So I've been inspired by my friend Sarah's visit to Munich to talk about all the weird different things about Bavaria that I started to take for granted after living there for a year. I say Bavaria instead of Germany, because they really are 2 different animals--but I'll tackle that in a different post. I wish I had written about these things earlier, but when I'm out doing new things I tend to be too busy experiencing them to have coherent thoughts about them, especially not ones that can be written out.
But now that I'm home I'm happy to share :)
Well, the first inspiration for this post was Sarah's amazement at dirndls and lederhosen.
A dirndl (pronounced DURRN-DULL) is a traditional dress worn in Bavaria (southern Germany), Lichtenstein, and Austria.
Lederhosen, much more commonly known, are the male counterpart to the dirndl.
After living in Munich for over a year, I stopped finding these traditional clothes so noteworthy.
The most common time that this style of dressing (known in German as Trachtenmoden) comes around is during Oktoberfest. BUT it is not uncommon to see it during the rest of the year, especially at any of the other beerfests or other formal occaisions. Little kids wear them a lot more, probably because they just look so darn cute in them.
Here's a few things you should know about Trachten:
*The original dress was long, but dirndls now also come in medium and short length, with varying types of blouses, aprons, and colors. Also, the dirndls from Austria are a different style from those in Bavaria. I'm not sure if Lederhosen vary by country all that much, but they do have different lengths and slightly different colors, plus the shirts are different too.
*They aren't cheap. My dirndl was very cheap with everything included for 99 euros, with most costing around 200 hundred to 300 hundred. Lederhosen, since they are made of leather, cost even more. Especially since they have more seperate parts (shirt, shoes, socks, sweater). Dirndls are cheaper when you buy them as a package (blouse and apron included) but the nicer ones usually come in seperates, which allows you more freedom to customize your dress, but also will cost you more.
*Dirndls are a whole fashion trend of their own. There are loads of different styles and every year there is a different Dirndl trends. A lot of people who live in Munich buy a new one every year. And if I wasn't leaving, I probably would have bought another one, because you can only wear the same dress so many times before it starts to get annoying.
*Don't assume that all Germans were Dirndls and Lederhosen. They are only from Southern Germany, and you will tick off a lot of Germans if you think otherwise.
*What Sarah found most shocking is that there are whole stores dedicated to the sale of Dirndls and Lederhosen. In fact, most major department stores have at least a small section devoted to Dirndls and Lederhosen (which is how I got mine so cheap).
*The best and most important thing is that Trachten look good on absolutely EVERYBODY. They are flattering on all body types, and if you are bigger they let you own that in a dignified and snazzy way. Lederhosen looke pretty dignified on Bavarian men with large beer bellys, and pretty hot on nice tall German boys. Dirndls are especially great because they make your boobs look big and show off your legs, while hiding any physical flaws you may have. Plus at least in Europe they are a guaranteed boy-magnet.
Caution: When wearing in the U.S. be careful because the average Joe-dumbass may think that you are dressed as a "beer wench". These people should not be associated with at any cost.
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