, Bavarian or otherwise. It fits surprisingly well, and I adore the colors. (Even before I bought it I was told that I have a very good Dirndl-Figur… I’ll give you one guess as to what that really means.)

A dirndl is a traditional Bavarian dress, worn with an apron, and is basically the female counterpart to lederhosen. Dirndls and lederhosen aren’t exactly everyday wear here in Bavaria anymore, unless you happen to be waiting tables at the Hofbräuhaus. But they’re still quite popular, especially at beer festivals and other occasions. Like this thing they call the Oktoberfest… perhaps you’ve heard of it?

Dirndls come in all colors and fabrics, and can range in price from around 100 euros to several thousand, depending on your dedication to the cause. On the low end, stores such as C&A; sell cheap versions of dirndl, or I hear there are some great deals to be found on Ebay. I wanted something a bit nicer, but didn’t want to invest too much, so we headed out to the Loden Frey outlet near the Olympia Einkaufzentrum to do a little Tracht shopping. I ended up spending less than I expected to, so I’m doubly happy with the outcome.

Now, if only I could find a reason to wear my dirndl before Oktoberfest…

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Comments (14)

  • cliff1976
    July 13th, 2008

    Traditional weddings are another place to get your Dirndl on. Heh.

    I used to work in the office park where Wirkes is in Regensburg. A couple of times I’ve been tempted to spring for a set. Our pals Narg and Sam, when visiting in 2004, dropped some coin on these duds there:

    Photo 1 Photo 2

  • Michelle
    July 13th, 2008

    Congrats on your dirndl!

    I Love Dirndls. I have been here for 2.5 years and own 2 – so I am at an average of buying one dirndl per year. :) There are not enough occasions to wear them but agree that local weddings, Oktoberfest, evening in the beer garden and some parties seem to be the venues. I always joke that I am going to wear one on the flight home to CT but maybe one of these days I actually will… hehehe

  • Jul
    July 13th, 2008

    Note to self: make friends with people who are about to have traditional Bavarian weddings.

    Cliff – sounds like it’s about time you got some of your own! Scott’s also in the market for some lederhosen.

    Michelle – I can definitely see wanting to buy more than one. I hope I don’t develop a debilitating dirndl addiction… and you should totally wear one on the plane home sometime. :)

  • Global Librarian
    July 13th, 2008

    When I was in Munich last fall I saw several women coming from the Operahaus wearing dirndls, but they were made of silk and lace.

    By the way, I am beyond jealous you have a dirndl. I’ve actually wanted one for years. Partially because I also have a “dirndl figure” and I know I would look fab in it. But I just cannot justify the purchase.

    Perhaps we should also move to Munich? Then it would warrant the purchase. Although that is extremely unlikely to ever happen…

  • Jul
    July 13th, 2008

    I thought I would have trouble justifying the purchase of something I’ll never wear, but as it turns out I’m more than happy I got it. Even if I only ever wear it around the house, I’ll get my money’s worth out of it, because it makes me that happy. :)

    There’s an Oktoberfest in Zurich… you could always wear it there… and to the opera, too!

  • Mark Reynolds
    July 13th, 2008

    What do you wear with a dirndl, exactly? I know traditionally it always seems to be paired with a long skirt, but could you wear a dirndl with blue jeans, if you just popping out to run some errands?

  • Jul
    July 13th, 2008

    The Bavarian dirndls are dresses, with a skirt already attached to the bodice. The apron is a separate piece, as is the little half-blouse that is worn underneath. I hadn’t really contemplated wearing any of the components separately, though…

  • Jul
    July 13th, 2008

    Oh, and the lengths of the dresses vary greatly, from near-floor-length to mini-skirt. Apparently different lengths come in and out of style.

  • DL NELSON
    July 13th, 2008

    I lived in Stuttgart for two years and my ex was in an Army band and we played lots of fashing and fests but I could never afford a dirnl. I was given the scarf. I now live in Switzerland and have taken the nationality, but no native dress. sigh

  • zandria
    July 14th, 2008

    How fun! I like that you did that. Can’t wait to see you in it! Post pictures! :)

  • Corregio
    July 14th, 2008

    Loden Frey? Excellent choice.
    And about the flight dress: Lufthansa flight attendants wear Dirndl and Lederhosn during Oktoberfest on long distance flights from and to Munich.. so fly during Oktoberfest and you’re not alone. :)

  • Corregio
    July 14th, 2008

    Oh – and a first opportunity is coming up: the Kocherlball next sunday. ;-)

    http://www.muenchen.de/Stadtleben/Specials/zzz_Archiv_Specials/98378/kocherlball.html

  • Jul
    July 14th, 2008

    DL – it’s too bad Switzerland doesn’t have something fun and dirndl-like to wear… perhaps you should research the historic local dress and start a new trend. :)

    Zan – photos forthcoming (when I gather up the courage to show my cleavage off to the world).

    Corregio – interesting about the flight attendants. Fun that they do that! The Kocherlball sounds fun… if only it weren’t at 6am!

  • Jul
    July 14th, 2008

    PS – Zan, you can get a little preview on Facebook. :)

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