Just in time for Oktoberfest season, the last of my manis inspired by the flags of my heritage…the German flag! I used Sally Hansen Miracle Gel “Stilettos and Studs,” Bésame Cosmetics “Holiday Red,” and Sally Hansen Miracle Gel “Sunbrella” for the colors representing the stripes of the flag, and Sally Hansen Miracle Gel “Hi Ho Silver” to bookend the look.
I have shared quite a few looks featuring dirndls, aprons, and blouses (not to mention accessories!) from Rare Dirndl, but my new red Everyday Dirndl is extra special, because my inspiration for styling it came from the red and white Austrian flag, the flag of my grandfather’s birth country!
My accessories are also inspired by Austria, with a red flower crown, a pair of Rare Dirndl necklaces (one an edelweiss, and one inspired by the Austrian flag itself!), an edelweiss clip in place of a brooch, and a red edelweiss wrap bracelet. I’m also wearing edelweiss earrings, but you can’t really see them.
The Everyday Dirndl comes with an apron in the same color and fabric as the dress, but you have an option of adding a “Surprise Me” apron to your order, and Erika will choose something from her stock that she thinks will look great with your dirndl. This was my first experience with this apron, and I asked her if she’d be willing to find me something special in white to complete my Austrian flag-inspired look, and she obliged. I couldn’t have designed something more perfect myself!
The “Surprise Me” apron is so lovely…it has gorgeous flowers embroidered on it, lots of sparkle, and a tie that is red on one side and white on the other.
I feel like I could go frolicking in the Alps in this outfit!
I added a new white lace dirndl blouse to my wardrobe, as well. It has an absolutely gorgeous neckline!
This whole look is everything I dreamed it would be, and I like to thank my grandfather would be happy to see me in it!
I continue to be impressed with the quality of Rare Dirndl’s products, their fabulous customer service, and the way they help me honor my heritage in a fresh, modern, unique way!
The second mani in my heritage series is inspired by the Hungarian flag. I used Bésame Cosmetics in “Holiday Red,” Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in “Get Mod” and Holo Taco in “Wicked Potion” for the iconic stripes of the flag, and Sally Hansen Miracle Gel in “Game of Chromes” for the thumb and pinkie. And what better way to showcase this look than a bottle of Tony Packo’s Hungarian Paprika!
Today is the first of a series of three very special Mani Mondays featuring looks that represent the flags of my heritage. I’m beginning with the one closet to me, the red and white flag of Austria, the birthplace of my grandfather. I alternated Bésame Cosmetics “Holiday Red” with Sally Hansen Miracle Gel “Get Mod” to create the stripes, and of course I couldn’t leave out the edelweiss!
Let’s get straight to the point…the perfect shoes to pair (if you’ll pardon the pun) with your dirndl are the ones you’re comfortable in! Even going to relatively small Oktoberfest and Maifest celebrations, not to mentioning visiting a fairly small Christkindlmarkt, I know there is going to be a lot of walking when I wear a dirndl, so having supportive shoes that you’re comfortable in is super important! But so is style…
When I first ventured into the land of dirndl-wearing, I wanted to wear traditional-looking shoes…typically, black, low-heeled Mary-Jane style shoes. I found a pair from LifeStride that are quite comfortable and easy to wear, and I love the way they look with all of my dresses!
But of course I wasn’t going to stop there. Next I tried a pair of short black boots, which are especially nice with tights in the winter:
Speaking of boots, my iridescent Docs are perfect with my Everyday Dirndl for a kind of punk princess look:
I also like ankle boots, especially in the fall:
And sometimes, when I’m feeling fancy (Hello, Christmas!), I wear sparkly silver t-straps. They are the only pair of shoes that I wear with a dirndl that aren’t comfortable to walk any great distance in, which is why they’re special occasion shoes. (The rest featured here, however, are all great for walking around places like Grant’s Farm and Oktoberfest!)
Speaking of comfort, most recently, I’ve paired my faithful old Birks for summer style!
I still haven’t worn traditional heels with a dirndl, but I have an idea that I may try out eventually…what footwear do you like to wear with a dirndl?
Late last winter, Rare Dirndl announced a new collection that they were offering in a new way. The Zirkus collection, which was introduced with five dirndls plus a dirndl vest, was crowdfunded before it was put into a production…like a Kickstarter without the middle man. The full collection was funded fairly quickly, including my favorite piece, the Harlequin!
This beautiful dirndl, which was “inspired by the playful and colorful world of harlequins…is full of energy, fun, and whimsy.” As soon as I saw it, I fell in love, because I had been dreaming of a harlequin print dirndl which would reflect not only my love of German national dress but also vintage patterns. It’s even more beautiful in person than in the sketches, with a bodice featuring shades of green and orange, a lovely copper-colored skirt, and a pretty, sheer apron. It was designed with a mini skirt, but Erika at Rare Dirndl kindly offered to make mine in my regular mid-length, instead!
I accessorized, as I so often do, with lots of edelweiss:
I also added my first-ever Rare Dirndl brooch, which is a fun pin with, you guessed it, more edelweiss and a charm in the perfect shade to go with the dress!
To start, I paired it with a black lace sparkle dirndl blouse…I think the darker color adds a bit of elegance, and is also great for fall (if fall ever gets here!).
It also looks great with an ivory blouse!
This may be my prettiest dirndl yet…it’s definitely the most colorful!!!
I can’t wait to see what Rare Dirndl comes up with next!
I had such a fun time wearing “Heiligen Tracht” for Easter last year, I decided to do it again! I knew I wanted to wear my “Everyday Dirndl” from Rare Dirndl, because it’s such a beautiful shade of blue for spring, and when I saw that Rare Dirndl started offering their Embroidered Rosette Apron in a new medium length in addition to the mini version they already sold, I knew that I had to pair the magenta apron with the dirndl!
It’s an amazingly vibrant color, especially with the blue shining through, and the embroidery makes it feel extra fancy:
I feel like a beautifully colored Easter egg!
Of course I had to wear my flower crown again:
In addition to my standard edelweiss accessories (I even borrowed Bunny’s pink wrap bracelet), I also added an Erstwilder Pysanky egg brooch…I think it’s the first time I’ve worn a brooch with a dirndl, and it’s perfect both for the holiday and for my color scheme!
I’m so happy with how the whole look turned out!
I’m already planning on the next way I’m going to wear this apron…luckily, it will go well with two of my other dirndls!
I think by now it’s obvious that I love wearing a dirndl, but I love even more that it’s something I’ve been able to share with Bunny, who received a dirndl on her 18th birthday last year.
I love how she adds her own personal style to how she wears it!
We even had a chance to get dressed up and go to our town’s Oktoberfest last fall:
I’m so happy she shares my interest in the culture of our ancestors!
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!
It’s time to think about festive fashion!
I spent much of the fall eagerly anticipating the preview of the new holiday apron from Rare Dirndl, and I was not disappointed…the reindeer apron is perfect for not just Christmastime, but all winter! I love that farmhouses and bunnies join the reindeer on the snowy background:
I chose edelweiss accessories, as I usually do when I wear a dirndl, but made sure to cover the Christmas colors of red and green as much as possible:
Here’s a closer look at my necklace duo, both from Rare Dirndl:
I chose to pair the apron with “Die Heimat” dirndl for these pictures, but I’m also looking forward to wearing it with the Herbology dirndl in the (not too distant) future:
I love the red ties on the apron, and I added a red ribbon to lace up the front of the dirndl, too:
I love how the pops of red stand out!
Red tights and sparkly silver shoes complete the look:
This just screams “Christmas in Germany,” don’t you think?
Frohe Weihnachten!