Jul 1, 2015

Posted by in Bavaria, Dirndl and Lederhosen | Comments Off on Popular patterns and fabrics for summer 2015

Popular patterns and fabrics for summer 2015

Popular patterns and fabrics for summer 2015

It’s hard to underestimate the importance of fabrics to traditional Bavarian clothing. Whether it’s leather for lederhosen or silk for a dirndl apron, many of the key pieces of Bavarian costume are defined by the material they use. Shorts? You could have them made out of cotton, linen, or denim, but leather breeches? The clue’s in the name.

These materials have always been given particular patterns to transform them for their traditional role: check, floral embroidery, horizontal stripes… Shirts, aprons, and socks all have classic patterns which turn them from just any old piece of clothing into genuine Bavarian pieces.

Modern designers are blessed with these traditions as they provide a backdrop against which to experiment: wherever there are very specific expectations of a given item of clothing, there is a lot of creative potential in changing certain aspects of it. That’s why a denim dirndl is so exciting. Dirndls are supposed to be made of traditional fabrics such as cotton and linen, the festive aprons are generally made out of silk or another form of shiny material; seeing these items in everyday denim is unexpected.

This is just the kind of bold experiment that has been getting more common in recent years. For a long while, Bavarian fashion contented itself with changing colours or making minimal alterations to traditional templates. Now, however, there is a new freedom and completely new fabrics and patterns are finding their way into the Oktoberfest tents.

And there really hasn’t been a year like 2015 yet. With this much creativity in patterns and fabrics, we thought we’d offer you an overview so that you don’t get lost.

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Knallige Farben mit kräftigen Mustern

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Traditionelle Töne, gehaltene Muster.

In terms of dirndls, there are two almost completely opposite approaches at the moment. On the one hand, powerful colours and being paired with powerful patterns such as big stripes and broad check – aprons are often further embellished with prints. On the other hand, however, there is a “back to the roots” movement which is taking quieter, more demure shades and more delicate patterns to match.

Away from the dirndls, however, this split has yet to show up: that’s probably because items such as bodices and t-shirts are generally worn with lederhosen for ladies and are therefore not at all traditional, opening the way for a modern, experimental approach (Oktoberfest fashion tops are awash with playful prints this year, for example).

Looking at fabrics this season, for the girls, there’s only one real innovation worth mentioning: denim. Jeans-Dirndls have become key pieces this season, and the fabric has spread to every other part of Bavarian fashion collections. All of the other materials being used a lot at the moment – poly-cotton, viscose, linen – has all been around before, whereas denim tops in a Bavarian look or even jeans with lederhosen-style details are really something new.

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Kleinkariert oder großkariert, traditionell Blau-Weiß oder bunt wie sonst nichts: Hauptsache Karo!

As far as the gents are concerned, there are less changes in terms of patterns, but in terms of Bavarian shirts, it would be no exaggeration to speak of a comeback for check. This season, it doesn’t matter what kind – from gingham to broad squares, from dual-colour through to five-tone tartan (or, as the Americans call it, plaid), it’s all there – but it must be chequered. Lederhosen embroidery is pretty constant, however, because otherwise, lederhosen aren’t always recognisable as traditional pieces. The innovation this year is in the fabric, with jeans and even jogging bottom shorts in lederhosen look.

The jogging short versions, especially, show why the patterns of lederhosen embroidery have been left untouched: if it weren’t for these patterns, the pieces would essentially be jogging shorts – i.e. the whole joke of using the material to make Bavarian clothing would fall flat. Experimenting with tradition is a privilege, but one that comes with responsibility…

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