Welcome to my (relatively) new site with all things dirndl related! I’m so happy you’re here and are interested in learning more.
So, exactly what is a dirndl?
The classic ensemble is the fashionable version of folk wear in the Bavaria, Germany and Austria regions of Europe.
The “fashion” part is important to understand. The dirndl’s overall design is directly inspired by the traditional folk wear as developed in the early 19th Century, but because it is the fashion interpretation, people outside of the region and even those without any Germanic heritage can enjoy its style and have fun in the making and wearing.
Basically, a dirndl is a jumper dress with fitted bodice with attached skirt. The included apron is a requirement to the dirndl and is what sets the dress apart AS a dirndl. Under the bodice is worn a blouse that can be frequently washed and is meant for keeping the bodice clean. (I’ll go more in-depth on dirndl design in another post.)
I’ve done a deep dive down the rabbit hole of dirndls for over two years now. Every week since has had some sort of research on this fun clothing. And yes, it IS clothing which can be worn for every day or reserved for special occasions. The flexibility is all there!
The design possibilities are truly limitless!
- If you like sewing cotton and linen – you’ll love dirndl making.
- If you like floral prints – dirndls are lovely.
- If you love Victorian in its layers of trims and fantastic variety of fabrics and colors – you’ll LOVE dirndl sewing.
- Like vintage dressing? The mid-20th Century erupted with loads of dirndl designs.
- If you are into HistoryBounding, dirndls can make a good, everyday base.
- Want to include pop culture into your wardrobe? Dirndls can be wonderfully manipulated to reflect your interests. (I’m itching to make a Hufflepuff dirndl.) 😉
- Are you plus-size, tall, short, full-figured, thin, curvy, not-curvy, young, old, teenager, middle-aged, and all the rest of descriptive body types? A dirndl is PERFECT for you! Truly!
Come with me on a marvelous journey of sewing pretty dirndl ensembles! This site will be the stepping stone for your imagination. A little bit of research and your creativity will soar. I’m so excited to see your projects!!
P.S. A complete, in-depth dirndl sewing course (online) is in the works. I’m currently in production of a 10 lesson plus 4 bonus lesson class – in English – to share the love of dirndl making. It will be found at the Historical Sewing School and is planned for a late April/early May 2020 release. However, enjoy this blog site and the plenty of resources you’ll find here. Welcome!
I am from Austria and thus grew up wearing Dirndl/Tracht for special occasions and so on, also both my grandparents got married in Tracht. In the cities it´s a bit different, but on the countryside wearing Dirndl/Tracht is very common for all kinds of occasions. My boyfriend´s university even has an own kind of Dirndl for the female students to wear to special occasions.
Even though the Dirndl may be a fashion variant of Tracht/traditional folk costume, I still have to disagree with the statement of it being completely fair game because “it´s the fashionable variant”. I don´t know, I just find it odd to take such an integral part of a culture and just run with it. Of course Dirndl sewing should be fun, but I still find it important to realise that it´s not just fashion – even the Dirndl, which over the decades has become so removed from it´s origin due to it being the “fashionable” variant, has it´s roots in traditonal folk wear (as you said) and for example many villages and areas here in Austria have Tracht which consists of Dirndls with special colour combinations or bodice shapes – the variety is fascinating! I don´t know if you already knew this, but “Dirndl” in austrian and bavarian dialects also means Girl/Woman so even the word itself has meaning. I´m not saying that no one without the right heritage should sew or wear Dirndls, I just want to convey that it´s still important to differentiate between something thats truly just fashion (jeans for example) and something that has a, still living and thriving, cultural background 🙂 I´m also not speaking for every Austrian or Bavarian of course, there are surely those who´ll diagree with me, but as an Austrian I still wanted to weigh in with my thoughts! 🙂
Thank you so much for your thoughts, Victoria! They are much appreciated. And yes, I agree that there is a distinction between traditional costumes and the dirndl, and that the dirndl is still worn with those lovely variances in Bavaria and Austria.
I appreciate you mentioning the “fair game” comment. I mean absolutely no disrespect, even though I, myself, have long lines of German heritage on both mother and father sides. I am sincerely trying to approach dirndl making and wearing with respect towards those closer to the folk wear generations and meanings of when and why dirndls and folk wear are worn. For this reason I am not delving into more traditional Tracht designs nor straying into the Oktoberfest/party/biergarten fashion. Most of those in Germany and Austria that I have had contact with have been welcoming of others who love the dirndl styling and are wanting to wear it… respectfully. 🙂