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    <author>
        <name>Alpenclassics.co.uk</name>
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    <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news?sRss=1</id>
    <updated>2026-08-27T07:04:41+02:00</updated>
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Springtime for Bavaria!</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/springtime-for-bavaria</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/springtime-for-bavaria"/>
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                                            Carnival, Strong Beer Festival, Frühlingsfest: if you&#039;re looking for some Bavarian fun that’s off the beaten track, you might want to think about heading out in spring
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                 Sure, the classic time of year for a holiday to Bavaria is late summer and early autumn: hiking in the Alps and swimming in crystal-clear lakes in August, enjoying warm summer evenings in Munich’s beer gardens, or hitting the Oktoberfest tents in late September are all absolute highlights that every German-o-phile should have experienced at least once! Then there’s winter, with snowy mountain peaks and world-renowned ski resorts such as Garmisch-Partenkirchen. 
 If you’ve done all of that, though, and are looking for some Bavarian fun that’s a little more off the beaten track, you might want to think about heading out in spring. Sure, the weather might not be so great – in bad years, Munich especially can stay wet and chilly well into April – but there are several events that make a trip well worthwhile for people interested in German and Bavarian culture. 
   Fasching – German Carnival   
  If you thought Carnival was limited to the beaches of Rio, you’re wrong! Situated just across the Alps from Venice, Munich has a long tradition of masked balls in the weeks running up to Lent and, like the rest of southern and western Germany, likes to have a big knees up in the days before Ash Wednesday. Expect parades through town, lots of fun costumes, and plenty of beer! And remember to check the dates, as Lent moves every year with Easter and can fall as early as mid-February and as late as mid-March. (This year, 2018, Pancake Day - the last day before Lent, is on 13th February; but next year, 2019, it&#039;s on 5th March!) 
  Interested? If you’ve booked your flights and are looking for ideas for a good Bavarian outfit, remember to keep it colourful. You don&#039;t necessarily have to wear lederhosen and dirndls: in fact, most locals get dressed up in fun costumes and some even consider it disrespectful to wear Bavarian clothing as &quot;fancy dress&quot;. Then again, some Munich residents put on their lederhosen every time they go drinking - and expect there to be a lot of drinking... Whatever you do, add something unusual to your outfit! 
    Starkbierfest – Strong Beer Festival   
 The origins of Carnival are linked to Lent and religious laws about what could be eaten during periods of fasting: i.e. it was all about having one last good knees-up before having to give up meat and booze for the six weeks until Easter. Munich, however, has always had a pretty liberal attitude towards, well, lots of things, so here, Lent is also traditionally the time of the Strong Beer Festival, a three-week long celebration of high-proof brews with impressive-sounding names like Salvator and Triumphator. Apparently, church law never considered beer to be something from which people should abstain... 
  Like the sound of it? Head for any of the major beer halls (Hofbräuhaus, Löwenbräukeller, etc.) or to the legendary Paulaner am Nockherberg and join in the fun. Outfits should be traditional Bavarian and slightly on the formal side if you really want to blend in: leave the check shirt and bright colours for the Oktoberfest and opt for richer, darker tones; in terms of fabric, it&#039;s also about a more formal feel, so avoid linen or thin cotton and opt for something a little more substantial - and a little more festive.  Waistcoats  with a sheen and white collared shirts are best for the boys; for girls, the  dirndl  should be slightly longer and anything with gold metallic or deep burgundies and violets works very well. 
   Auer Dult/Frühlingsfest – spring-time funfairs   
 Missing the Oktoberfest badly? Join the club! Which is why Munich holds the  Frühlingsfest  – literally “spring festival” – funfair on the Theresienwiese at the half-way point between Oktoberfests. There’s also the springtime fair at Mariahilfsplatz known as the Auer Dult, a kind of mini-Wiesn with fairground rides and (somewhat smaller) beer tents. Well worth a visit if you need a quick injection of Bavarian  art de vivre  to make it through to September. Dress code? Whatever you like! 
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                            <updated>2018-02-07T12:00:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Lederhosen and dirndls: the perfect Christmas gift</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/lederhosen-and-dirndls-the-perfect-christmas-gift</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/lederhosen-and-dirndls-the-perfect-christmas-gift"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            This might sound odd, but now is the perfect time to get Bavarian fashion for that very special Oktoberfest fan in your life. Read why!
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                 This might sound odd, but now is the perfect time to get Bavarian fashion for that very special Oktoberfest fan in your life. “How so?” we hear you ask, when the Munich festivities are still 10 months off! Well, there are actually several very good reasons to look for lederhosen, dirndls, and associated fashion gear now. 
  For a start, this is the time of year when we as an online shop selling Bavarian clothing have the fewest orders. So without giving away too much by way of trade secrets, you’re buying “anti-cyclical” and can expect to find  some   good   deals  on our site – the  kind of sales discounts  we’d be crazy to offer in late summer when all of our customers take a collective look in the calendar and realise that the Oktoberfest is only one month off… 
 Secondly, buying way ahead of time is great way to make sure you get the right fit for your Munich-mad love one. Even with our fantastic size-guide, lederhosen and dirndls can be difficult to gauge right if you’re buying first time round, so ordering with almost a year left to go gives you ample opportunity to make use of your 100-days right of return if necessary. 
 Finally, if you’re looking for a surprise gift, this really will be unexpected. Even the most ardent Wiesn-goer whose eyes go over all misty when they talk of the Oktoberfest will probably not be thinking too much about it in December, so they’ll likely be roundly – but pleasantly – surprised to open up a pair of genuine leather breeches or a real Bavarian dirndl on Christmas Day. 
   
   
 &amp;nbsp; 
 &amp;nbsp; 
 If you’re looking for some handy stocking fillers to go with, by the way, or know that your Oktoberfest-mad family member is already satisfied with their current pair of lederhosen or dirndl dress, why not take a look at our range of  accessories  including traditional “ charivari ” trinklets for leather trousers and  handbags to match dirndls . 
 And find me a man who’s not secretly happy to get a  decent pair of socks  on Christmas morning… 
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                            <updated>2017-12-13T12:00:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Ten things Oktoberfest first-timers need to know</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/ten-things-oktoberfest-first-timers-need-to-know</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/ten-things-oktoberfest-first-timers-need-to-know"/>
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                                            An Oktoberfest first-timer? here are our ten most important important facts, tips, and tricks for Wiesn newbies. Read, learn, and use!
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                 An Oktoberfest first-timer? First off: congratulations! Sometimes, we wish it was our first time again. We&#039;ll never forget what a fantastic experience it is to walk into a beer tent for the very first time ever, to taste that first sip of golden Oktoberfest brew... 
 What we&#039;ll also never forget, though, is just how much we got wrong when we too were Oktoberfest first-timers. Just to think back to some of our  faux pas  makes us, as the experienced Wiesn-goers we now are, cringe. And then there&#039;s the stuff that we didn&#039;t get wrong exactly, but could have done better - and wish we&#039;d found out about earlier. 
 So in that spirit, here are our ten most important important facts, tips, and tricks for Oktoberfest first-timers. 
  1. “Wiesn” is pronounced “veesn”  In Munich, “the Oktoberfest” is called  die Wiesn , pronounced a V (like &quot;veer&quot;, &quot;verdict&quot;, and &quot;vavavoom!&quot;) and a long E (like &quot;need&quot;, &quot;feed&quot;, and &quot;beer&quot; if you&#039;re Australian). 
  2. The key words to get beer   Obviously, you’ll want to know how to order one of said beers. Served in a tankard containing a liter (i.e. two pints) known as a “Mass”, beer is ordered as followed: “ Eine Mass, bitte schön ” (ay-ner mass, bitteh shewn). 
   
  3. Tip to get ahead  Three key facts: A) Drinkers pay for each round of beer on delivery to the table. B) Tables are generally covered all day by the same waiter or waitress; you will not be able to beckon over other members of staff. C) Later in the session, it will become increasingly difficult for this one waiter/waitress to bring over beer to keep everyone on their patch of tables satisfied. 
 The conclusion from this is obvious: think of the first tip to your waiter/waitress as a statement of intent that will put a smile on their face - and keep them coming back to your table first. 
  4. Sit to drink   You can only order beer sat down, so don’t even try standing around in the beer garden (or, even more annoyingly for staff and fellow drinkers, in the tent between the tables) waving money around. It just won&#039;t work - and in many tents, security staff will be dispatched to, ahem, deal with the blockage. 
  5. Sit to drink (cont.)   If you can’t get a seat, there&#039;s a simple trick: wait until someone needs to find the facilities and ask if you can “hot seat” to place your order. When that person comes back, you&#039;ll have your beer and go and stand out of the way in the beer garden. 
  6. Stand to dance  Later in the evening, drinkers stand up on the benches to belt out their favourite hits as they dance with each other. Yes, it&#039;s officially allowed and no, it&#039;s not rude to link arms with those next to you on the benches (even if you&#039;ve only just met). 
  7. Stand to dance (cont.)   Don&#039;t, however, try standing on the tables. That will get you thrown out of the tent more or less immediately. No, we don&#039;t know why benches are allowed by tables aren&#039;t, but that&#039;s the way the cookie crumbles... 
   8. Watch out for reservations   Getting a reservation at the Oktoberfest is so difficult that almost no-one ever cancels. If you see a reserved sign (and roughly half the tables in the tent will have one on them), don&#039;t sit down and hope for the best: you will get moved on and, by then, all the unreserved tables will have disappeared. Be clever and get to these unreserved ones first! And on that point: don&#039;t listen to anyone else who comes along and tries to tell you that, in actual fact, those tables  are  reserved. Just like everywhere else in the world, if a table is reserved, there will be a notice on it. The only people who can tell you to move are tent staff. 
  9. Don&#039;t follow the herd   Year after year, everyone heads for the same five tents. British, American, and Australian tourists flock to Hofbräu, Munich&#039;s trendies storm Schützenfestzelt, Hacker, and Augustiner, and the younger drinkers swarm into Schottenhamel from 9am on. You can try and join them (and face stiff competition for seats), or just head to any of the other 11 big tents. You&#039;ll have a great time in all of them. And besides the big tents, there are around a dozen smaller beer tents which, in terms of atmosphere and ambiance, are easily the equal of the more famous establishments: Schichtl and Zur Bratwurst are two particularly special locations. 
  10. Leave your backpacks at home   This rule is new as of 2016 and is especially important for visitors from abroad who may have luggage on their days or arrival and departure: for security purposes, large backpacks will be banned from the entire Oktoberfest site. Avoid disappointment by leaving baggage at the hotel or in a locker and keeping handbags small. 
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                            <updated>2017-09-13T12:15:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Last-minute Wiesn outfits</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/last-minute-wiesn-outfits</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/last-minute-wiesn-outfits"/>
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                                            Still shopping around for the right lederhosen or dirndl and running out of time? Don&#039;t panic: your search ends here!
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                 That’s right: yes, it  is  early September and, no, you  don’t  have your Oktoberfest outfit sorted out yet. Damnit! This was the year you really wanted to make a big splash – you’ve even promised friends in Munich that you’re going to go all out and get  Bayerisch , and now this… Nothing suitable for an affordable price on the net. The Oktoberfest begins in precisely ten days. Panic strikes. 
 But before you go nuts, jump on the plane, and charge towards the first tourist-trap stall at Munich main station or the shop next to your hotel, make sure you finish reading this! Why? Because we’ve got Oktoberfest outfits ready to ship that can be with you in 24 hours in Germany or 48 hours elsewhere in Europe. Based States-side? Don’t worry: our maximum delivery time is 5 working days. Wherever you buy, we offer a right of return if you’re not satisfied. So if you hurry, that is enough time to order, receive, and try on your outfit before you leave. If it doesn’t fit or suit, we might even be able to get the right size to you before you leave! 
 It’s unlikely you’ll need to send your outfit back, though, because we provide plenty of sizing information – and almost everyone experiences love at first sight with our lederhosen and dirndls. Looking for outfit suggestions for Bavarian fashion beginners that won’t break the bank? Read on. 
  &amp;nbsp; Hers  For girls looking to buy a first dirndl, there really is nothing better than our modern classic Vienna in blue with rose patterning. Neither too short nor too long, neither too trendy nor too conservative, and just the right colour for almost all skin and hair tones, this dirndl is also a two-piece product – i.e. no need to worry about getting your own apron. In fact, all you need to do is add a simple  dirndl blouse ,  shoes , and a  bag . Two quality pieces for just over £100? You saw it here first! 
 Two-piece dirndl set (Vienna blue, Krüger Madl) 
   His  If you’re buying for the first time, we recommend our men’s sets, which are already gracing several generations of Oktoberfest-going gentlemen. It couldn’t be easier: you tell us your shirt, trouser, and shoe size, and we get you a checked shirt, a pair of lederhosen, and a matching shoes. You also get socks thrown into the bargain – as well as a little extra in the form of a neckerchief. The only decision you have to make is whether you want a darker or a lighter shade of leather, as well as which colour shirt you would like. For once, you’ve got more choices than the girls… 
 But never mind: there’s still time to send it back if you hurry! 
  Five-piece lederhosen set   (Lederhose Justin, brown, shirt Campos2 in apple green, Stockerpooint) 
 &amp;nbsp; 
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                            <updated>2017-09-06T13:00:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Can you wash lederhosen? And should you?</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/can-you-wash-lederhosen-and-should-you</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/can-you-wash-lederhosen-and-should-you"/>
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                                             if you can’t put your pair of lederhosen in the wash, and if they look better used anyway, why would anyone even think of washing them? Well...
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                 Lederhosen are not trousers just like any other &amp;ndash; everyone knows that. With their robustness in the face of years of use, they have always been made to face wear and tear, which is why &amp;ndash; just like good traditional jeans and biker&amp;rsquo;s jackets &amp;ndash; they are a darn site cooler once they&amp;rsquo;ve got some wear and tear, the off scuff and scratch to show their age. So crucial is the vintage look to lederhosen&amp;rsquo;s appeal that many of the most popular new designs come ready-distressed. This means that the most obvious answer to the title question is &amp;ldquo;No way!&amp;rdquo;. 
 All the more since you can&amp;rsquo;t just put leathers into washing machine with everything else. Textiles like cotton, linen, and synthetic fibres can handle warm water and detergents, but leather &amp;ndash; despite being able to stand up to a lifetime of Alpine agricultural use &amp;ndash; just can&amp;rsquo;t. This is, in fact, the one area in which leather breeches are more demanding that suits, dresses and other things that need dry cleaning: outside of Bavaria, you can&amp;rsquo;t just take them to the cleaners and pick them up a week later (Bavaria, of course, has specialised lederhosen restorers&amp;hellip;). 
 So if you can&amp;rsquo;t put your pair of lederhosen in the wash, and if they look better used anyway, why would anyone even think of washing them? 
  Reasons to wash lederhosen  
  There are, however, plenty of reasons to take care of your favourite lederhosen &amp;ndash; especially at this time of year, when you couldn&amp;rsquo;t be further away from the Oktoberfest and you&amp;rsquo;ve got months on end in which you won&amp;rsquo;t need to wear them. While small marks or signs of use here may be part of the look, you might have noticed some larger stains that looked like badges of honour in the hungover dimness of last autumn, but which, on sober inspection a few months later, appear to be somewhat more serious&amp;hellip; 
 Furthermore, beyond its appearance, leather covered by an overly-thick a layer of dirt &amp;ndash; often lovingly-but-wrongly thought of as part and parcel of the &amp;ldquo;vintage look&amp;rdquo; &amp;ndash; can no longer breathe. And when leather can&amp;rsquo;t breathe, it gets stiffer, less comfortable, and sweatier to wear. 
 So whether it&amp;rsquo;s slightly out-of-control dirt or a couple of bad stains you&amp;rsquo;ve noticed, your lederhosen needs a bit of care and attention. That doesn&amp;rsquo;t mean cleaning them, though, as you might expect, but washing them in water. Sounds wrong, right? As mentioned above, water can be damaging to leather. But leather should be washed wet, because it&amp;rsquo;s not the water itself, but strong detergents, fast spin-cycles, and changes in temperature that do damage. 
  How to wash your lederhosen  
 So if your favourite leathers need a spruce up before this year&amp;rsquo;s summer festivals and, of course, the Oktoberfest, here&amp;rsquo;s how to do it: 
 1. Wash by hand in a bowl of lukewarm water. 
 2. Use a natural soap especially for leather (check organic stores or  try this ). 
 3. After washing, dry slowly at room temperature, moving them regularly and bringing them into shape as you do so. 
 5. Once dry, kneed the leather gently and then brush it to return it to its original form. 
 Sounds like a lot of work, right? Bingo! It is. But your personal favourite lederhosen will reward you by lasting another five-to-ten years. A lot of work? Sounds like a good deal. 
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                            <updated>2017-03-08T12:30:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Christmas stocking fillers: Bavarian socks</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/christmas-stocking-fillers-bavarian-socks</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/christmas-stocking-fillers-bavarian-socks"/>
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                                            It’s a shame for Bavarians that they don’t have the tradition of leaving stockings out, because knee-length socks can hold a lot of presents!
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                 It&amp;rsquo;s a shame for Bavarians that they don&amp;rsquo;t have the tradition of leaving stockings out, because if they did, we boys would do very well out of it: just look at all those knee-length stockings men wear with their lederhosen! We&amp;rsquo;d hang one of those long woolly Bavarian socks out for Saint Nick any day! If you already have a stocking, though, and keep getting pestered by insistent mothers, girlfriends, and wives asking you what you want for Christmas, why not suggest Bavarian socks as your stocking filler of choice? It&amp;rsquo;s either that or yet another pair of Star Wars footbags that you won&amp;rsquo;t be able to wear to work and that will most likely be made of some horrible sweat-inducing nylon material&amp;hellip; Instead, why not suggest some proper woollen Bavarian socks? Not only can you wear them with your lederhosen to the Oktoberfest, but the shorter-length woollies make ideal hiking socks for heavy-duty boots, too. 
 Bavarian socks: never a better time 
 There&amp;rsquo;s never been a better time to  start stocking up on stockings , either, as several manufacturers have cottoned on to the fact that Oktoberfest goers from abroad are fed up of being beat in the socks stakes by Munich residents who have access to whole shelves of knee-length and calf-warmer socks in every colour under the sun while we have to alternate between the same three ankle-lengthers in beige. This year, a whole range of Bavarian socks are now available for delivery outside of Germany for the first time. Allow us to run you through the main styles. Then all you need to do is forward this article to enquiring womenfolk in your family &amp;ndash; and remember to hang up your stocking.          
 &amp;nbsp; 
  Standard ankle and knee-length socks  are generally available in plain, natural wool colours. These work well with rustic Oktoberfest outfits such as lederhosen and checked shirt and some more modern combinations with denim shirts, t-shirts, and other tops. They can match either traditional  Haferlschuhe  in rough leather or newer Bavarian sneaker-style footwear.       
  Patterned knee-length socks  (left) tend to accompany traditional  Tracht  outfits; you&amp;rsquo;ll often see members of heritage associations in grey knee-socks sporting green rings or other details. Some even have the Bavarian rhomboid patterning (although these are neither for the faint-hearted nor the uninitiated&amp;hellip;)       
  Uni-coloured knee-length socks  (right) are an important part of the classic well-to-do Munich look. Tents like Sch&amp;uuml;tzenfestzelt are awash with blue, green, and red knee-lengthers worn either with short lederhosen, showing some leg, or as part of continuum running into knickerbockers. You&amp;rsquo;ll most often see them worn with smarter types of  Haferlschuh  in smooth, shiny black leather.&amp;nbsp;                &amp;nbsp; 
   Loferl    calf-warmer two-piece socks  represent the most Bavarian form of footwear design: split into a to-ankle in-shoe sock and a cable-knit calf-covering portion,   Loferl   are distinctive, traditional, and great fun to wear. Generally patterned, the most classic combinations are dark green and natural shades such as cream, beige, or dark grey. However, increasing numbers of colours are becoming available, so it&amp;rsquo;s entirely possible to colour coordinate with your shirt. 
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                            <updated>2016-12-14T10:15:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">The perfect Oktoberfest outfits 2016</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/the-perfect-oktoberfest-outfits-2016</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/the-perfect-oktoberfest-outfits-2016"/>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                
                                            Thre is no more one perfect outfit than there is one type of person who enjoys wearing Bavarian clothing or one type of person who likes going to the Oktoberfest. There are, however, several good looks to orientate yourself towards.
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                 How do you manage to turn heads at the Munich Oktoberfest – and turn them the right way? What is the secret to creating an outfit that manages to bring together tradition, trends, and your personality in just the right proportions? In other words: what does the perfect Oktoberfest outfit for 2016 look like? 
 Well, there is – of course – no more one perfect outfit than there is one type of person who enjoys wearing Bavarian clothing or one type of person who likes going to the Oktoberfest. There are, however, several good looks to orientate yourself towards – and we’ll show you the best versions of each for this year’s Fest. These outfits combine new-season trends such as retro patterns, robust fabrics, and Bavarian/everyday-wear crossovers so that you’ll look great in the tents and yet feel able to express your own personal style. Which type best suits you? 
     
  “Grandma wasn’t always wrong, you know…”  
 Are you the type of person who never used plastic bags even before the ban? Who sucks on a strepsil if they’ve got a cold rather than bothering the doctor? The kind of person who actually doesn’t mind – perhaps even quite likes – the scent of lavender? 
 If so, then you’ll love one of the key 2016 trends in women’s Oktoberfest fashion: retro floral patterns and demure shades of colour. Here, we’ve taken a  mid-length dirndl in ochre brown  with beautiful florals and combined it with brown velour pumps and an off-shoulder blouse. This outfit is smart, traditional, and very much of the moment – your grandma would be proud (even if she’d suggest that you cover up your knees and shoulders…)&amp;nbsp; 
   “As long as I don’t need to do my hair…”  
 Are you the organised type who is always sorting out the trips and holidays you and your girlfriends go on? The type that every group of friends needs because otherwise no-one would ever settle on anything? The type who is about to blow her cool if you hear just one more of your friends say “I don’t mind, you decide! But just make sure that…”? If so, then you’ll know that the important thing about the Oktoberfest is to get to the tents early so you get your pick of tables (and of lederhosen-clad hunks at them). 
 That’s why this comfortable, fashionable, and slightly racy pair of  denim lederhosen  is just right for you. Combined with a feminine but easy-care t-shirt in pink and a pair of Bavarian-style chucks with a floral pattern, all you need is  the  2016 trend item – floral headwear – and you’re ready to hit the tents at 9am. By midday, you’re dancing on the benches and can still make it to the club that night while the other girls are complaining about their heels. And you look fantastic the whole time.&amp;nbsp; 
   “I hate it when they change the cut on jeans…”  
 Of course, smartphones are useful tools, but isn’t it nice to put them away every now and then. And – between you and me – when did we start taking photos of food and posting them before we’d even spread out our napkins. What do you mean this restaurant doesn’t have napkins…? 
 You’re the type of guy who knows that men don’t have to be pretty: they have to be authentic. Couple of hairs on your back? No problem. If you wear a shirt with a collar, no-one will ever know. It’s already bad enough that normal 501 jeans look odd nowadays and that you had to buy skinnier ones a few years back. So you’ll love 2016 with its return to classic Bavarian looks: we’d suggest stocking up before the funny cuts and odd colours make a comeback. How about timeless  knee-length leather breeches  in brown and a plain white shirt? No need to re-invent the wheel.&amp;nbsp; 
   “You mean you don’t shave your chest hair? But everyone does…” &amp;nbsp; 
 You’re an early adopter: if they’d let you, you be a guinea pig for one of those smart chips that you can have implanted in your arm. When are they due to hit the stores again? 2025? Tradition is all well and good – you’re at the Oktoberfest after all, and it’s been going 200 years – but there’s no reason not to tweak and make improvements wherever you can. One improvement on recent decades is that you can now get away with wearing a t-shirt almost anywhere.. 
 On that matter, here’s a cool tee in stone-wash grey jersey; it’s comfy and yet is clearly about the Oktoberfest (deer horns!). And the  lederhosen  are fun: why did it take Bavarians so long to replace the standard decorative stitching with something more exciting (deer horns?) See: there’s no tradition that can’t be improved upon. 
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            </content>

                            <updated>2016-08-31T09:15:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Bavarian uniform: dirndls and lederhosen for hospitality staff</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/bavarian-uniform-dirndls-and-lederhosen-for-hospitality-staff</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/bavarian-uniform-dirndls-and-lederhosen-for-hospitality-staff"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            For most, Bavarian clothing is something they associate with leisure time: but for some in the hospitality trade, dirndls and lederhosen are uniform - and need to be hard-wearing and good value.
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                 For most people, Bavarian clothing is something they associate with leisure time: whether they’re taking a break to Munich for the Oktoberfest or heading to one of the many themed pubs and restaurants elsewhere for an evening, they’re generally dressed in lederhosen and dirndl when they’re off work. That’s not the case for the people serving them, however. Indeed, for waiters and waitresses serving customers in the thousands of traditional guesthouses and inns in Germany or working the beer tents in the summer, as well as many on duty for Oktoberfest tribute events abroad or at the increasingly popular Bavarian beerhouses opening up in cities worldwide, dirndls and lederhosen are, first and foremost, work uniform. Bavarian uniform. 
 That has advantages and disadvantages. The benefits? Traditional Bavarian garb is without doubt a cut above your average fast-food restaurant clothing, for example, and answers many of the awkward questions for waiters in middle-of-the-road hostelries about what constitutes appropriate work clothing. 
 The drawbacks, however, are clear: service positions are often physically demanding and many restaurants and tents heat up quickly. As such, Bavarian clothing for hospitality staff needs to be even more robust than it generally is and yet comfortable to wear. 
 That means checking to make sure that Bavarian uniform fulfils the following criteria: 
 
  Robustness  – As working clothes for peasants, lederhosen and dirndls can take a lot of punishment. Nevertheless, the best leather breeches and dresses for staffing are even more robust, with a minimum of details and add-ons which might get caught or show wear. What is more, they need to be easily washable. 
  Recognisability  – Waiters and waitresses need to be easily visually distinguishable from the customers around them. That means steering clear of trendy features and keeping colours low-key – often integrating corporate or team colours. 
  Günstig  – There’s no way round it: those using Bavarian clothing as a work uniform will run through their lederhosen and dirndls quicker and need more of them at once. As such, they need to be priced in such as way as not to be one-off pieces. 
 
 In view of these demands, we at Oktoberfest Dirndl Shop have long been stocking specially designed for professional waiters and waitresses working in traditional Bavarian locations and Bavarian-themed restaurants in the rest of Germany and abroad. 
   Sandy2 ( l )   Amber ( r ) 
 For  waitresses , we recommend the classic, ankle-length dirndls made by Stockerpoint. In these models, the body and skirt are in reserved yet smart, festive black jacquard, giving you the best compromise between robustness and elegance. What makes this range particularly suited to service wear is the wide selection of coloured aprons in simple, classic patterns, allowing staff to switch colours with those of their employer, for example. Our three recommendations are Zenta3, Amber, and Sandy2; the latter, with a slightly shorter skirt at 70cm rather than the usual 90cm, is particularly popular for summer festivals, helping to beat the heat with a professional touch.. 
 &amp;nbsp; 
   Rosso ( l ), Oliver ( r )   
 For the guys, Bavarian uniform is – as in all other areas – slightly less complicated. Lederhosen always have been made for hard work, so  waiters  can choose pretty much any pair they want and they’ll last a season. Then again, many tents and restaurants have their own dress code, stipulating short, knee-length, or full-length trousers, so you may find yourself having to buy more pairs even if your trusty work breeches are still in good shape. Look at  Oliver  in old brown for a classic pair of short lederhosen, or at  Rosso   in the same shade for knee-length breeches. At that price, they’ll earn their keep! 
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            </content>

                            <updated>2016-07-06T10:15:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Lederhosen and dirndls for children</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/lederhosen-and-dirndls-for-children</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/lederhosen-and-dirndls-for-children"/>
            <summary type="html">
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                                            “Kids in lederhosen and dirndls? What is this,” I hear you ask, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?” Well actually, kids love getting dressed up - and Bavarians are suckers for cutie-pie children. That&#039;s why we are now selling a collection of Bavarian children&#039;s outfits.
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                  “Kids in lederhosen and dirndls? What is this,” I hear you ask, “Chitty Chitty Bang Bang?” As a matter of fact, for centuries, children across the world wore the clothes of their parents – hard-wearing work clothes for everyday wear which could be adapted to fit changes in body shape. After all, poor Bavarian farmers couldn’t afford take their children to the tailor’s every year and their wives barely had time to keep up with all the taking up and in, all the sewing tears and the darning socks. Clothes for children had to be no-fuss and pragmatic. 
  So in the same way that young British or American boys were given shorts that could be let down as their legs got longer, Bavarian boys got lederhosen with the characteristic H-shaped buckled braces we know today: as the boys got taller, the straps could be lengthened. This – along with the buttons on the knee hem and the lacing at the back of the waist – may seem like quaint-but-authentic details today, but were once what made these pieces so long-lasting, allowing them to expand upwards and outwards with their wearers. The corset of a dirndl, too, could be tied wider and wider as girls got fuller and fuller. 
  Nowadays, you will see children wearing traditional Bavarian clothes, but for completely different reasons. Mainly, parents like to dress their kids up in Bavarian Trachten outfits for high and holy days, for weddings and christenings, and for outings to popular fairgrounds. The kids love it – they get to wear the same grown-up clothes as mum and dad – and the parents do too: after all, there’s nothing cuter than kids dressed up as mini-me-style adults, right? 
 That’s why we are now  stocking a full range  of children’s lederhosen, dirndls, and suitable accessories. For the little lads, we’ve got everything from real leather breeches and matching shirts through to pint-sized lederhosen shoes and even diminutive satin waistcoats.  We haven’t forgotten the little ladies, either, who can go for anything from exquisite floral pattern dirndls through to denim lederhosen-style shorts and t-shirts depending on their tastes! 
 So if you’re planning to take your kids to the Oktoberfest for a fun day out while you’re in Munich or you’ve been invited with your family to a genuine Bavarian celebration, make sure you take a look at our range of Bavarian outfits for children: there’ll be fun photos to share with all the family and, perhaps, a misty-eyed Bavarian looking on in delight. 
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            </content>

                            <updated>2016-05-25T11:15:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">Deerskin leather is best for lederhosen</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/deerskin-leather-is-best-for-lederhosen</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/deerskin-leather-is-best-for-lederhosen"/>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                
                                            It shouldn’t be big news to anyone that leather and trousers do not a lederhosen make. But just how exacting the standards for authentic lederhosen are, might surprise you.
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                 It shouldn’t be big news to anyone that leather and trousers do not a lederhosen make. After all, there are plenty of two-legged items of clothing made of leather do not look a bit like Bavarian lederhosen – and aren’t intended to, either. Just look at bikers’ leathers, for example, made of smooth black hide and covering the whole leg: they are designed for the practicalities of riding motorbikes, and – for some reason we’ve never understood – don’t have any floral stitching like traditional Bavarian leather breeches… 
 Then there are some leather trousers which are supposed to look like German lederhosen, but don’t really tick all the boxes for traditional Bavarian design. Some of the worst offenders are sold in the weeks before the Oktoberfest as “Bavarian lederhosen”, but are made of material that Bavarians wouldn’t even carpet their outhouses with: imitation leather, poorly-treated cowhide (not even nappa leather!) or low-grade goatskin of a quality that traditional manufacturers would turn down at the workshop door. It’s simple: the journey to genuine Bavarian lederhosen always starts with the choicest, professionally prepared goatskin or deerskin leather. Nothing else will do. 
    Due to its excellent value for money, goatskin is the classic material for “first-timer” lederhosen. Both visually authentic and robust, a pair of goatskin leather breeches can be worn for decades. Nevertheless, it is always second to deerskin leather, gained from the hides of red deer Soft and yet hard-wearing, as comfortable as it is strong, and featuring an exceptionally attractive natural graining, the “lederhosen for life” is almost always a deerskin pair. 
 We make a point of offering our customers both good-value goatskink- and some of the best, priciest  deerskin lederhosen  out there. That allows us to be the shop that people use both to buy their first ever pair of authentic Bavarian lederhosen – a “trial version” that really looks, feels, and plays the part – at an attractive price and to acquire exquisite lifetime lederhosen that will still be being worn to the Oktoberfest in 50 years. 
  Customers looking to buy genuine deerskin lederhosen will, quite rightly, be interested in the detail of how our leather is processed. One of the brands we stock, Stockerpoint, is one of the very few manufacturers of traditional Bavarian Tracht to stick to the age-old buffing and tanning methods as they are applied in Austria; this fully natural approach is all but forgotten outside of the traditional clothing industry, and as such, customers who purchase lederhosen from Stockerpoint are making a decision to support what would otherwise be a dying art. Similarly, our suppliers Krüger Buam have the most exacting standards on the leather they use. Besides the cultural importance of the techniques, buying this kind of leather is a decision for sustainability, both due to the strong laws on hunting and species protection for deer in Austria and due to one simple fact: this kind of lederhosen is one you only ever need to buy once. 
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            </content>

                            <updated>2016-01-13T10:30:00+01:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
    
        <entry>
            <title type="text">The perfect Bavarian outfit for the Oktoberfest</title>
            <id>https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/the-perfect-bavarian-outfit-for-the-oktoberfest</id>
            <link href="https://www.alpenclassics.co.uk/blog/news/the-perfect-bavarian-outfit-for-the-oktoberfest"/>
            <summary type="html">
                <![CDATA[
                
                                            While there is no more one single perfect outfit than there is one type of person attracted to traditional Bavarian clothing, there are perfect combinations for the Oktoberfest.
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                <![CDATA[
                 If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that we often write about all the different kinds of Bavarian styles there are: ladies in lederhosen, for example, or casual wear for the gents. We also follow trends and novelties very closely, looking at various developments away from the strongly traditional Bavarian Tracht dress codes. Very rarely, however, do we give any hard-and-fast recommendations for “the perfect Bavarian outfit” like so many other manufacturers or fashion pages. Why? Because, as everyone knows, there is no more one single perfect outfit than there is one type of person attracted to traditional Bavarian clothing. 
 There are, however, perfect outfits for particular occasions – like the Oktoberfest! We recommend particular clothing for the Oktoberfest not simply because it is a celebration of Bavarian style, but also because it is a uniquely tough environment in which to stay stylish: you’ve got to get to the Wiesn, be prepared for sudden changes in the autumnal weather, and be ready to sweat it out in the tents…  If you’re wondering how to dress practically but stylishly for these conditions, take a look out our recommendations for outfits and our explanations of just why they’re right for the approaching Oktoberfest 2015. 
  Practical Princess: mid-length dirndl, knitted cardigan   The 60cm Rosali dirndl is a real trending item for 2015 thanks to its fashionable nougat shade – a colour which also happens to be remarkably practical in the Oktoberfest tents, where there is many a slip betwixt cup and lip and the chances of getting beer on your dress at some point quite high. The same can be said of the toffee-coloured pumps, at once classically attractive and as robust as they are water-resistant. At the same time, the pink thread uniting the apron and the lace-up bodice of the dirndl gives the outfit a fun, girly party touch. Just in case festivities are drowned in downpours, however, or it’s cold on the way home, the plain knitted  cardigan  with the pretty little heart patch on the left-hand pock et will keep you warm. Practicality for girls who are, at heart, still princesses! 
  Hot tomboy: leather shorts with checked shirt  Combined with a black-white check sleeveless shirt, these daringly  short dark pink leather shorts  with their sooty shading are just the thing for repairing motorbikes – and for keeping cool in the Oktoberfest tents while the temperature goes up for the poor lads around you, especially when you combine them with these nappa leather heeled shoes. As well as warming you if the weather turns unexpectedly cold, the delicate knitwear should be enough to remind the boys that – even if you look better at DIY than all of them – you still know how to be feminine. So all in all, this is the perfect Oktoberfest look for ladies who want to turn heads without sticking&amp;nbsp;to stereotypes.  
  T  imeless classic fit for 2015: lederhosen and linen   For the boys, the Oktoberfest is an occasion when it’s best to stick with tried-and-tested styles. In fact, your leather breeches gain in kudos for every year you’ve been wearing them, so by all means, stick with last year’s pair. In fact, it would be a real shame to risk getting a new pair soaked in a beer-related accident – and uncomfortable to sweat in them before they’ve loosened up sufficiently. Speaking of loosening: the same goes for the haferlschuhe boots. If you’ve worn a pair in past blistering point, stick with them! If you’re looking to make a fashion statement, do it with your tops. In this outfit, we’ve gone for a trendy shirt with sporting cuffs in very of-the-moment smoke tones and then paired that up with a brick-red linen  waistcoat  to make the ensemble more eye-catching – and provide late-night warmth. At the same time, linen won’t overheat in the sweaty tents and so will help you get the most out of this year’s Oktoberfest. Prost! 
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            </content>

                            <updated>2015-09-03T14:00:00+02:00</updated>
                    </entry>

    
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