fashion

Oktoberfest 2025

Time to look back at all of the Oktoberfests we attended this year! I had a great time wearing my favorite Rare Dirndls various places and celebrating my heritage!

First Chickadee and I went to Grant’s Farm in mid-September. This was a first (or at least the first time in a long time) for us. We were there pretty early, so we didn’t get to see the entertainment, but we did share a pretzel and it was top-tier…super buttery and one of the best we had!

Next was Belleville Oktoberfest, which is always something of a disappointment to me…the pretzels weren’t even very good! But it was an excuse to wear a dirndl and walk down Main Street.

Third was my favorite local Oktoberfest in St. Charles, MO. The music and dancing were amazing and the pretzels were delicious! Plus, it seems like the most authentic one in our area (says the woman who has never been to Munich…).

We always celebrate Oktoberfest at home. I made our standard German feast of schnitzel and spaetzle and red cabbage, with Black Forest cherry torte for dessert (not to mention fondue with pretzels, pickles, and brats for lunch), and not to brag, but the pretzels at our establishment are pretty good, too!

For the second year, we went to Soulard’s Oktoberfest, and I have to say, I really love this (relatively) small event! The pretzels were only so-so, but the cheese sauce was excellent, and the brass band was one of our favorites!

I was worried we weren’t going to make it to Zootoberfest at the St. Louis Zoo, but we managed to get there on the final day. As always, the pretzels are the best in the region (and the beer cheese they serve with them is outstanding), and I got to hear a polka band, complete with accordion!

This was a really fun season of festing…I’ll leave you with Brasshaufen Brass Band (a group we enjoyed both in St. Charles and Soulard) doing one of my favorite Oktoberfest numbers. Prost!

Sartorial Saturday–Trumpeting in Pink

Today I’m taking a look at my second trumpet skirt from Miss Candyfloss…the lovely Lucile-Paz in a vibrant mulberry pink!

I loved the Gillian-Kat trumpet skirt so much that I knew I wanted to add another to my wardrobe. When I saw this beautiful color, I knew that it (and the matching vest) was exactly what I was looking for.

I accessorized with my favorite hat, an Erstwilder brooch, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles.

I also added black lace gloves and a statement ring to complete the look:

Just like I did with the Gillian-Kat skirt, for my first wearing of the Lucile-Paz I paired it with a ruffled Frenchie top from Unique Vintage, this time in a dark grey:

I know I’m usually all about the swing skirts, but I really love the way a trumpet skirt looks and moves, and I think it’s a great style for me!

Stay tuned to see the matching vest!

Sartorial Saturday–A New Lace Apron for Oktoberfest

Today I’m taking a look at a beautiful floral lace apron from Rare Dirndl I got just in time for Oktoberfest!

I’ve had my eye on this made-to-order style for a while, and I decided to cash in my “Prost Points” (the Rare Dirndl rewards program) to have this apron made before I went to my favorite Oktoberfest in St. Charles, MO.

Here’s a look at the accessories I wore with it:

I love how sheer lace is, which allows the lovely color of the skirt of the Harlequin dirndl to shine through!

This is such a good staple piece…I’m really looking forward to pairing it with more of my dirndls!

Sartorial Saturday–Casual Stripes

It may be technically fall, but we’re still having summer weather, so today I’m taking a look at a casual, striped top from this year’s spring/summer collection from Miss Candyfloss.

The Kacey-Wisteria is a lovely, stretchy top with just a hint of off-the-shoulder playfulness in a soft shade of lavender. I paired it here with the Idalia-Lee skort from last year, but it goes well with so many other things in my wardrobe, from skirts to jeans!

I kept my accessories fairly simply, with a RockLove Jewelry water lily necklace, an Erstwilder brooch, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:

I loved the Juliette-Rose dress so much that I knew I needed to add this top to my wardrobe…they’re very similar!

The back neckline of the shirt mirrors the front:

I love the nautical vibe of this look!

I’m looking forward to wearing this top under jackets once it cools off, too!

Sartorial Saturday–My First Capris

Miss Candyfloss is in the middle of releasing items from their new autumn/winter collection, but today I’m taking a look at my first pair of capri pants from the spring/summer Chérie Bardot lookbook!

The Jacinna-Lee capri pants in blue with white polka dots are extremely comfortable and very stretchy…I sized down from my usual Miss Candyfloss size, and I’m almost certain I could have gone two full sizes with no problem! I decided to go bold with pattern mixing by pairing them with the tartan Efrona-Lee blouse.

I accessorized with a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles and an Erstwilder brooch:

And I added a little bit of extra pattern with a belt covered in polka squares!

This is a great comfortable outfit to wear as the seasons change!

I’m really glad I got to add another new Miss Candyfloss style to my wardrobe!

Sartorial Saturday–Pirouette

Today I’m taking a look at my second skort from Popflex!

I’ve loved the twirly, ballerina-esque Pirouette skort from Popflex since I first saw it, but I knew that the style was too short for me to be comfortable in. You can imagine how excited I was, then, when they announced that they were going to offer it in a new longer length!

Of course I added a few accessories to complete my look, including a RockLove Jewelry necklace and a stack of bracelets:

I paired it with a Not Your Typical Tank from Popflex, which is the best tank top ever!

I love that this look adds a bit of elegance even when I’m being active!

I’m looking forward to styling this skort for cooler days soon, too!

Sartorial Saturday–Pretty in Plaid

Let me be real for a moment. This is a total first world problem, and I know it, but the tariff situation with the US has significantly impacted my ability to order clothes from Miss Candyfloss, my very favorite clothing company. I was able to place an order before the increases took effect, but because the items from the new collection, Solivère, were only just beginning to be released, I didn’t have a whole lot of options to choose from, including my most-wished for item from the lookbook, a beautiful purple dress. The Cloe-Minty caught my eye, though…it’s my favorite style of dress in a lovely soft grey color with pretty mint stripes in the plaid. While it might not have been my first choice, it is a beautiful dress, and if I can find anything to be happy about, it’s that I ordered a piece that I otherwise might have overlooked.

I decided to really run with the subtle mint in the dress, and added a fascinator, Splendette Duchess Bangles, and beads in that color. I also added grey gloves, and a sliver brooch I’ve had so long, I no longer remember where it’s from!

I love that the plaid isn’t too wide…it makes it much easier to wear!

The full skirt has an outstanding twirl, too!

Stay tuned for another styling of this dress in the future!

Sartorial Saturday–Inspired by Daisy Duck

This isn’t the first Disney Bound I’ve done in honor of Daisy Duck, and it’s not even the first featuring this dress and cardigan, but it is my favorite look inspired by her signature style that I’ve come up with!

For this Disney Bound, I buttoned up my purple Yemak cropped cardigan over my white Honesta-May dress from Miss Candyfloss and cinched it with a pink belt. I also added a pink fascinator inspired by Daisy’s usual bow…I think the color palette is spot on!

I don’t have a daisy brooch, but I thought a white hydrangea from Erstwilder would be a good substitute. I also added a pair of Splendette Duchess Bangles in the same color as Daisy’s signature bracelet.

I think I captured Daisy’s look quite well, don’t you?

I tried to emulate her sass and sparkle as much as possible!

I really enjoy Disney Bounding, and it’s fun to try to figure out how the items I already have in my wardrobe can be used for this purpose!

Sartorial Saturday–Back-to-School Style

Today I’m taking a look at a very different style of outfit for me…a 1960s-inspired sweater and pleated skirt set with a pickleball theme!

When I saw this Smak Parlour outfit on Unique Vintage’s website last spring, I fell in love with it even though it’s not my usual style. The color palette (which I’m guessing was intentionally or unintentionally inspired by Wicked), is really pretty, and I loved the pickleball details…while we don’t play pickleball in school, we do play tennis fairly frequently, so the racquet sport style really appealed to me.

Look how cute the bouncing pickleball embroidery around the hem is!

I kept my accessories simple, with a stack of Homes bracelets and a RockLove Jewelry necklace…no need for a brooch thanks to the paddle embroidery on the sweater!

The real reason I fell in love with this outfit, though, was because there was a coordinating (but not matching) outfit featuring a button down dress and shorts that Chickadee fell in love with, making it the perfect ensemble for both of us for the first day of school!

This is a fun and unexpected addition to my wardrobe, and I’m already planning on how I can wear the pieces independent of each other!

Sartorial Saturday–The Galactic Forge

Today I’m taking a look at a new accessory that’s very close to my heart…the Star Wars Galactic Forge necklace from RockLove Jewelry.

I was intrigued when they first started sharing photos of this new range that debuted at San Diego Comic Con last month. The necklaces (and coordinating bracelets) are somehow both industrial and elegant. They evoke images of military dog tags, but there’s also a beauty to them. Each piece is inscribed with a quote from Star Wars in the universe language of Aurebesh…the one I chose is Han Solo’s defiant quote “Never Tell Me the Odds.” You also have the option of adding an enhancer which clips on, and I picked a diamond-shaped Mandalorian style with a green crystal and “Clan of Two” engraved on the front in Aurebesh, with the ClanMudhorn signet on the reverse. The two elements together make this a very personal and meaningful piece to me:

Even the clasp on the chain is stylized, and meant to be shown instead of hidden in back:

I really love this new collection, and those who were lucky enough to be at Comic Con had the option to purchase a special design and have their name engraved on it in Aurebesh, which I think is an amazingly cool idea…it really makes me wish I had been able to attend, because that is one of the coolest souvenirs ever! I have about a dozen RockLove necklaces, and they’re all gorgeous, but I think this one might be the most beautiful one yet!