Happy hump day!
So as I
mentioned in my last post, I spent my Saturday indulging in some real Bavarian
culture at the popular Fruhlingsfest. It is the little sister of Oktoberfest
and to be honest a much more manageable take on any kind of Bier festival for little old me.
I'm not a huge beer drinker but looking über feminine, I manned up and
took on the challenge! - I am such a martyr!
Now the Dirndl is
undoubtedly a very feminine and flattering costume for us ladies. I spent much
of the day feeling like one of Walt Disney’s creations, admittedly a modern day
account, oh hello tattoos! However getting into this cute little
ensemble was no fairy tale! After recruiting the help of Rebecca and several
safety pins later we managed to squeeze my brezel loving bod into it. Feeling
less than positive about myself after such a heave, we headed out to take some
snaps. Since moving out here 18 months ago I have had an on/ off love affair
with their unassuming brezels (pretzels); how can a twisted piece of bread
covered in far too much salt taste SO good?! Anyway being such a pinnacle part
of my Bavarian life and a contributing reason to us arriving an hour late to
the festival it only seemed fair for it to feature!
For those of you
who are new to this...A Dirndl is the traditional dress (generally) of German
speaking countries but most associated with Bavaria and Austria. It is worn by
locals on days of occasion or most commonly during the famous Oktoberfest. Derived from traditional working class country inspired dress but later
adapted for the upper class in much more expensive and intricate designs.
There is much
more to the Dirndl than you would originally expect. The first thing you need
to master before donning this traditional dress is its length. Locals can tell
a tourist a mile off from the length of her skirt. The optimum length is just
below the knee, midi if you will, not too long not too short (with it usually
being the latter for amateur festival go'ers). Secondly where do you tie your
bow? There are rules, well obviously is it a German tradition after all! The
bow indicates a woman’s marital status (or in my case, lack of); Left: single,
Right: taken, Centre: virgin, Back: widowed. And finally there is the colour,
like all fashions, each year or season there are popular colours. Reds, blues
and blacks tend to be the classic palettes and I'm sure it's no surprise I
opted for a traditional style, fit and colour. Of course men are not left
out, they are often sporting the equally traditional, and I imagine
uncomfortable, Lederhosen - leather shorts, shirt and a rather
Robin Hood inspired hat.
I absolutely loved
getting involved and dressing the part so if you've always fancied Oktoberfest
but don’t think you are quite up to the challenge this is definitely the bier
festival for you!...and once you've established your German bier palette you can come back for
Oktoberfest!
Even if it was
a painful experience to squeeze into and wear after two mass, I absolutely love
my Dirndl; purchased from a second hand shop here in Munich I feel like a true
local in it ...and I can't help but enjoy that it probably holds many Fruhlings
and Oktoberfest tales of its own!
Ciao.
Photography: It's Cohen!
Dirndl: Second Hand / 'Vintage' if you will!
Shoes: Miss Selfridge
Watch: Michael Kors
Necklace: H&M
'I find that I have to put myself in those situations to produce any reasonable good writing. I've still got that same thing about when I get to a country or a situation and I have to put myself on a dangerous level, whether emotionally or mentally or physically, and it resolves in things like that: living in Berlin leading what is quite a spartan life for a person of my means, and in forcing myself to live according to the restrictions of that city.' - David Bowie
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