Bavarian styles for hot summer days

In these days of April showers and unstable, it might be hard to believe, but summer is not far away. Especially in Bavaria, which is that bit further away from the sea and tends to enjoy long, hot summers. Munich has already seen the first 20°C-days and the beer gardens are starting to fill up after their winter hibernation..

Which means that people are starting to change their Bavarian styles to suit the hotter weather. Not so much the men, of course, because a lederhosen is usually short anyway: all the lads need to do is roll their socks down and swap long-sleeved for short-sleeved shirts – and, hey presto, it’s a summer outfit! For the ladies, though, a trip to Bavaria in summer might require some wardrobe planning: that dirndl that is nice and comfy at the Oktoberfest just could prove too much for the heat of summer.

So what’s a girl in Munich to do? Here are our tips.

Bavarian styles: Summer dirndls

Generally in recent years, the trend has been going towards longer dirndls: in Munich, they say that “70cm is the new 60”. Then again, we’re talking about dress for special occasions and festivals such as the Oktoberfest here. For a relaxed day out in the country with a visit to the beer garden or a night out at the breweries, there’s no reason not go casual – and go shorter. As a light summer option, we recommend the 50cm mini and 60cm midi models by Krüger-Madl: they are made almost wholly of cotton and come in a range of summery patterns and colours.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

What’s more, Krüger’s also got just the right footwear to match. Rather than leather pumps, a hot summer day calls for something lighter on the soles and ankles: like trainers – Bavarian trainers. By taking standard chucks and adding gingham check and flower patterning, Krüger has created comfortable shoes (unlike on a pair of pumps, you can loosen the laces if the heat really gets heavy) that match fun, girly dirndls.

Bavarian styles: lederhosen hot-pants

Another way to dress Bavarian without letting the heat get to you is to try short lederhosen. Stockerpoint, for example, offers a range in the same cut as hot-pants and that leave almost all of your thighs uncovered – a life-saver in the middle of a heatwave. What is more, despite what you might think, leather shorts aren’t sweaty (just ask the boys!).

 

What is more, this kind of fun, frivolous lederhosen combines nicely with relaxed shirts, tops, and t-shirts – which are far more comfortable than the kind of tight, lace-up bodice you’ll find on a typical Bavarian dirndl…

Bavarian styles: denim and t-shirts

As well as short ladies’ lederhosen, there is also a range of jeans shorts with Bavarian detailing available. They look like lederhosen, but are made of washable denim and also combine nicely with a range of light summer tops. Stockerpoint, Krüger Madl, and MarJo are now all offering excellent Bavarian denim shorts – and new to the 2017 collections are ultra-light, ultra-comfy linen shorts which are just right for a hot summer.

 

If you do find yourself in Bavaria in the middle of a heat wave, by the way, then the cleverest thing to do, of course, is to wear as little as possible and head to one of the region’s lakes (if you’re in Munich, go down to the Isar). And even then, there’s no need to not look the part: there are even Oktoberfest-style bikinis out there – and check pattern sandals to match!