Dirndl
A dirndl is a dress which originated in German-speaking areas of the Alps. It is traditionally worn by women and girls in some Alpine regions of Austria, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein and Switzerland. A modern dirndl consists of a close-fitting bodice with a low neckline, a blouse worn under the bodice, a wide high-waisted skirt and an apron.
The dirndl is regarded as a folk costume. It developed as the clothing of Alpine peasants between the 16th and 18th centuries. Today it is generally considered traditional dress for women and girls in German-speaking parts of the Alps, with particular designs associated with different regions. The usual masculine tracht counterpart of the dirndl is lederhosen.
In the late 19th century the dirndl was adapted as a fashion mode by the upper and middle classes, and subsequently spread as a mode outside its area of origin. There are many varieties of adaptations from the original folk designs. The dirndl is also worn as an ethnic costume by German diaspora populations in other countries.
Name
Basic design
The dirndl consists of a bodice, skirt, blouse, and apron.The bodice is tight to the body, with a deep neckline. It is typically made in a single piece, with the join in the front centre, secured either by lacing, buttons, a hook-and-eye closure or a zip. A zip can alternatively be on the back or the side. Traditionally, the bodice was made from dark heavy cotton, so that it would be hard-wearing. In more modern designs, the material is often cotton, linen, velvet or silk. The material is coloured or printed. The neckline of the bodice is traditionally round or rectangular. In more modern designs, it may alternatively be high, V-shaped, heart-shaped or extra deep. The bodice often has embroidered decoration, especially when worn for public events.
The skirt is full, with folds gathered in at the waist. Before the 1930s, the skirt was separate from the bodice, but since then the two have been sewn to one another. Long skirts are more traditional, but in more modern designs the skirts are normally mid-length; there are also miniskirt versions. The skirt typically has a pocket on the side or in front, hidden under the apron.
The blouse is worn under the bodice, and is cropped above the midriff. It is typically white, although other colours are possible. The blouse material is usually cambric, linen or lace. The cut of the blouse neckline changes the overall effect of the dirndl: a deeply cut blouse combines with a deeply cut bodice to accentuate décolletage, whereas a blouse with a high neckline gives a more modest effect. In traditional designs, the blouse neckline is at the base of the throat, but more recently V-shaped, balconette or heart-shaped necklines are popular. Short puff sleeves are typical, although narrow sleeves are also common.
The apron is attached to the skirt and is narrow, covering only the front of the skirt. Traditional apron designs vary according to local tradition and are typically only a single colour. In modern designs, the designs are more elaborate.
The winter style dirndl has heavy, warm skirts, long sleeves and aprons made of thick cotton, linen, velvet or wool. The colours are usually brown, deep green or dark blue.
Traditional dirndls
Traditional dirndls vary in design between regions and even villages. The different details may indicate the place of origin and social status of the wearer. As with other folk costumes, traditional dirndls often come in two forms: one for everyday occasions, the other for traditional festivals and formal wear. Dirndls worn in everyday use are rural domestic clothing, made from grey or coloured linen, sometimes with leather bodice and trim. Dirndls used on formal occasions are usually made with materials, designs, colours and embroidery specific to the region.Some traditional designs feature pieces which drape over the breast, often combined with an elaborate collar. This has the function of concealing décolletage, in line with traditional Catholic ideas of modesty.
Accessories
Jewellery worn with the dirndl includes necklaces, earrings, chokers and chains. Also popular are brooches made of silver, the antlers of deer or even animals' teeth. Décolletage is often enhanced with a balconette bra, especially for large public events.In spring, the front of the bodice is sometimes decorated with a corsage of fresh flowers. Other popular accessories include waistcoats, silk aprons and vibrantly coloured, hand-printed silk scarves. In colder weather, long-sleeved woollen jackets are worn, as are knitted woollen shawls.
The dirndl is often worn with a hair ornament called the jungfernkranz: a small floral wreath traditionally worn by unmarried women. In Hinterskirchen in Bavaria, unmarried women wear a small crown. In more formal settings such as church festivals, a hat or bonnet is traditionally worn. In some regions of southern Germany and Austria, married women accompany the dirndl with a bonnet called a goldhaube. This headgear developed in the 17th century from a veil or headscarf and was worn by middle class urban women; later the custom spread to the countryside. The goldhaube is characterized by interwoven silk and golden threads, embroidered with lamé, gold and sequins. There are many regional varieties, including the Riegelhaube in Munich, the Linzer Goldhaube in Linz and the Brettlhaube in Wachau. Muslim women have begun wearing the dirndl with a Hijab.
Shoes worn with the dirndl are typically court shoes or flat, ballerina-type shoes. Knee-length socks or tights are commonly worn on the legs.
Dress etiquette
Because the appeal of the dirndl is its rustic look, plastic dirndls with flashy ornaments are looked down upon. Style experts recommend staying away from cheap outfits. The dirndl should be tightly fitted to look right. It is an absolute faux-pas to wear a dirndl without a blouse.In the past few decades, a modern tradition has developed around the placement of the knot on the apron. According to this tradition, tying the sash on the woman's left side indicates that she is single and available, while a knot tied on the right means that she is married, engaged or otherwise not interested in dating. In some versions, this is extended to a knot in the centre of the front or the centre of the back.
Adaptations
A dirndl skirt is a full, wide skirt, gathered into folds at the waist.The terms Trachtenmode and Landhausmode describe clothing of various styles borrowing elements from folk costume, such as colour, cut or material. Examples would be single-piece dresses featuring a dirndl skirt.
In recent decades, fashion designers have been creating their own interpretations of the dirndl. While appearing to be simple and plain, a properly made modern dirndl may be quite expensive as it is tailored, and sometimes cut from costly hand-printed or silk fabrics.
A recent adaptation is the African dirndl, which is a fusion fashion: the bodice and skirt are made from African printed material. The idea was innovated by two Cameroonian sisters and Chief executive officers of the Noh Nee label in Munich, Marie Darouiche and her sister Rahmée Wetterich. The African dirndl was premiered at Oktoberfest in 2019.
Similar designs
Other traditional European folk costumes are sometimes mistaken for dirndls, since they include similar design elements. Examples of such folk costumes include different tracht traditions in German-speaking countries, as well as traditional folk costume in Norway and Denmark. Traditional women's clothing from Slovenia also contains similar design elements, but has its own distinct ethnic traditions.History
The dirndl has passed through different periods in its history. These include its origins as rural clothing, development as a recognized folk costume, evolution as a fashion style, appropriation by the Nazis, decline in popularity after the Second World War, followed by a resurgence from 1990. Each of these periods has left an impression on the design and perception of the dirndl.Origins
The dirndl originated as a dress worn in rural areas, a more hardy form of the costume worn today. Folk costumes showed that the wearer belonged to a particular social class, occupation, religious persuasion or ethnic group. Differing designs developed in different regions, influenced by available materials and costumes in neighbouring regions, as well as trends in urban areas, royal courts and the military.Dresses similar to the dirndl, featuring skirts with bodices, aprons and blouses were commonplace in Europe from the 16th to the 18th centuries. Similar elements are present in other German folk costumes, for instance the tracht designs found in the Black Forest; they also occur in folk costumes in other parts of Europe, such as the Norwegian women's Bunad and the Upper Carniola costume of Slovenia. Distinctive features of the dirndl, developed from the women's fashions of the royal court in the 17th century; over time, the court fashions made their way into urban and rural clothing. Alpine traditional costume spread to regions in Bavaria and Austria outside the mountains through migration in search of work. As a result, the dirndl developed over time into female Austrian servants' work clothes.
Distinctions developed between the everyday version of rural costumes and the version used for festive occasions; the festive version of each costume tradition was considered the ideal form. Festive dirndls were especially worn at events associated with the Catholic church, such as Sunday church services and public pilgrim processions. Other popular occasions included markets and Volksfeste. Over time, festive versions of the dirndl developed elaborate decoration around the collar and breast, including embroidery, floral decorations, tassels and lace collars draped over the shoulders and breast. Elaborate headwear developed to indicate distinctions in social status.
Nevertheless, folk costume was increasingly perceived as a marker of rural and working classes. The background to this development was the French government policy from the mid-17th century onwards of promoting and exporting luxury fashion, using expensive materials such as silk, lace, and gold and silver thread. Attempts by other European governments to fight French economic dominance of the fashion industry had the effect of spreading fashion in the French style. For instance, the Austrian empress Maria Theresa considered imposing a sumptuary tax to prevent expenditure on French luxury fashions, but was persuaded to establish a home-grown fashion industry on the French model. Although the rich usually led fashion, the middle classes and even peasants copied the trends among the wealthier classes. By 1800, dress styles were similar among many Western Europeans; local variation became first a sign of provincial culture and later a mark of the conservative peasant.
Thus the spread of French fashions increased the contrast between the fashionable clothes of the wealthier classes and folk costumes, which were increasingly perceived as rustic, not fit for polite society. This point is illustrated by the first Oktoberfest, held in 1810 to celebrate the wedding of Crown Prince Ludwig of Bavaria to Therese of Saxe-Hildburghausen; the citizens of Munich were invited to the festivities but were supplied with French clothes, since their folk costumes were not considered suitable for public occasions.