KRISTEN PIONATI / THE EAGLE Typical German traditional garb.

Oktoberfest, above all, is about the beer…or at least I thought so until I actually arrived in Munich.  It is actually a celebration of German culture, which not only includes beer, but food and most importantly to me: fashion.  The festival is an opportunity for Germans (and everyone else) to dress in traditional garb: lederhosen and dirndls. 

Every German man, adult or child, wears lederhosen to Oktoberfest.  Lederhosen are embroidered suede pants, capris or shorts that often have coordinating suspenders that are connected by a rectangular piece of fabric across the chest.  Essentially, they are the male version of the female romper.  Underneath, the guys wear adorable gingham checkered button downs in blues, purples and the very popular red.  Troops of boys are often seen in the same color scheme all prost-ing (the German toasts chanted along with live bands in all of the festival tents) and singing along to popular German songs (and one American—“Hey Baby” by Bruce Channel.  If you hear the chant version, you will undoubtedly have a new appreciation for the song). 

The lederhosen clad men are also not shy about accessorizing.  Socks identical to the ones American Catholic school-girls wear don the calves of men in both the shorts and capris. Some men are even brave enough to try coordinating argyle.  Scarves bearing the traditional edelweiss flower are also wrapped around boys’ necks in the way an American hipster would wear a bandana.  Fedora hats bearing felt emblems of the different kinds of beers or feathers are also popular.

The beer tents at the festival open at 9 a.m., so everyone hoping to get seated at a table must be in line by at least 8 a.m.  Munich at 8 a.m. is cold—around 50 or 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  To alleviate the cold, men wear what I would call “grandpa sweaters”—thick cable knit wool sweaters with leather covered buttons that become oddly attractive when put on the inevitably handsome, brawny, and tall Germans.

The shoewear choices of the guys indicates one of the large themes surrounding lederhosen and Oktoberfest itself—one German, Arnie, who was about my age, told me that Oktoberfest was a chance for them to remember the past while celebrating the present (with beer, he was careful to note).  The traditional shoe is a sort of suede Doc Marten-ish shoe that laces up diagonally, but many the younger guys wear anything from boat shoes to Converse (my favorite) to very Rugby Ralph Lauren-esque work boots. 

The easiest way to describe a dirndl to an American crowd is to call it a beer maid’s outfit.  The bottom layer is a white blouse that falls in a deep-v with a pleated sleeve that cinches to create an extra puff.  Over top is a dress with a corseted waist, a-line skirt, and very lower décolletage.  The dirndl is, perhaps, the most flattering traditional garb I have ever seen.  If purchased in the appropriate size, it sucks in your waist while pushing up your bust and can be worn in a variety of lengths. 

The girls don’t accessorize as much as the boys because dirndls come in innumerable colors and patterns—they wear heels or flats and also don the same scarves as the men, but attach a heavy silver edelweiss charm.  They do, however, use their hair as an accessory.  Braids in any form are the fashion of choice.  The more traditional girls do a Heidi-esque braid headband or French braid pigtails, but others choose a trendy braid pinned on the side. 

Oktoberfest and the clothing that go with it are distinctly German—most Americans don’t seem to have a loyalty to the clothes that had an impact on our history and I don’t think they would be willing to wear them anyways.  Americans are just going to have to buy some lederhosen, catch a flight to Munich, and drink a stein at Oktoberfest!