Recently one of my clients, Cathy, asked a great question in our Facebook Group. She posted, “How does everybody store the apron of their Dirndls?”
The amazing community shared their ways of storing their dirndl aprons and the same 5 ways kept popping up!
I don’t know about you Erika, but I’m a little bummed about the upcoming weekend. We were supposed to be together in Cleveland for the Landestrachtenfest, but… leider nicht. #thanks2020
My favorite part of the weekend is seeing my friends from all over the country, listening to German music, polkaing with my husband and wearing my dirndl all weekend.
But you know what?! Let’s not let this pandemic get us down, we Schwobs are as resilient as it gets!
Below are some easy ideas you can use to have your own DIY Trachtenfest!
For most of us, the “Dirndl wearing season” starts up as the weather warms up. In the south, you may find yourself wearing your dirndl in the summer… but then it’s REAL hot! And that’s why I’ve put together my best tips for wearing your Dirndl in the heat of the summer. With these hacks, you’ll no longer fear 90+ degrees (even though we do not guarantee you won’t get any boob sweat… no getting away from that).
The best part of Oktoberfest is the food, drink, Gemütlichkeit and, of course, wearing dirndls! The not so fun part is the mustard dripping on your apron, that drunk guy behind you spilling his Jägermeister on your blouse and just that overall stale beer smell your dirndl has because you may or may not have sat in a puddle of Spaten Oktoberfest. However, there is an easy way to solve this problem… a nice post Wiesn’ Dirndl cleaning.
In this article I will go over each item piece by piece and the best practices for cleaning and caring for the items.
Blouses
Off-the-Shoulder Blouses: These are a 65% cotton 35% polyester blend which is fabulous because you can toss that puppy in the washer and dryer and it’ll come out like a dream!
Sweetheart Blouses: I like to wash them on a gentle or hand wash cycle and line dry. You can use a bit of bleach if you’d like on the solid white blouses.
Sparkle Blouse: Gentle or hand wash cycle in a delicates bag and line dry. DO NOT BLEACH.
Lace Blouses (Marjo Brand): Gentle or hand wash cycle in a delicates bag and line dry. DO NOT BLEACH (it’ll start to eat away at the lace… and we don’t want that). Washing it in a lingerie or delicates bag helps it from snagging on other items that might be in the machine.
Bloomers and Petticoats
Bloomers: Machine wash and dry
Petticoats: Hand wash and line/drip dry
Apron
Since the apron is what usually gets dirty the fastest, I try to choose washable fabrics for the aprons, but if it is dry clean only, the tag will say so. Check the care label on your apron for washing instructions.
Beaded Lace Aprons (or anything that says spot clean only): Take a bit of detergent on a damp wash cloth to clean off any spots. You can also try hanging it in the sun for about 1-2 hours to help get rid of any stale odor.
Dirndls
Your best bet with the dirndl is to have it dry cleaned or spot clean it yourself with a damp wash cloth and some detergent. The fabrics used to make the dirndls are typically machine washable. However, the hooks and trimming that goes on by hand is the reason you don’t really want to toss it in the washer. The trim may start to fray and the front hooks and hardware may start to come loose.
Dirndls without hooks or trim: You could wash it in the washer on a gentle/hand wash cycle and line dry.
PRO-TIP: Take the chain or ribbon out of your pocket when you take the dirndl to the dry cleaners! They tend to magically disappear after a visit to the cleaners… ask me how I know zis.
If you ever have any concerns about caring for your dirndl, you can either e-mail me or take it to the cleaners and ask their opinion. Or… just give it to Oma and give her a big hug… she’ll probably take care of it for you {wink, wink}.
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Ever wonder which dirndl style you are? Click here to take out quiz and find out now!
By Ashley Smith of My Wanderlusty Life
It’s finally my favorite season of the year—no, not spring—I’m talking about really-should-start-planning-for-Oktoberfest season! It’s the time of year when I start streaming oompah music and really working on my upper body strength. (Fun fact: a full maß weighs 5.5 pounds.) ‘Tis also the season when I start making sure I have everything I need for Oktoberfest. (Sadly, bulging beer-lifting biceps isn’t enough.) If you’re like me, it’s time to get your act-oberfest together. Here’s a list of what you need to bring to pack for Oktoberfest in Munich:
