An Introduction to Dirndls

1. An Introduction to Dirndls Are you in the market for some ladies trachten wear? Since dirndls come in many varieties, we recommend using this quick mini-guide to help you navigate through the plethora of choices available! The dirndl dress, along with lederhosen, is an iconic piece of German history and tradition that is still worn today. When is it still worn you ask? Like most traditional clothes today, it is not worn as everyday fashion. Dirndls are brought out from the back of the dresser by every German for traditional festivals such as Oktoberfest, Cannstatter Wasen, and the Stuttgart Spring Festival among many more celebrations. Dirndls are also worn by Bavarian Dance troupes and for German club meetings. Whatever your need may be, when you buy dirndls your shopping experience will still be jam-packed with an incredible amount of choices! So enough with the pleasantries, let’s get right into it! Although dirndls come in an overwhelming amount of varieties, there are three main components that always need to go together to make dirndl a dirndl. A dirndl is made up of a blouse, the corset dress, and an apron. However, each piece comes in a lot of different styles.

2. Let’s start with blouses: The blouses for a dirndl are usually white and short sleeved, but they also sometimes come in black. The embroidery around the collar and sleeves varies; you can have simple detailing or much more extravagant work. The blouses can also come in normal lengths (cover your entire torso even under the corset part of the dress) or short lengths (only cover up until the corset). The material used for blouses also vary, they can be made with opaque fabrics or something more sheer. Sheer fabric is used for the sleeves. In terms of the actual corset dress: The corset dress comes in many styles as well. If it doesn't have embroidery near the bottom of the skirt part, it is a waitress dirndl. Dirndls come in different lengths as well. You could buy mini length, mid length, and long length dirndls. Dirndls could also be very simple in just a solid color and minimum embroidery, to very intricately design with different fabric patterns, embroidery patterns, and customizations. It goes without saying but simple dirndls will cost less money than one with patterns and more details. Lastly, aprons: Aprons come in different lengths as well to accommodate the different skirt lengths of the corset dress. They are usually white, but depending on the set (if all three items come together) it may come in a range colors or be made with a patterned fabric that matches the design on the corset dress. There are different types of embroidery designs that go into the white aprons, many of which you could find a matching blouse for! Now that you know what pieces come together to make the dirndl and their varieties we believe you are ready to go out and get your own! Are you a US based buyer? Good news! You can purchase a German imported high quality dirndl from European Fashion and Gifts in Solvang, California. You could also visit them online at Europeanfashionandgifts.com to buy dirndls. They are owned by Ernst Licht Imports, the biggest US importer of German goods. Now get out there and find your perfect match!