Rare Dirndl

Sartorial Saturday–Everyday Red

I already shared how I styled my newest Everyday Dirndl from Rare Dirndl in honor of the Austrian flag…now it’s time to take a look at the Everyday Dirndl as it was designed, with its matching red apron.

I kept my accessories fairly simple…a black edelweiss bracelet, a red and white necklace, and an edelweiss hair clip:

I also added a new accessory for the first time. I’ve been looking at adding a charivari chain to my wardrobe for a while, and this seemed like the perfect opportunity. I could have had a chain lace-up sewn onto the Everyday Dirndl for an added fee (that’s another one of the personalizations Rare Dirndl offers like the “Surprise Me” apron), but I decided that with a charivari I would have more options, because I can wear it with my other dirndls. I love the charms on it, and it adds such a nice touch to the bodice of the dress!

I decided to wear my black lace blouse this time…black and red together is such a classic look. I almost wish I had a black petticoat to were instead of the grey one I usually wear!

I just can’t resist frolicking like I’m in the Sound of Music in a dirndl!

The Everyday Dirndl is such a great choice because there are so many different things you can do with it!

I still have quite a few other ideas for styling this dirndl, but the one I’m most excited about is wearing it for Christmas with the newest apron I ordered…stay tuned!

A Very Exciting Day

Yesterday was a Very Exciting Day, because Rene Knott, morning news anchor on KSDK in St. Louis (along with cameraman Joe, who was very nice and made me feel quite at ease about wearing a mic and having a camera on me), came to our house to do a story on one of my favorite topics…fashion!

There was much preparation for the event…I was up at 5:15 to make sure everything was just right. It gave me a good excuse to wear a dressing gown, though!

I got to choose several outfits to feature, and I had a fun time planning the accessories and laying everything out so it was ready to go:

I’m not sure our den has been so clean since we first moved into the house!

I did a lot of work staging displays to reflect my personal style, focusing both on German-Austrian national dress/family heritage, as well as retro fashion:

I did the interview in the first dirndl I purchased from Rare Dirndl, and included some of my favorite dirndl accessories, plus my Docs:

I also modeled my favorite new outfit from Miss Candyfloss:

And a Miss Candyfloss piece from last year’s autumn/winter collection:

This was a dream come true for me…it’s quite an experience to discover that someone in the press finds something interesting enough about you to do a story on. While I was super nervous, it was also a lot of fun to get to talk about my heritage and fashion, and a great honor to meet Mr. Knott, who was just as great in person as you’d expect him to be from having watched him on the news! The story should air before the end of October, so, if you’ll excuse the expression, stay tuned! Until then, you may refer to me as “Local Celebrity Amanda Markel!”

Sartorial Saturday–Oktoberfest 2023

Time for a look back at the outfits I wore to various Oktoberfest celebrations this year! I attended a record four Oktoberfests, which means I got to wear 2/3 of the dirndls in my wardrobe. I wore my very first dress from Rare Dirndl to Belleville’s Oktoberfest, but with a fairly new apron:

I wore one of my newest dirndls to St. Charles Oktoberfest, but I again switched out the apron:

I decided to go for a lot of color at Zootoberfest at the St. Louis Zoo:

And I paired my new “Surprise Me” apron with one of my oldest dirndls at Oktoberfest at Das Bevo:

Looking back at the places I went, I can say that Belleville’s Oktoberfest is still the most disappointing to me, while St. Charles is the biggest and best. Surprisingly, though, the zoo had the best pretzels!

St. Charles might have the best Oktoberfest, but you just can’t beat the setting of Das Bevo. It was the smallest one I attended, but just look at that gorgeous building and fun tent!

I’ll leave you with everyone’s favorite call for a toast!

Sartorial Saturday–Inspired by Austria

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!

Sartorial Saturday–A Simple Closet Hack

It’s not often that I have a closet hack to share that makes storage easier/more efficient, but today I’m taking a look at how I store my dirndl aprons:

If you’re thinking to yourself, “That looks like an over-the-door shoe organizer” you’re right! I have actually used this particular trick to store my collection of cropped cardigans for years, but recently, I thought about trying it out with my aprons, too…I had been hanging them over my dirndls, and the ties were trailing everywhere, plus it was hard to see what I had, because they were layered on top of each other. I used one of the larger pocket shoe organizers, because I didn’t want to roll the aprons so tightly that I’d have to worry about ironing them, and it worked out great…no more tripping over apron ties hanging down to the floor, and I can see my entire collection with one quick glance!

Do you have any tricks you use to make your closet more organized?

Sartorial Saturday–The Perfect Dirndl Shoes

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?

Sartorial Saturday–Colorful Harlequin

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!

Sartorial Saturday–A Fancy Floral Apron

Recently, Erika at Rare Dirndl reached out to me and asked if she could send me an apron in return for some of my photos she’s used on her website. She even offered me a selection of choices that she knew would go well with the dirndls I already own, and as soon as I saw this beautiful embroidered floral mesh and lace apron (the same one that comes with the lovely new “Sweet Iris” dirndl, I believe), in a lovely taupe-y/silver-y/champagne-y color, I knew it was the one!

I’m a huge fan of sheer aprons, because of how well the color of the dress shows through them…it also means they take on a completely different look with each dirndl you pair them with! Here I’m wearing it with my beautiful periwinkle Everyday Dirndl:

I accessorized, as I often do, with flowers, including a floral crown, my edelweiss necklace and an edelweiss clip in place of a brooch, my edelweiss earrings (I promise they’re there!), plus some Homes bracelets:

This is such a pretty look for summer, but I think it will transition well throughout the seasons:

I do love experimenting with different dirndl/apron combinations!

I’m really looking forward to pairing this gorgeous apron with more of the dirndls in my wardrobe…stay tuned!

Sartorial Saturday–The Summer 2023 Charity Apron

Last summer, Rare Dirndl introduced a charity apron in support of Alex’s Lemonade Stand…they’re back this year with a beautiful sunflower edition supporting Mercy Corps, an organization with a mission to “to alleviate suffering, poverty, and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities.”

Mercy Corps is currently on the ground in Ukraine (thus the beautiful sunflower print with contrasting blue ribbon in the apron ties), as well as Romania and Poland, and they are working specifically to aid Ukrainian refugees by supporting organizations that provide medical supplies and food items.

I accessorized with (what else?), lots of flowers! I kind of wish I had a floral crown with sunflowers, but at least the blue flower in this one matches the ribbon on the apron, right? I also pinned my edelweiss clip to my dirndl in place of a brooch. I didn’t wear my edelweiss necklace this time, though…instead I went bold with my stag!

This is not just an apron with a conscience, it’s also perfect for summer! Since it is such a great look for warm weather, I swapped out the shoes I normally pair with dirndls for a pair of well-loved Birkenstocks, and I think they’re the perfect footwear for this dress and apron combo!

I really want to wear this to a sunflower field when they’re in full bloom!

Erika kindly gifted me this apron, so I didn’t have to make a purchase to help fund the charity’s effort. Instead, I made a donation directly to the organization, and I encourage you to find a charity to support this summer, too!

Sartorial Saturday–What a Difference an Apron Makes!

One of my favorite things about dirndl-wearing is how much you can change the look of the dress by adding a different apron (changing the color of the ribbon lacing also makes a difference)! While I love the pairings of my four dirndls with the aprons they were designed with, I also love experimenting with different looks…I have a total of 10 aprons now, so I have lots of options!

To begin, a look at my very first dirndl, the solid colored “Purple and Floral” dirndl. Not only do I wear it with the flower print apron it came with, but I’ve also styled it with both of my Christmas aprons, a lovely plaid, and my lemon print charity apron from last summer…which look is your favorite?

If I don’t want it to be obvious that I’m wearing a dirndl (who am I kidding…I always want it to be obvious!), I wear my “Everyday Dirndl” with its matching, solid apron, but I’ve also mixed it up with two different lace aprons and the lemon-print…what do you think?

My “Die Heimat” is my most versatile dirndl, as you can see from the fact that I’ve worn it with a total of six different aprons (and counting!). The stag print is the one that came with the dirndl, but I’ve also paired the dress with both of my Christmas aprons, my extra fancy crystal apron, the lemon print (again!), and most recently, my magenta lace apron, which is my new favorite look…what’s yours?

And finally, my “Herbology” dirndl, which came with a plaid apron and also a bonus lace apron, giving me two options right off the bat. I also love the way it looks with my crystal apron, the stag print from “Die Heimat” (very Sound of Music!) and my newest Christmas apron…which do you like best?

Stay tuned to see how I style my dirndls next!