In 2021, I received my first (and second) dirndls. Throughout the course of the year, I added two more, and now in addition to the four dirndls, I have a total of nine aprons, four dirndl blouses, and a whole bunch of fun accessories. I didn’t get them to just have them hang in my closet, though, so I made a point of dirndl-ing up at least once a month this year. I’ve worn Heiligen Tracht for Easter and Christmas, I’ve traveled to Chicago in one, and I was able to wear a dirndl to Oktoberfest and Grant’s Farm for the first time (among other places). Here’s a look back at my year of dirndl-wearing.
And a closer look at some of my favorite dirndl accessories (including lots of edelweiss!):
I’m looking forward to wearing my dirndls to even more places this year!
Time for a look at this year’s festive fashion, heavily influenced by the Arctic weather we’ve been having. The chill made warm clothing a must on Christmas Eve, so I added a cape and beret (and red tights), to my usual Christmas dress. I also added a Christmas Splendette stack, my favorite sparkly Christmas brooch, and equally sparkly silver shoes.
Even at home, I had to dress with the cold in mind, so I threw a cardigan on over my Miss Candyfloss dressing gown:
The faux fur collar on my cape is removable, so I changed up its look on Christmas Day. This time I wore a Rare Dirndl and my new Christmas apron, plus a flower crown that arrived just in time for Christmas. I accessorized with edelweiss, a brand-new Homes bracelet, and some Erstwilder brooches:
I kind of enjoyed having truly cold weather for Christmas, especially since it allowed me to dress a little differently this year!
For the first time, I had national dress to wear to Oktoberfest! I went with my newest piece from Rare Dirndl, the Herbology dirndl, and I dressed it up with my fanciest apron:
I planned my outfit carefully, including some lovely Edelweiss accessories and a not-quite-Alpine hat:
I even painted my nails in lovely fall colors for the occasion!
I decided to try something different when it came to footwear…I went with ankle boots, and I love how they went with the outfit!
I’m really happy with how this look came together!
Here’s a pair of photos from the event:
And some pictures of the event itself:
It was so much fun to be able to dress for the occasion!
“Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens Bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens Brown paper packages tied up with strings These are a few of my favorite things.”
The Herbology Dirndl from Rare Dirndl is my fourth dress from them, and it’s the one that most makes me feel like I’ve stepped right out of a scene in The Sound of Music. There’s something about the blue and brown dirndl combined with the plaid apron that just screams frolicking through the Alps to me!
I love the foliage print apron ties!
I also love that this particular style takes some inspiration from Professor Sprout…that makes my Hufflepuff heart happy!
I accessorized with lots of edelweiss (hair clip, earrings, and necklace), plus some beaded bracelets:
I think this will be a great look for fall!
But wait there’s more! When I placed my order, Rare Dirndl was running a special that included a bonus lace apron. According to my middle daughter, this particular pairing makes me look like Cinderella!
There’s such a lovely elegance to a lace apron.
It has the same beautiful foliage print ties as the plaid apron:
But I couldn’t just leave it at that, right? As soon as I saw the colors of the dirndl in person, I knew I had to pair it with my deer print apron from “Die Heimat” dirndl:
That, of course, meant a slight change in accessories, because a deer print apron calls for a bold Hirsch necklace!
This look is just as great as the first two…I love having the ability to mix and match aprons (I have a total of eight of them for my four dirndls).
The best thing about this dirndl is how absolutely versatile it is, and I have yet another styling in mind that I’m planning on trying out for Oktoberfest!
When I first saw the Rare Dirndl Lemonade Stand apron, I thought it was pretty. But when I learned that the proceeds from the aprons were going to Alex’s Lemonade Stand to benefit pediatric cancer research, I knew that it wasn’t just pretty, it was also a piece of clothing with a conscience!
I actually didn’t have my purple dirndl in mind when I ordered the apron…at least not for my first styling. But when I saw the lovely color in the flowers, a faint pinkish-purple, I knew that it would be perfect…and I really love purple and yellow together, too!
I went with lots of edelweiss accessories:
It’s such a summery look!
I’d love to see Rare Dirndl do more charity aprons in the future…it’s a great way for me to support both a small business and a good cause!
Last year, I ordered a fun, whimsical apron from Rare Dirndl to change up the look of one of my dirndls for Christmas. I’ve added a second special apron to my wardrobe, but instead of being bright and fun, this one is glamorous and elegant, words I didn’t know could be used to describe an apron!
Here’s a close-up of the beautiful beading…it really sparkles in the sunlight!
When I first saw this apron, I thought that it wouldn’t go with anything in my wardrobe…until I thought about the color scheme of “Die Heimat,” which is the perfect backdrop for this stunning separate!
I love having a way to really dress up one of my dirndls!
I found this adorable apron for half off at Eckert’s when we stopped in there today. We may only have a few days of Christmas left, but I’m looking forward to wearing it while I can, and then again next year!