Rare Dirndl

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–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–A Breezy Floral Dress for Spring

Time for a look at my most-anticipated purchase from the Miss Candyfloss Chérie Bardot collection, the light and breezy Audrey-Naia dress!

You may have realized by now that this style, which has a lovely pleated bustline and row of buttons all the way down the front, is my very favorite Miss Candyfloss style…it is so easy to wear!

I accessorized with a flower crown from Rare Dirndl, an Erstwilder brooch, and a stack of Splendette Duchess Bangles:

This dress is exceptionally lightweight (to the point it is a bit sheer, necessitating either a petticoat, or, for summer, a pair of short underneath, with the skirt of the dress unbuttoned from the waist).

It does run a bit big…I almost wish I had sized down for a firmer fit.

The dress has a lovely twirl!

I love the beautiful floral print and soft colors…I’m looking forward to wearing it all summer long!

Sartorial Saturday–The Custom Dirndl: Part Two

I’m ending the month just like I began it…with a special outfit for Mary Blair March. As promised, here’s a look at the second styling of my Rare Dirndl custom dirndl, featuring the bonus apron I requested!

Like my blue apron, the green version is sheer, which allows the pattern of the skirt to show through. It has an extra-special feature, though…Erika made the ties in two colors instead of just one, so I still have an extra pop of blue!

This time around, I accessorized with blue hair flowers and my complete Meteor Jewelry Co. Starlite set…earrings, bracelet, and necklace, all in the same bright blue:

I added my edelweiss heart zipper pull again, too:

And I wore my new Dr. Martens Mary Janes with my dirndl socks:

As always, I love to twirl!

For this styling, I wore my black lace sparkle dirndl blouse…I like white better with this dress, but it was pretty chilly the day I wore it, and the black has the longest sleeves of all my dirndl blouses.

This is another great look for Mary Blair March!

Eventually I’m hoping to get another blouse (maybe in pale pink?) to add to this look…I love switching out the elements of a dirndl outfit!

Sartorial Saturday–The Custom Dirndl: Part One

As promised, here’s a look at my completed Rare Dirndl custom dirndl, and just in time for Mary Blair March!

It looks just like I imagined it would. I love the yellow bodice against the grey background of the Mary Blair butterflies print skirt:

And the sheer blue apron pops beautifully!

You may have noticed this dirndl is slightly shorter than my other dresses…the construction of the original dress was kind of weird, and to even out the skirt, it had to made a bit shorter. With the petticoat underneath, though, it’s really not that noticeable, and I think the fullness of the skirt also creates the illusion of length.

I accessorized with a pair of SUGARFIX by Baublebar butterfly earrings that I got at Target last year (it’s scary how well well they go with this look!), an edelweiss wrap bracelet from Rare Dirndl, and a pair of necklaces inspired by Mary Blair…an “It’s a Small World” style from Crislu, and an Alice in Wonderland spinner from RockLove:

I also added one of my Rare Dirndl zipper pulls:

Keeping the volume from the skirt of the original dress makes it extra good for twirling!

Two of my favorite features of the dirndl are the trim around the neckline…not only did Erika include two different types of pink ribbon, she also added a beautiful ruffle made from the extra fabric from the dress…and the cool buckle on the apron, which is a totally new style for me!

I love how bright and cheerful this look is…it’s perfect for Mary Blair March and the happiness of spring!

I did actually send it back to Rare Dirndl to have it let out a bit because it was fitting pretty snugly in the bodice, but when it’s back, I’ll have another styling of this dirndl featuring the second apron I had made to go with it!

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

We have made it to the final step of the Rare Dirndl custom dirndl experience!

On Monday (which just happened to be the 113th anniversary of my Austrian grandfather’s birth!), I opened the custom dirndl shipping box for the last time:

It has been about 11 months since I first inquired about having a custom dirndl made, and almost five months since the kick-off call that really began the process. It was so exciting to see the project come together, and a total thrill to see the finished product!

Since I last saw it (and since the post office tried to lose it!), the final elements were added, including the hooks (a new style for me!), and the lacing. I also got to see the second apron I requested (which has a really cool, new-to-me buckle!), for the first time. No detail was overlooked, including the “Hidden Mickey” I asked Erika to include somewhere on the dress:

Stay tuned for the first of two stylings of my new dirndl on Saturday!

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!

2024 in Outfits

Time for a look back at 2024’s outfits of the day!

I was very intentional about putting together outfits this whole year. I wanted to really wear my wardrobe, so I put together looks for trips to the library and Target and anywhere else I went (except Walmart, because Walmart doesn’t deserve my best except at Christmas when I try to spread a little holiday cheer wherever I go). I think there are over 250 unique looks here, so obviously I didn’t wear something notable every day, but it was the vast majority!

I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep a record like this again in 2025, but it really helps me pay attention to what I’ve worn (and what I’ve neglected), and how I’ve styled things differently, which I really enjoy!