<p>Traditional clothing never fails to fascinate. Be it the kaftans of Afghans, or the kilt of Scotsmen, or the sarafan worn by the Russians. On a recent trip to Bavaria, I was mesmerised by the unique dirndl worn by the women of Bavaria. Colourful and classy, they transported me to a different world altogether.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Highly regarded as one of the traditional dresses of Germany, dirndl is mostly worn by the women of Austria, Bavaria and South Tyrol. A circular dress gathered at the waist, it consists of a lacy bodice, white blouse, full skirt, and a colourful apron. Owing its origin to the folk dress worn by the peasants of Bavarian Alps, dirndl is the Bavarian word for girl. Though, originally, dirndl was the working dress of maids, it slowly came to be identified as one of the traditional costumes of Germany when the upper classes adopted it as fashion clothing, albeit with some modifications. <br /><br />No wonder, it has distinctive features that help identify the region, the social class, and the marital status of the wearer. Accordingly, rich society women wear dirndl made of the finest materials like silk, satin and velvet, while the working class wear cotton and linen dirndl. And, interestingly, if the knot on the apron is tied on the left, it indicates that the woman is single; knot on the right means she’s married, or engaged; a knot on the front centre conveys her virginity, while a knot at the back says that she’s a widow.<br /><br />Though not commonly worn by women nowadays, it is THE dress for special occasions like weddings, ceremonies and festivals, and during traditional Bavarian festivities. Oktoberfest is another occasion when dirndl is worn in all its glory. For that matter, all the waitresses in cafés and beer gardens in Bavaria sport dirndl. <br /><br />It is interesting to note that the fabric used, the style adopted, and the accessories included vary according to the season. While the summer dirndl is made of light cotton or linen, with short sleeves, and pastel shades, winter dirndl comes in long sleeves and aprons, in rich and dark colours, and has thick cotton, velvet or wool as its fabric. Accessories worn with a traditional drindl are also equally fascinating. They include waistcoats, silk scarves, and silver jewellery.<br /><br />Worn with great pride, the dirndl has adapted itself to the changing times and now comes in all lengths, and in all coloured blouses, costing anywhere between a hundred to several thousand euros.</p>
<p>Traditional clothing never fails to fascinate. Be it the kaftans of Afghans, or the kilt of Scotsmen, or the sarafan worn by the Russians. On a recent trip to Bavaria, I was mesmerised by the unique dirndl worn by the women of Bavaria. Colourful and classy, they transported me to a different world altogether.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Highly regarded as one of the traditional dresses of Germany, dirndl is mostly worn by the women of Austria, Bavaria and South Tyrol. A circular dress gathered at the waist, it consists of a lacy bodice, white blouse, full skirt, and a colourful apron. Owing its origin to the folk dress worn by the peasants of Bavarian Alps, dirndl is the Bavarian word for girl. Though, originally, dirndl was the working dress of maids, it slowly came to be identified as one of the traditional costumes of Germany when the upper classes adopted it as fashion clothing, albeit with some modifications. <br /><br />No wonder, it has distinctive features that help identify the region, the social class, and the marital status of the wearer. Accordingly, rich society women wear dirndl made of the finest materials like silk, satin and velvet, while the working class wear cotton and linen dirndl. And, interestingly, if the knot on the apron is tied on the left, it indicates that the woman is single; knot on the right means she’s married, or engaged; a knot on the front centre conveys her virginity, while a knot at the back says that she’s a widow.<br /><br />Though not commonly worn by women nowadays, it is THE dress for special occasions like weddings, ceremonies and festivals, and during traditional Bavarian festivities. Oktoberfest is another occasion when dirndl is worn in all its glory. For that matter, all the waitresses in cafés and beer gardens in Bavaria sport dirndl. <br /><br />It is interesting to note that the fabric used, the style adopted, and the accessories included vary according to the season. While the summer dirndl is made of light cotton or linen, with short sleeves, and pastel shades, winter dirndl comes in long sleeves and aprons, in rich and dark colours, and has thick cotton, velvet or wool as its fabric. Accessories worn with a traditional drindl are also equally fascinating. They include waistcoats, silk scarves, and silver jewellery.<br /><br />Worn with great pride, the dirndl has adapted itself to the changing times and now comes in all lengths, and in all coloured blouses, costing anywhere between a hundred to several thousand euros.</p>
