Tracht and Dirndl

The Tracht for men and Dirndl aus München for women, are the typical costumes of Austria. Generally the Austrians use these costumes when they go to a party, a parade or to the church. They are made of linen and loden, a type of waterproof fabric.

Dirndl
The Dirndl is a dress with apron, of peasant origin, of the Alps of Austria. The word is a diminutive of "Dirn" that comes from the German Dirne and means girl. In the 1860s came the creation of this dress. Only peasant servants used it, it was in 1870 when the wealthy girls and the aristocracy began to use it.

After World War I the Dirndl, simple summer dresses became the "sales success", as it was a cheap alternative to the complicated and expensive costumes of that time.

The tie (Schleife, Knoten or Masche) of the apron is a symbol that shows the marital status of the girl wearing it. If you link to the right side, it indicates that the girl already has a partner, on the left side, shows that the girl is free. With a curl or loop in the middle, shows that the girl is a virgin. Placing the lasso on the back indicates that the girl is a widow. However, the official associations of Trachten, point out that this signaling of ties did not exist before, so it is a new custom.

At present anyone can wear a Drindl, as Austrian symbol and pride, also like much for its carved form, is considered very sexy.

Tracht
The typical male costume in Austria is called Tracht and consists of several parts: hat with a golden tassel (Goldquaste), leather pants (Lederhose) with worn appearance, waistcoat, long stockings and low shoes.

Leather trousers come naturally, since the peasants used it for their practicality to be cleaned. They are currently used daily in the Salzkammergut region.

Its manufacture is completely manual, each Tracht is a unique piece and lasts a lifetime. Sometimes the waiting list for these leather pants can last for months and years.

Each region of the country integrates small variations in the costume. A sample of this is the hat and its complements, for example, the amount of feathers that this carries, the rope, the funny plumerito, or the tassel, among others.