dirndl

Sartorial Saturday–Dirndl Socks

If you’ve been looking closely at my dirndl photos for the last few months, you may have noticed that I added a pair of dirndl socks to my wardrobe:

I have been interested in dirndl socks pretty much since I started wearing Trachten, but I was worried about how knee-high socks would fit my plus-size calves.

Last year, Rare Dirndl imported a few options from designer Luise Steiner, and when I noticed that they came in three sizes, including XXL, which fit shoe sizes 10-14, I figured it was finally time to give them a try. I went with the grey pair, because I thought they would go with most of my dresses (they do!).

They also look great with a wide variety of shoes, including my dirndl-style Mary Janes and also ankle boots, Docs and Adidas.

The fit is fantastic…they’re not too tight at all. The cable knit pattern is really pretty. And they’re a nice, heavy material, which is great for keeping my legs warm in the colder months!

Now that I’ve discovered that I can indeed wear dirndl socks, I may add some other colors to my wardrobe!

Sartorial Saturday–The Lederhosen Handbag

Today I’m looking at one of my favorite dirndl accessories…the lederhosen handbag!

When Rare Dirndl imported a batch of these, I knew it would make the perfect addition to my wardrobe. I didn’t really have a bag that went well with my dirndl looks. I love that it’s a nice, neutral olive shade, because it goes with most of my pieces.

There is no mistaking that it’s designed after lederhosen!

The details on the bag are amazing. I especially love the beautiful, detailed buckle on the removable shoulder strap:

It’s the perfect size to hold all my essentials.

I really love that it’s from an Austrian company!

As you can see from the handful of the looks I shared here, it’s very easy to style, and it walks the line between whimsical and practical perfectly!

Rare Dirndl is scheduled to get another shipment of these bags next month, and they always go fast, so if you’re interested, make sure you don’t wait!

Sartorial Saturday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Seven

It’s been a while since I shared a custom dirndl update!

I received my dress sans apron this week for another fitting. For the most part, the uneven skirt length issues have been sorted out, and I was able to get a feel for how short the skirt actually is. My number one concern was that I wouldn’t be able to wear it with my favorite petticoat, but as you can see here, it works just fine! (It’s a good thing I always let my petticoat show a bit, though!)

The twirl factor is still good, too!

I’ll be sending it back for what I assume will be the final touches…I can’t wait to see how the whole ensemble looks together!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Thursday–The Most Festive of Fashions

This year has been all about the festive fashions…for the last month, I’ve been wearing Christmas pieces almost exclusively, and on the rare occasions I didn’t, I was still on point with colors and festive accessories. You’ll get a snapshot of all of those looks in my daily outfit recap next week, but for now, let’s take a look at the ensembles I put together for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.

My look on the 24th was full of holiday cheer, but pretty standard:

But I especially liked the placement of my hair comb:

And of course I wore my Miss Candyfloss dressing gown when we got home from church…it’s the perfect glamorous piece for celebrating!

I was really happy with my look for Christmas Day, which featured my red Everyday Dirndl from Rare Dirndl, and my new Christmas apron:

And I think I did really well with accessories, too, especially the addition of a mini ornament brooch from Erstwilder on my zipper pull:

Back at home, I also got to wear the elegant new Miss Candyfloss robe I received for Christmas:

I’ve really had a lot of fun with my festive fashions this year!

Sartorial Saturday–A Velvet Apron for Christmas

It’s that time of year again…a new Christmas apron from Rare Dirndl has been added to my wardrobe!

This is a newer tradition that I really look forward…once fall hits, I start wondering what this year’s apron will look like. I was super excited to see this green velvet variety with holly-print ties (it was also offered with plaid and Santa-print ties)…velvet just screams “Christmas” to me!

It’s so luxurious, and is such a great match for my elegant brocade dirndl!

I accessorized with a tiny pair of wreath earrings, an Erstwilder brooch worn as a necklace, and a stack of Splendette duchess bangles:

I love wearing a festive dirndl to the Christkindlmarkt in downtown Belleville!

I bought a new pair of ankle boots to go with some of my Miss Candyfloss dresses, but I discovered that they are also a perfect match for my Magician dirndl!

This is such a fun way to dress for Christmas!

What festive fashion are you planning this season?

Sartorial Saturday…On a Wednesday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Six

It’s only been a week, but I already have my Rare Dirndl custom dirndl in hand for a fitting, so here’s an early look at how it’s coming along!

It definitely needs some tweaks…the skirt on the dress I’m having it made from wasn’t straight (which wasn’t entirely a surprise to me in retrospect), so that’s going to need to be adjusted, and may end up being shorter than the dirndls I normally wear, so I’ll have to decide if I’m comfortable with that or if I want to add a border to it. The colors Erika picked are gorgeous, and the apron is especially lovely…I wanted something sheer enough to let the butterfly pattern of the dress show through, and she found just what I had in mind!

I’ll be sending it back so she can work on it some more…stay tuned for the next update!

Sartorial Saturday…On a Wednesday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Five

I got a little glimpse at how my custom dirndl from Rare Dirndl is coming together and I’m so excited I wanted to share!

Sartorial Saturday–Falling for Frühling

It might be autumn, but I am absolutely falling in love with the Frühling dirndl from Rare Dirndl!

I’m actually a little late to the party with this one. Rare Dirndl released a new collection celebrating the four seasons, Jahreszeiten, earlier this year. The four-piece collection ranges from a summery mini dirndl to a longer-length dirndl for autumn as well as a glittery green for winter. The dirndl that caught my eye, however, was the one inspired by spring. The dress is a lovely shade of grey, with a small print on the bodice and a solid skirt. The apron included with the dirndl upon release was a pretty coral, grey, and white floral print, but what really convinced me that I needed to add this dirndl to my wardrobe was the lilac, mint, and white apron that was added as an option when the other fabric sold out. The coral was beautiful, but this is absolutely stunning!

I went with my standard accessories…edelweiss earrings, necklace, and wrap bracelet with a pop of color, plus a floral crown in keeping with the spring theme:

Speaking of accessories, the dirndl came with a lovely edelweiss zipper pull:

The cool grey of the dirndl is so beautiful with the lilac and mint of the apron, but it’s also a nice neutral backdrop that will look fantastic with many of my aprons!

I have gotten so much use out of this lederhosen handbag this Oktoberfest season!

My Docs plus my grey dirndl socks were great accompaniments to this look:

It might be fall, but it was a warm day when I wore the dirndl, and the lightweight fabric was very much appreciated!

Here’s a closer look at the stunning apron…I especially love the tiny print on the tie! And of course the dress has pockets!

I had a lot of fun wearing it for the first time to Oktoberfest in Soulard, St. Louis, MO!

The regal high collar neckline is a little different from my other dirndls, and I really love the fit.

I’m already looking forward to seeing what kind of collection Rare Dirndl might introduce next year!

Sartorial Saturday…on a Wednesday–The Custom Dirndl Experience: Part Four

My custom dirndl is off to be sewn! Check out the amazing butterfly-print fabric Erika found for the lining!

Oktoberfest 2024

It’s time for a look back at all of the Oktoberfest fun we’ve enjoyed over the last month or so!

We started close to home toward the end of September, with Belleville Oktoberfest, which begins even before the big celebration in Munich. It’s not my favorite Oktoberfest, but it’s easy to attend, and I love any reason to wear a dirndl!

Next up was my favorite area Oktoberfest, in St. Charles, MO. This year’s event was interesting because it was super muddy, but still a lot of fun, with music, dancing, food, and shopping.

We went back to Zootoberfest at the St. Louis Zoo…they still have the best pretzels!

New to us this year was Soulard’s Oktoberfest in St. Louis. There was more good music with the added bonus of a stroll through the Soulard Market.

And finally, our family Oktoberfest, once all of the other area celebrations had wrapped up. We started with an Oktoberfest Eve meal of brats and sauerkraut, plus German tater tots inspired by the ones we tried in Soulard, and apple strudel made by Ladybug for dessert.

Of course I had to put together one more look featuring Rare Dirndl, and it was also a bit of a Disney Bound, as a nod to the Disney Princess with my favorite fashion sense, Rapunzel!

We made pretzels, and instead of fondue, I made Obatzda, a German cheese spread that’s great on the pretzels.

For dinner we had all of my German favorites…Schweineschnitzel, spaetzle, and rotkohl….all homemade, too!

Every good holiday deserves a special drink…I made an apple pie mocktail with apple cider, caramel syrup, cinnamon, and ginger beer. It tasted like fall in a glass, and I even learned how to make an apple fan for a garnish!

And for dessert, one of our family’s all-time favorites–Schwarzwälder Kirschtorte!

I’m kind of sad that Oktoberfest season is over already…it’s become something I really look forward to every year!