Bavarian costume and stylish eye-catcher

A small group of eleven people enters the historic building. It dates back to the time around 1800. The guests are visiting the “Trachtenberatungsstelle” (traditional costume club) in Krumbach. They want to learn and get trained. They take their places in the in-house tailoring workshop, between the irons and the industrial sewing machines. After an introduction by the course leader, it’s time to start sewing. They are making a made-to-measure dirndl.

Sumptuous Costumes: more than just a tradition

Peasant women used to wear a special skirt next to the skin under their regional costume. Around 1870, this rural undergarment was turned into a casual dress: The urban upper classes, who spent their holidays in the Bavarian countryside, adopted the garment and refined its design – and the result was the dirndl as it is known and loved today.

In contrast to the classic regional costume, the dirndl combines a skirt and top. It is very figure-hugging and low cut. Women wear a blouse underneath it and an apron over it. “What I find really exciting is the fact that the figure-hugging cut and the design of the décolleté can be seen in historically documented bodice shapes,” says Monika Hoede. The 54-year-old works as a regional costume advisor at the Trachtenkulturberatung for the district of Swabia. While in those days, women chose to make their casual dresses out of materials that were easier to wash, like cotton, the festival dirndl is now specially made out of wool brocade and silk. “During the war they had to use what they could get, such as bedlinen fabric. Chequered dirndls were very much in vogue then,” explains the costume advisor. “Nowadays, the young people put a real emphasis on shiny material, especially for the apron.”

The Dirndl is both historic and modern

Folk festival, parish fair or opera: Whenever there is something to celebrate, girls and women reach for their dirndls. This is not so much about fashion as custom. After all, the dirndl is an unmistakeable expression of the Bavarian attitude to life. Serving girls in many inns and mountain huts still wear their regional costumes as a matter of course. Traditional clothing is authentic and part of life in Bavaria.

Even Monika Hoede often likes to wear this special clothing, including in her everyday working life. The thing she finds particularly fascinating is the fact that it is so similar to traditional regional costume. She wants to raise more awareness of the classic costume dress: “I hope to show that clothing in those days was just as high quality, subtle and well designed as it is today,” she says.

As a sewing instructor and qualified folklorist, Monika Hoede joined the Trachtenberatungsstelle in Krumbach in 1999. Here, enthusiasts can get practical help for all questions related to traditional clothing in Swabia. In seminars, courses and events for amateurs and professionals, visitors trace the history of the clothing culture: For example, they look at costume trends through various epochs. Or they learn to sew hatboxes and twist the decorative trimmings. “We sell patterns and made-to-measure cuts for people to sew as well as offering printing courses,” she explains.

The element of her job that Monika Hoede particularly enjoys is sewing costumes. “This year for the first time we created a dirndl – a ‘Swabian girl’s dress’ and we modelled it on a really classic Swabian costume,” she explains. Monika Hoede keeps being surprised by the results: “It’s fascinating how comfortable the clothes are when they are sewn in an authentic style and we stick as closely as possible to the original.” The dirndl is not just a modern style icon, but a dress that is easy to wear.