Bavarian socks: The perfect Christmas gift

Contrary to what you might expect, Bavarians don’t have the tradition of leaving stockings out for Santa to fill. Firstly, Santa doesn’t come to Bavaria – it’s the “Christ child” instead (read more about German and Bavarian Christmas traditions here). Secondly, if they did put out stockings, they’d take aaages to fill: just look at all the long Bavarian socks they wear with their lederhosen!

In the English-speaking world, however, putting our your stocking for Saint Nick is a big part of the Christmas ritual. And instead, lads, of allowing your womenfolk to fill it up with yet more boring Argyle-pattern work socks, why not drop some hints that what you’d really like by way of a stocking-filler is some proper woollen Bavarian socks? Not only can you wear them with pride to match your lederhosen to the Oktoberfest, but the shorter-length woolly socks make ideal hiking socks for heavy-duty boots, too.

Bavarian socks: buy at Christmas, enjoy in October

There’s never been a better time to get stocking up on stockings, either, as a range of Bavarian fashion labels have recognised that Oktoberfest goers from abroad are tired of looking wistfally at all the fun footwear Munich residents sport, but being unable to get to the full range of knee-length and calf-warmer socks (in every colour and every pattern) themselves.

So this year, a whole range of Bavarian socks have become available outside of Germany for the first time on several internet shops. Allow us to run you through the main styles. Then all you need to do is link to this article on your Facebook page, drop some heavy hints to wives and girlfriends – and not forget to hang up your stocking!

Standard ankle and knee-length socks come in natural wool tones which are perfect for classic Oktoberfest combinations such as lederhosen and a a rustic checked shirt. They also work nicely with some more contemporary looks involving denim, t-shirts, and long-sleeve tops. Wear then either with standard Haferlschuhe in rough suede or newer styles of Bavarian footwear.

Knee-length socks with patterns (left) are usually worn with the most traditional Tracht outfits; you’ll often see members of local costume associations in knee-socks sporting rings or other details. Some even have the Bavarian rhomboid patterning in blue and white (don’t wear unless you speak good Bavarian, though, else you’ll be dubbed an unwelcome imposter!)

One-colour knee-length socks (right) are a key element of the well-off Munich resident style. Tents like Armbrustschützen or Schützenfestzelt are full of blue, red, green, yellow, orange, violet… knee-length stockings worn either with short lederhosen or covering the whole leg as they meet with knee-length knickerbocker-style leather breeches.  You’ll generally see them with the smarter, smooth-leather types of Haferlschuh with metal details.

 

Loferl, the two-piece calf-warmers are the most overtly Bavarian socks out there: with a trainer-sock-style shoe sock and a football-style calf section, Loferl are a statement that you take your lederhosen seriously. The classic colour combinations are dark green and natural shades such as cream, beige, or dark grey. However, lots of other shades are coming onto the market, so there should be something to match pretty much any shirt or top you fancy wearing them with.