Dress code

Lederhosen (Men)

Lederhosen were never intended to be a traditional costume. Rather, they were created as work wear for peasants. Although the outfits were made for mountain and country-dwelling peasants, upper-class Germans eventually found the lederhosen to be sensible attire for outdoor activities such as horseback riding and hunting. Oktoberfest announced in 1887 that lederhosen and dirndls would be the official garb for the attendees. Today, that rule still applies.

 

  1. The hairier the hat, the wealthier the wearer
    1. During Oktoberfest, traditional visitors wear Bavarian hats (Tirolerhüte). The more tufts of goat hair on your hat, the wealthier you are considered to be.
    2. Except nowadays the tufts are synthetic and everybody can look as wealth or as poorly as they like.

Women 

The dirndl’s history parallels with that of the lederhosen. The dirndl emerged in Germany during the 18th century and was also intended for working peasants. Much like the lederhosen were adopted by the upper class in the 18th century, the dirndl started to make appearances in the nobles’ community. Rather than using the same affordable wools of the peasants, richer dirndls were made of silk, satin, and expensive fabrics. 

 

  1. How to tie your bow?
    1. Women who tie their apron on their left side, are single and ready to mingle. Flirting is also allowed, if not even desirable. However, the bow on the left side is not an open invitation or excuse for an immediate physical contact.
    2. Women, who wear the dirndl bow on their right, signalize that their status is – taken! Because the wearer has found her happiness in love already, this means: Look but don’t touch!
    3. Tying the bow of sexy dirndl dresses in the middle can attract a lot of incredulous looks, especially when the wearers themselves don’t know its meaning. Different from what you might think (left-free, right-taken, middle-unsure?), these women are definitely not uncertain about their marital status. The Dirndl bow in the middle signals: I am a virgin.
    4. A Dirndl apron bow tied in the back can have two meanings – either the woman is a widow or a waitress. But that should be easy to decipher. Simply base your conclusion on the presence or absence of beer mugs in the woman’s hands.