Oktoberfest fashion trends 2014 (for her)

You’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s somewhat daring to start writing about what the fashion trends will be for an event six months in the future. You might well suspect that we’re simply making it up, or that anything we say about it has about as much validity as the average prediction from a £10-a-session fortune teller.

But you’d be misguided! Because there is a very simple way to get a glimpse into to the future of Bavarian fashion and see just which lederhosen and dirndls the good people of Munich will be wearing to the Wiesn as of 20^th September 2014.

“How? But how?” we hear you cry. Well, it’s simple: we go to the Starkbierfest – Munich’s March pendant to the Oktoberfest – and see what people have bought themselves for 2014 there. It works a treat, because the Strong Beer Festival is the first of a long string of traditional Bavarian events throughout the spring and summer which culminate in the Oktoberfest, meaning that real Bavarians often buy their new outfit around now.

And so what does this very beery crystal ball say about dirndls for the Oktoberfest 2014?

Denim

Yes, you read right: the big trend for 2014 is the entry of denim into dirndl design. Sound crazy? Well, it kind of is, but it looks great and gives traditional Bavarian costume a fresh twist. Bavarian girls who are not quite convinced can dip their toes in the jeans pond with a denim apron, while those more happy to experiment can already find dirndls with bodices made of denim. Think we’re playing a joke? Just take a look here. We’re actually quite taken with this addition of Americana into Bavarian design – after all, dirndls have their origin in robust, country-style clothing. Also, the US take on things fits well with this seasons colour trends…

Stars and Stripes

That’s right: one look at the Stars and Stripes – or at our own Union Jack – and you’ll see what this year’s colour trends remind us of. After a few years of wild experimentation, dirndl colours are getting simpler, with the primary colours red and blue dominating new designs, accompanied by black and white. There’s some green, but the pastel and orange-yellow look is definitely on its way out.

More is more

Year on year, Munich’s ladies drive themselves mad asking themselves “is this too short” or “is this too long”. For a while, though, in fashion terms at least, the question had been answered: which is to say that trends and fresh, new designs were first available as mini-dirndls at 50cm. This year, however, the knee-length midi-dirndl models are doing the running. Less is more? Not anymore.

And that’s before we’ve even got to the ladies lederhosen looks. For years, leather breeches for the girls was new enough to be a trend in itself, but in 2014, there are enough of us in lederhosen for different styles and looks to start developing.

Colour

The more colourful, the better. If you’re in the market for a ladies lederhosen, the 2014 season will spoil you with trendy colours: blue, red, pink, black. Although the traditional brown tones are still available, the ladies’ lederhosen segment has really moved into its own territory, offering provocative colours like “new green” and “risk red”: the old Bavarian gents won’t know what hit them!

Sheen

Until now, only lederhosen belonging to elderly, traditional Bavarian had sheen on them – generally due to years of fatty chicken and pork consumption! In 2014, leather shorts for ladies, too, are shiny, but of their own accord. That’s thanks to Nappa leather, the new trend material, which has a natural shine to it. That sounds a bit, well, sexy, doesn’t it? You bet! What’s more, in complete contrast to the dirndls, the length of ladies’ lederhosen is set to shrink this year.

Print

Until now, the lederhosen look for girls was to pair the shorts with a bodice-style top or, to show a bit more, an off-shoulder Carmen-style blouse – usually in a check pattern. In 2014, though, the big piece to wear with lederhosen is a t-shirt with a traditional Bavarian print on it. The kind of thin t-shirts with large-scale, light printed motifs we’ve become used to seeing as everyday wear on the high street have now made it into Bavarian design and the usual motifs of dancing deer and Alpine flowers are being given a new lease of life.

Now, you can chose to believe us or not, but we’ve seen the future – and that’s what the Oktoberfest fashion trends 2014 will look like! You read it here first…