The 6 Best Dirndl

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The Dirndl belongs to the field of traditional costume and country house fashion, which has been traditionally worn in Austria, Bavaria and at the Oktoberfest for a long time. At the largest folk festival in the world, the wearing of a dirndl is compulsory for the female visitors. A classic dirndl originally consists of a dress with a built-in bodice and a white blouse. A contrasting and patterned apron is worn, the crowning glory are matching stockings. Over the years the popularity of the Dirndl has steadily increased, so that it is also used for many other occasions. The traditional costume fashion offers a wide range of colours so that the different components can be harmoniously coordinated with each other. Among the favourites are subtle powder shades and delicate pastel colours, such as sky blue, pistachio green and pink red. Ladies with a pronounced sense of fashion like it more conspicuously and choose the Dirndl in a bright red, bright violet or strong green tones. The Dirndl and its long historyThe Dirndl has its origin in the 19th century and was worn during this time as a robust working garment in the country. It was very inexpensive as a piece of clothing, as it was often patched together from old and leftover fabric remnants. The name Dirndl is derived from the female servants in agriculture, who were called ‘prostitutes’ in the old language. The prostitutes wore their traditional costumes for every occasion, in the forest as well as on the mountain pasture and in their daily housework. The first Dirndl consisted mainly of very simple fabrics such as cotton and linen. For particularly poor maids, the old bed linen was used as an apron to protect the more valuable undergarment. More than a hundred years later the Dirndl has become socially acceptable, now noble silk fabrics and richly decorated materials are used. Instead of being worn at work, dirndls are nowadays worn at parties and special occasions. The change to the elegant DirndlThe Dirndl experienced an extreme change in the 1930s, when elegant visitors from the city travelled to the countryside for their summer holidays. They liked the original costumes of the farmer’s wives and started to copy the practical working fashion. In addition to the traditional elements, chic accents now came together in the combination of dirndls, including puffed sleeves in the blouses and laced bodices. A white frill blouse looks particularly appealing under the dress, this conveys an innocent impression. Romantics prefer delicate blouses with lace borders and colour contrasting hems and decorations. Colourfully patterned and richly decorated aprons round off the distinctive overall impression. For particularly eye-catching models, the apron has a completely different pattern than the dress, for example with a fine Vichy check, wide stripes or an Alpine edelweiss print. This is how the Dirndl has spread internationally. Corsetry, fabrics, aprons and bows in DirndlFor an elegant Dirndl, a high-quality fabric plays an important role, including brocade, silk and lace. The finer the fabric, the more noble the dirndl looks. A matching bodice emphasises the upper part of the body and skillfully emphasises the wearer’s breasts. You can choose from numerous designs, very attractive are laced bodices with silk ribbons, alternatively also with silver chains. Modern variants are equipped with a zipper and make dressing and undressing easier. A Charivari, a jewelry chain made of solid silver, which is decorated with precious stones, coins, medals, badgers, small remnants of deer and deer antlers and animal paws, fits perfectly. The length of the dress is a different matter, the dirndl at least reaches over the knee or even down to the ankle, true to the original. Tourists often opt for the mini versions of the Dirndl, but these are frowned upon by the locals. Those who like it traditional, stick to the longer version. Be careful when binding the apron loop, whose position reflects the relationship status of the wearer. The ladies who have been given the ribbon wear it on the right, the ribbon stands on the left and the wearer wants to flirt, virgins wear the ribbon in the middle and widows behind their backs.

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