Oktoberfest - Foreign Visitors Wearing Tracht?

by Bruce
(Virginia Beach )

Oktoberfest in Virginia Beach USA

Oktoberfest in Virginia Beach USA

Do foreign vistors wear Lederhosen & Dirndls to Oktoberfest? Are they looked at as doofs?

Reply by Marion

Hi Bruce,

yes, many foreign visitors wear Dirndl and Lederhose, the traditional Bavarian clothing.

Some of the strictest and most conservative Bavarians oppose this and think only the real Bavarians should wear Tracht.

But most everyone else is just happy and thinks it's fabulous that our visitors go with the spirit of the Oktoberfest and try to fit in as much as possible by wearing traditional clothing.

By the way, most of the Tracht you can buy are not the authentic traditional Bavarian clothing, but modern adaptations of it.

There's even one new style called "Landhausmode", which is much more modern and off course, it's frowned upon by traditionalists.

Anyways, wear what you like and enjoy the Oktoberfest :-)

Comments for
Oktoberfest - Foreign Visitors Wearing Tracht?

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I plan on being in traditional dress!
by: Kelly

Why do you put goofy pictures of goofy people on your website? (Just kidding, that is my husband!!))

We look forward to visiting München for the festivities. I don't know about my husband, but I plan on being in traditional dress.

Kelly Finkelstein (Va Beach)
Oktoberfest 2009
by: der Herman

We went to the Wiesn, wearing Tracht and had a great time. I speak some German, and the people seemed warm to the fact that I was wearing Lederhosen and my wife, Kel, was wearing a (selbstgemacht!) Dirndl. I even got the impression that they preferred us to the 'Preußen'
One local taught me some Bavarian songs, and was suprised that I already knew and sung well some Oktoberfest songs (I learned them before we left).
We had a GREAT time and want to go again and spend more time there!
Tracht is In
by: Marion

Glad to hear you had such a good time !

Actually most Bavarian feel a bit proud to see foreigners trying to fit in. We like it when you guys try to learn German songs (I know this is quite difficult!) and wear Lederhose and Dirndl.

Tracht for foreigners is absolutely ok.
by: Anonymous

if you try to follow these recommodations:

Try to avoid neon colours!

Dirndl dress has to cover the knees

Try not to buy cheap second hand stuff from grandma...nobody in germany wears it normally!

Avoid non fitting to loose dirndl dresses and blouses from cheap internet shops!

Dirndl has to be tight!
Dont wear a dirndl without a blouse!
Dont put sport shoes together with a dirndl dress!
Dont buy LANDHAUSMODE in linnen with a lot of antique looking fonts on it... its style from the 1980ies....

Avoid tourist traps:
Mostly you will get these tourist dirndl dresses in cheap quality inside the city around marienplatz - and around Hauptbahnhof in turkish shops! These shops are tourist traps with not at all german dirndls! Mostly the dresses come from india or pakistan and are made only for tourists - german middle class ladies dont wear these colourful fancy sexy dirndl dresses...only poor students sometimes....or people who dont have the money to buy a real one.

Normally a traditional dirndl dress costs about 100 EUR! In this price range you can be safe to get a good looking unique outfit.

Avoid to buy Dirndl from C & A - these are nice looking but you will have a lot of other ladies around you wearing them in the same beer tent....

Stores to reccomend are: Kaufhof, Hertie, Beck, Angermaier (medium to high price range), Trachtenrausch (medium and also small price range), and a lot of other small Trachten Laden in munic.

Gabi from munic (sorry for my bad english)

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