Bavarian knitwear – fun and comfy for the Oktoberfest

Lots of Germans, especially southern Germans, laugh at British weather. “Don’t you all walk around with umbrellas the whole time?” they chuckle when the topic turns to meteorology and there’s a Brit at the table. But, when comparing British and Bavarian weather, it really is a question of stones and glass houses: Munich this August was comparable to London in terms of rain and temperatures, and for every lovely sunny Oktoberfest, there’s one where the tents switch from beer to mulled wine in order to keep the beer gardens running.

So if you haven’t thought about what to wear over your dirndl, it’s time to turn your attention to that matter. And given its alpine heritage, Bavarian fashion is your friend here. While everyone thinks of leather as being the classic element of traditional Tracht, wool has always played an important role here too: leather keeps the wind and rain out, while wool does the warming.

Which means that Bavarian knitwear is some of the best out there – just ask the guys, with their long woolly socks and bodywarmers. And there’s plenty out there for us ladies, too: while, for many years, Bavarian cardigans for her were limited to very traditional, slightly boxy models, the 2014 collections are showing the Oktoberfest knitwear can really keep up with the trends and changes to the most important pieces, the dirndls.

That means that you can now get knitted cardigans in this season’s big colours like fuchsia, bright red, and denim blue, instead of the usual run of grey, beige, and brown. So there’s a cardigan out there for more or less every dirndl; and while the woolly tops of yesteryear simply covered the dirndl (making them unpopular and, often, unworn), this new set actually fits in with your overall outfit, allowing the dirndl (or skin) underneath to show at certain points. Before, ladies’ Bavarian knitwear was all tight-weave and square of shape: now, you’ll find looser knits, lace-style patterning, and tailored fits around the waist, as well as cheeky feminine details such as frills on the sleeves and the front opening.

If you ask us, that’s the way to go: woollen frills keep warm air around your chest and throat, all the while showing off your cleavage in a low-cut dirndl. Warm and comfy – and still sexy! We never asked for anything more… Thank you, traditional Bavarian costume!