As Bavarian fashion experts say: “A lederhosen is for life – a shirt is for a season.” Now, that might be something of an exaggeration: surprise, surprise, some guys actually buy a new pair of leather breeches at some point – either because they fancy something different or due to force majeure (i.e. water damage) – and some even own several pairs at once. What’s more, when you’ve found your favourite shirt, you’ll generally end up wearing until it falls off, right? Nevertheless, there is some truth to the statement because a pair of lederhosen will be around for years, trusty and sturdy, so the shirt worn with it is the only option for anyone looking to bring some variety into their Bavarian outfit.
And in terms of variety, this is a season like no other: there are more styles and a wider choice in each category of shirt than ever before. Whether you’re after a checked shirt and want your pick of patterns or would rather go for something more formal in purest white; whether you want to go full Farmer Giles with a drawstring across the chest or want to look sharp in a fashionable floral patterned shirt: there’s something for every situation and for every style. So whether you’re the lumberjack-type or more of an off-duty licenced trader, whether you’re out all day hiking in the Alps or you’ve been invited to a Bavarian wedding, our Oktoberfest shirts give you your choice of looks so that you can wear your lederhosen on every occasion. Read on for a selection of our favourite styles.
Classic checked
Gingham check is the classic Bavarian shirt pattern. While in recent years these small squares have often been written off as old fashioned (“Why would you want to wear something that looks like a tablecloth?”), this season, they’re coming back around as part of the overall trend towards vintage. What’s more, we never actually saw what the problem with checked shirts is, anyway; quite to the contrary, because you can’t beat a classic. The traditional Bavarian check shirt is just right for the Oktoberfest and similar beer fests when you need to look well-dressed but not overly smart.
Pro tip: if you really do think you look like your granddad in Gingham check, mix things up a bit by going for a short-sleeved version.
Lumberjack look
If you’re the kind of guy that likes to go for a more rough-edged look, then we’d recommend our new set of lumberjack shirts. Yes, we’ll admit it: it’s hipsters that got us thinking about them – but you don’t need big glasses and a big beard to look good in one of these. Bonus: you can wear them with a pair of jeans, too. After all, just like denim, lumberjack shirts and lederhosen are both fashion versions of genuine robust utility wear, so they all fit together rather well.
And so while the tartan check and details like buttons on the arms to hold rolled-up sleeves are primarily fashion details, they also make this type of shirt into a genuinely functional piece of clothing that is just right if you like a little light activity before your afternoon in the beer garden…
Granddad-lookKnown as Pfoad in Bavarian dialect, these granddad shirts almost slipped into complete oblivion before staging a comeback in recent years. They only have two or three buttons up to the collar and need to be pulled over/off, so we’re in real old-fashioned territory here (once, a “button-down shirt” was Sunday best or a sign that you were no longer a farm labourer).
If you’re into looks even older than vintage, then these traditional costume shirts are just right for you. Opt for a full linen version if you want to stay true to the original and if the temperatures are headed upwards; a polyester-cotton version looks somewhat sharper and gives the style a modern twist.
Going-out shirt
If you count upper-middle-class Munich residents among your acquaintances, then you’ll know how they dress during the Oktoberfest: lederhosen and a smart shirt so that they can head into the office in the morning and then make an early exit towards the tents. You’ll see them later on in Augustiner or Schützenfestzelt, two buttons open and two litres in. The choice is between a genuine Trachten shirt that doesn’t look too obviously Oktoberfesty (plain white with a few details like buckhorn buttons) or a smart shirt with a few Bavarian elements. Our newest shirts this season combine smart features like two-tone patterning or cuff interiors in contrasting colours with nods to Bavarian traditions such as embroidered stags.
So if you’ve just started a new job in Munich and are unsure of how to proceed on Oktoberfest days, remember: stay seated at your desk and the boss will never know that you’re planning to slip out mid-afternoon. Until you run across him in Armbrustschützen-Festzelt, of course...