Trachten goes mainstream
Monday, October 17, 2011 at 9:00 A decado ago, only real locals and diehards wore traditional dress.
Nowdays, trachten is chic and you'll see many young people wearing it - not only at Oktoberfest, but to beergartens, summer festivals, bachelor(ette) parties (polterabend), and FC Bayern games (lederhosen bottoms, no suspenders, and an FC Bayern jersey are the outfit for the cool Bavarian guys).
Even Ken and Barbie are in on the trend!
Vogue Germany ran a ten-page trachten special promotion spread by Munich department store Loden Frey in its magazine, covering more than just the normal dirndl and lederhosen wear (Frau A wants those boots and the red jacket!). 
And if a good classic pair of deer-skin lederhosen aren't quite enough for you, there are some designer alternatives...Hugo Boss has lederhosen for the modern brand-conscious man.
"Only" 399 euros for the shorts and 499 euros for the dirndl...Of course you'll also need the shoes, which run almost the same price as the trachten.
Even Tommy Hilfiger has lederhosen, albeit for children.
For the more sporty, but still fashion-conscious man, Adidas offers Bayern Munich lederhosen!
But it doesn't end with lederhosen and dirndls...These days there are trachten accessories - either to personalize your trachten, or to wear as a little bit of kitchy Bavarian fun (instead of the full costume).
Here are some typical acessories, which now also come in fashion versions for big prices. We'll cover trachten trends in a separate post, but in addition to the standard 3 piece dirndl (dress, blouse, apron), dirndl shoes, dirndl purses, and dirndl jewelry are almost obligatory. That's even before we get into the super trendy hats, stockings, sweaters, and hairstyles! (these beer mug ballerina flats are cute, but are going to cost you 170 euro! Frau A is thinking "craft project")
And what if you want to add some trachten to your casual style? well, luckily there are bathing suits!
Finally, Austrian store Tu Felix Austria takes trachten-inspired casualwear to a new level, with men's underwear and sports lines (and funny, obviously photoshopped photos of models in the Alps).
And some pretty cute onesies to start the little ones off on the right foot!
Reader Comments (6)
A word of warning to your readers about those nifty lederhosen-style trunks: I bought a pair last year from the company advertising them in the article you linked to. I was thrilled when they arrived (despite being somewhat pricey). But: the sizing was totally wacked out. I ordered size XXXL, according to the sizing guide on their website, and when they arrived, I couldn't sit down in them for fear of splitting the seams.
So something was messed up there. Which is a real shame, because they looked great (and would have looked great on me, if I do say so myself!).
Wow, not a very nice experience!
However, I LOVE the fact that you ordered the lederhosen trunks! So cool!
Will we see you at WEBMU this weekend? Looking forward to meeting everyone finally
Wow - so many comments. . . where to even begin! a)Ken should not be wearing hot pink if he wants to keep Barbs interested b) Frau A would rock those boots and the red jacket, c) the dead deer and cow about to give birth in the Tu Felix ads are a nice touch and almost make them look real (ha), and d) I need to have a baby, so I have an excuse to buy that onesie. . . maybe if I start wearing the sexy dirndl it would help with that last one! Mopse!!
Hi Amie! You are too much. New York "metrosexual" Ken might be able to keep a Northeast gal, but clearly not a Southern gal. When are you coming over for dirndl shopping with Frau A? After that, just let me know and I'll pick up the infant's onesie for you... Cheers, Herr J
Isn't Ken's hair more of an issue? I mean, it looks like it requires some serious products and styling!
You need to send one of those onesies to Frau J in Dallas!