Dirndl

is a diminutive of , originally meaning "young woman". In Bavaria and Austria, Dirndl can mean a young woman, a girlfriend or the dress. The dress can for clarity be called Dirndlkleid (literally 'young woman's dress') or Dirndlgewand ('young woman's clothing'). is the form of the word in Standard German. In the Bavarian and Austrian varieties of German, the word is interchangeably Dirndl or Diandl. Speakers of German have conflicting opinions as to whether the name "dirndl" can be used for traditional as well as modern designs. Some speakers make a sharp break between traditional folk costume () and the "dirndl", a word which they use only for modern designs. For instance, tracht scholar Thekla Weissengruber distinguishes between renewed tracht (based closely upon historical designs) and (tracht clothing), including dirndls and lederhosen. She says: "In this category the designs in general keep to patterns which go back to the historical costume models; only the materials, skirt lengths and colour compositions change from season to season and correspond to the trends coming from centres of fashion." This distinction assumes that the term "dirndl" describes only clothing of more modern design. of Austria However, many other German-speakers use the terms "dirndl" and "tracht" interchangeably for a woman's dress in the general dirndl style, regardless of whether the design is traditional or modern. For instance, tracht scholar Gexi Tostmann, who sees the modern dirndl as having evolved from traditional tracht designs, also uses the term "dirndl" for historical designs. A developing consensus is that a dirndl can be described as "tracht" when it has been traditionally worn by a distinct people group over a long period. This implies that a dress based on the design principles of Alpine tracht can also be called a "dirndl", even if it has a documented history of centuries as a folk costume. For example, the traditional blue polka-dotted dress of the Wachau region of Austria can be referred to either as "Wachauer Tracht" In English, the name "dirndl" is used interchangeably for traditional and modern designs. == Basic design ==

The dirndl consists of a bodice, skirt, blouse, and apron. in Tyrol, Austria, 2015|left 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 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. 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 used on formal occasions are usually made with materials, designs, colours and embroidery specific to the region. Wedding dirndls Wedding dirndls are ceremonial forms of the dirndl worn by brides in Alpine regions of Germany, Austria, and South Tyrol. Rather than a standardised bridal gown, traditional wedding attire historically consisted of the bride’s finest festive dirndl, adapted according to local customs and regional dress traditions. Wedding dirndls are typically made from higher-quality materials than everyday dirndls, including silk, fine cotton, velvet, or linen. Colours traditionally varied by region and period and were not limited to white. Light shades such as ivory, cream, and pastel tones are common in modern examples, while darker colours were historically worn in some areas, particularly for winter weddings. Formal elements often include lace or long-sleeved blouses, decorative aprons made of silk or organza, and traditional jewellery such as chokers or brooches. Contemporary wedding dirndls range from historically accurate reproductions of regional Tracht to modern interpretations that retain traditional structure while incorporating modern design details. 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. In spring, the front of the bodice is sometimes decorated with a corsage of fresh flowers. 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 . 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 in Munich, the in Linz and the in Wachau. Shoes worn with the dirndl are typically court shoes (pumps) or flat, ballerina-type shoes. Knee-length socks or tights are commonly worn on the legs. Style experts recommend staying away from cheap outfits. Adaptations A dirndl skirt is a full, wide skirt, gathered into folds at the waist. The German terms Trachtenmode and Landhausmode (literally "country house style") 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 (e.g. the Gutach valley tracht from the Black Forest), as well as traditional folk costume in Norway (Bunad) 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 (1) its origins as rural clothing, (2) development as a recognized folk costume, (3) evolution as a fashion style, (4) appropriation by the Nazis, (5) decline in popularity after the Second World War, followed by (6) 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. Design elements of the dirndl, such as a dress consisting of a bodice and skirt worn over a blouse, were already present in the kirtle, a garment commonplace in Europe between the Middle Ages and the 18th century. Similar elements also occur in other folk costumes, such as tracht designs in other parts of Germany, the Norwegian women's Bunad and the Upper Carniola costume of Slovenia. Distinctive features of the dirndl (including the tight bodice, lower neckline and wide skirt), 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. 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 (later King Ludwig I) 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. Crepaldi said that the Romantics promoted emotion against the rationalism of the Enlightenment, individual freedom against academic dictates and national against global culture. In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, the Enlightenment was especially associated with France, which had sent its armies across Europe in the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (1792–1815). In response to the humiliations of the repeated French invasions, the protagonists of German romanticism sought to strengthen their cultural heritage. The result was a flowering of research and artistic work centred around Germanic cultural traditions, expressed in painting, literature, architecture, music and promotion of German language and folklore. The promotion of folk costumes similarly strengthened national identity in a visible way, especially against French-inspired fashions. (1813–1890), Frau in oberösterreichischer Tracht (Woman in folk costume from Upper Austria) The earliest public promotion of tracht in the German-speaking world occurred in Switzerland, at the Unspunnen festivals of 1805 and 1808. At both events, a parade of traditional costumes was held; the 1808 festival resulted in the formation of the Swiss National Costume Association. In Bavaria and Austria, the royal courts developed enthusiasm for the different costumes of the rural population, The first extensive description of traditional tracht in the different regions was given by the Bavarian official Joseph von Hazzi (1768–1845). A comprehensive description of Bavarian national costumes was published in 1830 by the archivist Felix Joseph von Lipowsky. A parade of traditional costumes took place in 1835 at Oktoberfest, to celebrate the silver wedding anniversary of King Ludwig I of Bavaria (reigned 1825–1848) and Queen Therese. Under his successor Maximilian II (reigned 1848–1864), traditional costumes were officially recognised as clothing suitable for wearing at the royal court. The king himself included officials wearing tracht in his court ceremonies and wrote in 1849 that he considered the wearing of folk costume of "great importance" for national sentiment. In 1859, the first association to promote folk costume was founded in Miesbach in Bavaria. In the following years, similar tracht associations () were founded throughout Germany and Austria. The tracht associations promoted research and wearing of the traditional clothing in each region. This helped preserve the traditions against modern fashions; in contrast, the wearing of the traditional tracht declined in regions where the tracht associations were not active. The first umbrella organisation for the tracht associations was founded in 1890. originally from Bielefeld in north-western Germany. After moving to Munich with their family in 1895, they became interested in and began promoting Alpine tracht. In a personal memoir, Moritz Wallach later stated, "We saw a possibility to keep these irreplaceable traditions and to revitalize them.” The seamstresses employed by the Wallach brothers produced elegant dirndls from colourful printed fabrics, predominantly silk; these were exhibited by models in the Alpine resorts. A major breakthrough for the Wallach brothers came in 1910, when they organized and paid for the traditional costume parade for the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Oktoberfest. Accordingly, he worked with commercial firms on finding material and designs that would allow the production of folk costume in large quantities. Consequently, Alpine tracht gained in general popularity and even spread to eastern Austria, where it had not been part of the traditional clothing culture. The dirndl was increasingly perceived as the Austrian national dress. In 1930, the Wallach brothers supplied the stage costumes for the operetta The White Horse Inn (). The romantic comedy presented an idyllic picture of the Austrian Alps and had long runs in cities including Berlin, Vienna, Munich, London, Paris and New York. Inspired by the resolute innkeeper heroine, the dirndl became an international fashion phenomenon, always with an apron and usually with deep décolletage. This widespread adoption was helped along by a general 1930s trend to a silhouette which matched the folk costume: full skirts, higher hemlines, broader shoulders and tailored waists. In addition, the film Heidi, with Shirley Temple in the lead role, became a hit in 1937. By that year, the dirndl was considered a 'must' in the wardrobe of every fashionable American woman. Viktor von Geramb, who had promoted the dirndl in Austria, lost his position at the University of Vienna in 1938 because of his public opposition to Nazi racial theory. He was especially criticized for his strong attachment to Christian ideas of human worth. He was restored to his position at the university after the defeat of the Nazi régime in 1945. The National Socialist Women's League established the office of the "Reich Commissioner for German costume" under the leadership of Gertrud Pesendorfer (1895–1982). In 1938, she published dirndl designs by Gretel Karasek (1910–1992), which Pesendorfer described as "renewed costume". Pesendorfer claimed that Karasek made the following innovations from traditional designs: (1) the collar was removed, allowing display of décolletage; (2) long sleeves were replaced by puff sleeves; (3) the waist was emphasised with tighter lacing and buttons; and (4) the skirt was reduced to mid length. The overall effect accentuated the female form and especially the breasts. Its image had been tarred by association with the Nazis, like other Germanic traditions, such as beer-drinking and sausages. Traditional clothing was often associated with conservative political views. As a consequence, the dress was regarded as old-fashioned or rustic by many, especially those connected with the fashion industry. wearing a dirndl at an official reception, 1966A wider revival of interest came with the 1972 Summer Olympics in Munich. Led by Silvia Sommerlath (later Queen Silvia of Sweden), the hostesses wore sky-blue dirndls as a promotion of Bavarian identity. In the 1980s, there was a further revival of interest in the dirndl, as traditional clothing was adopted by the environmental and anti-nuclear movements. The garment was praised in 2001 by designer Vivienne Westwood during a visit to a fashion event in Austria. When some of the attendees criticised the garment as old-fashioned, she responded, "I do not understand you Austrians. If every woman wore a dirndl, there would not be any more ugliness". Subsequently, Westwood and her husband were honoured with the tile "Ambassador for Tracht" in 2010. Dirndls and lederhosen have long been standard attire for staff at Volksfeste, but in the 1970s visitors at the festivals did not normally wear folk costume, even at Oktoberfest. Simone Egger comments that the idea of wearing folk costume to Oktoberfest would previously have been considered "completely absurd, even embarrassing." Now the idea of wearing jeans to a Volksfest is unthinkable: folk costume is considered obligatory. According to journalist Michaela Strassmair, "As the international media arrived in Munich for the World Cup, they all wanted to see the same picture and share it with the world: pretty girls in Munich wearing dirndls." Simone Egger concludes that the renewed popularity of traditional clothing is driven by desires for community and belonging, symbolized by folk costume. These desires stand in tension with the desire for individuality, expressed in alterations and decoration. Culture journalist Alfons Kaiser makes similar observations: The dirndl is increasingly attracting attention apart from its area of origin. In 2019, The Times of India ran an article featuring Bollywood actress Celina Jaitley wearing a dirndl; she urged other Indian women to add the dress to their wardrobe. == Recent customs by country ==

Austria In Austria, dirndls continue to be worn on public occasions, even by younger women. The dirndl is considered an important part of Alpine folk culture. Other aspects of folk culture are Lederhosen for men, traditional sports (e.g. shooting, music, crossbow), skills (e.g. embroidery) and musical traditions (e.g. singing Christmas carols and Schuhplattler dance groups). The Catholic church has played an important role in promoting the dirndl in Austria; traditional dress is worn for worship services, especially the major church holidays (e.g. Easter, Pentecost, Corpus Christi) and saints´ feast days. The Tyrol has a tradition of the (holy folk costume), which is not to be worn on secular occasions marked by drinking. Some regions are particularly known for their strong dirndl traditions, such as the Tyrol, the Salzkammergut and the Wachau region of Lower Austria. In tourist settings, staff in offices, restaurants, wineries and shops often wear dirndls as a work uniform; this is also the case in the non-Alpine regions in the east of Austria. the Salzburg Festival and the Ausseer Kirtag in September. where it is deeply integrated in the traditional culture. The traditional dirndl is also the normal attire of women attending events associated with Alpine folk culture. The traditional designs are promoted by and protected by local folk culture associations affiliated with the Bayerische Trachtenverband (Bavarian folk costume association). The designs specify the traditional materials, patterns and colours of clothing, together with jewellery, hats, etc. Currently, six official types of Alpine tracht are recognized in Bavaria, each with designs for men (lederhosen) and women (dirndl): Miesbacher Tracht, Werdenfelser Tracht, Inntaler Tracht, Chiemgauer Tracht, Berchtesgadener Tracht and Isarwinkler Tracht. The dirndl is regarded as a symbol of Bavaria. It is often worn by women working in businesses related to tourism or traditional culture, including Volksmusik, restaurants and beer gardens. Germans are increasingly coming to view the dirndl as a German cultural symbol, not just a Bavarian one. In the past few years, Oktoberfest has increasingly been adopted as an autumn celebration in parts of Germany several hundred km from Bavaria, such as Hagen in Westphalia or Eckernförde in Schleswig-Holstein; dirndls and lederhosen are now considered an intrinsic part of such events. In a recent German-English dictionary, the authors comment: "The Dirndl, the traditional Bavarian national dress for women, is enjoying growing popularity amongst young people during the Oktoberfest season, even beyond the Bavarian boundaries. It has become a fashion statement to wear a Dirndl even at the many local Volksfeste, such as the Cannstatter Wasen in Stuttgart, where a Dirndl has no tradition at all." Other evidence is the successful marketing of dirndls in the German national colours for wearing at football matches, noticeable at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The dress is worn on festive occasions, such as processions of the Catholic church. Traditional designs vary between regions, valleys and sometimes villages. The local dirndls and lederhosen are displayed in several local museums. There are permanent exhibitions at the South Tyrolean Folklore Museum in Dietenheim, the Steinegg Local Museum and the Bolzano Municipal Museum. Public events featuring folk costume include the Val Gardena folklore festival ("") and the Country Wedding in Kastelruth. Switzerland The Swiss refer to an Austrian or German traditional dress as a dirndl, but refer to their own traditional dress as a tracht. As is the case in the neighboring country of Liechtenstein, the use of the term dirndl for a Swiss dress is discouraged. The style varies by region, for example a Bernese Tracht. These are worn during festivities on Swiss National Day (August 1) or during seasonal celebrations which vary by canton, such as at harvest time or the end of winter. In the canton of Zürich, the imminent end of winter is celebrated by the Sechseläuten festival. The name comes from Swiss dialect referring to the town crier ringing six o'clock. Organizations descended from medieval guilds show their colors. Parades feature members wearing traditional costumes. The festivities culminate with the burning of a large snowman made of straw. How long it takes his head to explode indicates whether the coming summer will be cool or hot. In the German diaspora Outside its countries of origin, the dirndl has become an ethnic costume, worn as an identity marker by members of the German diaspora. This term refers to German-speakers and their descendants who live in countries where German is a minority language. Germans, Austrian, Swiss and Scandinavian people migrated to North America in the 19th century. Germans made a strong contribution to the gene pool of Montana, Minnesota, the Dakotas, Missouri, Texas, Wisconsin, New York City and Chicago. The German American ethnic group () are their descendants in North America, and form part of the worldwide German diaspora. Beginning in 1920 and especially after World War II, many Danube Swabians migrated to Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, and the United States. Across the United States there are dozens of German-American cultural or heritage clubs, such as the Donauschwaben heritage clubs. == Dirndls in popular culture ==

Films featuring women in dirndl costumes The dirndl in philately The Austrian postal service regularly issues postage stamps featuring dirndls and other Austrian folk costumes. The stamp series is released under the title (classic folk costumes). In April 2020, the 85 cent stamp featured the blue printed dirndl worn as everyday workwear in the Wachauer Tracht tradition. In 2016, the postal office issued a novelty stamp featuring an embroidered dirndl; only 140,000 specimens were issued. == See also ==