11 facts about lederhosen for Oktoberfest – DW – 09/19/2018 (2024)
For many Oktoberfest revelers, Lederhosen are their apparel of choice. The leather shorts can be seen at every beer tent during the Munich beer festival, which is held from September 22through October 7 this year.
Above-the-knee, below-the-knee, mini-shorts for women and even lederhosen for dogs! Lederhosen's styles seem endless — and far from the leather breeches' origins with the rural working class.
These mountain men valued the shorts' impermeability, durability and range of movement — qualities which can be appreciated bythe Oktoberfest visitor as he risks beer spillages while fighting his way through the crowds to lower himself into a narrow seat on a wooden bench.
Lederhosen owe their visibility today at Oktoberfest and beyond to one 19th-century Bavarian and his drinking buddies, who were determined to keep the garment from dying out. Little did those men know that lederhosen would become part of a huge global industry.
And of course it's true that this type of trousers has a tradition especially in Germany's largest state - but not only. Other Alpine peoples such as Austrians, Swiss and South Tyroleans also love to wear Lederhosen. So the Krachledernen are not a purely Bavarian phenomenon.
Their use was widespread around the middle ages, when lederhosen, meaning literally leather breeches, emerged to combine the European pant of choice – the pedal-pusher below-the-knee – with German practicality, making them leather to suit hard work and high mountain environments.
Wearing “leather breeches” or Lederhosen is an 18th-century traditional garb that peasants of northern Germany and Austria wore to hold up to the harsh work that the men of the time endured.
Formerly, lederhosen were worn for pheasant work among men of the Alpine and surrounding regions, including Bavaria, Austria, the Allgäu, Switzerland, the autonomous Italian region of Trentino-Alto Adige/Südtirol (formerly part of Austria-Hungary) and Alpine area of today's Slovenia.
The durability factor of Lederhosen makes it one prime choice. You can attain a Lederhosen and secure it for years. The reusability of Lederhosen is what sets it apart. Having a resilient material outfit makes things more feasible.
The term Lederhosen (/ˈleɪdərˌhoʊzən/; German pronunciation: [ˈleːdɐˌhoːzn̩], singular in German usage: Lederhose, German: [ˈleːdɐˌhoːzə]; lit. "Leather Pants") is used in English to refer specifically to the traditional leather breeches worn by men in Austria, Bavaria (namely Upper Bavaria), South Tyrol and Slovenia.
short leather pants with suspenders (= a pair of straps to hold them up) attached, traditionally worn in parts of Germany and Austria: In Bavaria, the farmers really do wear lederhosen.
So whether it's slightly out-of-control dirt or a couple of bad stains you've noticed, your lederhosen needs a bit of care and attention. That doesn'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.
Lederhosen were invented long before underwear. So…the answer is possibly no. You can wear them with or without underwear. To wear them without, you should choose them made out of a strong thick leather which can be washed and greased, and no lining at all inside them. Leather directly on your bare skin...
Given leather's tendency to expand slightly, buy your lederhosen to sit a jot too tight – but just a jot! Good lederhosen come with several button fastenings, too, allowing you to fine-tune at a later date. If you do your homework before buying, you're sure to get the perfect fit.
Are women even allowed to wear lederhosen? Of course they are! Although traditionally a preserve of Bavarian men, lederhosen – especially shorter cuts – have become a popular style choice for young women.
How long should lederhosen be? The length of your lederhosen depends primarily on when and how you want to wear it. In summer and for relaxed social occasions such as the Oktoberfest short lederhosen are just right; if you think you might need them in winter, though, long lederhosen offer you year-round wear.
No, the typical Bavarian Lederhosen are worn by actual Bavarians mostly for tourist shows but also for real use, but nobody would be offended if anybody else would wear them. ... At first Lederhosen are only a regional phenomenon, typical for most of Bavaria, Austria, and some other places, but not all over the place.
Introduction: My name is Terrell Hackett, I am a gleaming, brainy, courageous, helpful, healthy, cooperative, graceful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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