Name/Title
Dirndl DressEntry/Object ID
2017.001.001 a-dDescription
Mid 20th century commercial Bavarian dirndl costume, such as might be worn for Oktoberfest, consisting of short blouse, brooch, joined bodice and skirt and apron. [Four pieces]
a) Short blouse, similar to a “chemisette” in style, made of ivory polyester/cotton broadcloth. Low, rounded neckline finished with self piping and ivory heavy cotton machine-made bobbin lace. Six buttonholes/tiny, silver rose-shaped buttons in lower front placket. Neckline placket closed with clear plastic press fastener. Each front fitted with bust dart. Set-in short sleeves, trimmed with the same lace as neckline. Lower hem edge has elastic threaded through a casing. Tags at centre back neckline. One reads “46” and the other “Diolen/COTTON” and on reverse “80% POLYESTER/20% BAUMWOLLE/COTTON-COTON”, with four laundry care symbols.
b) A small filigree brass stamping brooch with raised rose centre has been pinned to [wearer’s] right neckline at opening.
c) Dirndl dress consisting of a joined bodice (corsage) and skirt, with zipper in [wearer’s] left side. Sleeveless bodice is made of bright olive hopsack- type fabric, with low, rounded, below bustline neckline in front and wide, shallow V-neck in back. Bodice lined with ivory cotton broadcloth sprinkled with widely-space tiny motifs roses-and-leaves and tiny-blue-flowers-and leaves. Armholes and neckline finished with fine brown [to match apron] piping. Centre front of bodice is open and this area filled with a “plastron” in an inverted modified truncated isosceles triangular shape, made of natural-coloured linen-type fabric, front and back. Plastron is finished with brown cording, is heavily-stiffened and outlined with olive green gimp passementerie. Central area has five pairs of non-functional large, fancy, antiqued-finish brass stamping lacing hooks, having rose-and-leaf motifs. An olive green twisted cording is laced through the hooks and tied and knotted at bottom. A bone is sewn into either side of the centre front bodice opening. Right bodice side seam has been let out, as well as left bodice and skirt seam to base of zipper. Zipper has been badly re-stitched, in non-matching thread. Sewn in centre of back bodice is a medium-sized, square woven label, white, blue and red. The centre depicts a woman, in a red and blue dirndl, the blouse with extreme puffed blue sleeves, the bodice shaped as a red heart, blue apron with red trim and blue skirt. Above her is a line of text reading: * DIRNDL * STRASSER [maker] * TRACHTEN * Below her are the shields of the state of “Salzbg”(Salzberg), the city of “Bayern” and the state of “Tirol”. Sewn into the lower edge of this label is another label printed: “CHEMISCH//REINIGEN” [dry clean]. Attached into the centre top area of the label is a small label reading: ”46”
Attached skirt is made of natural-coloured linen-type fabric [probably with some polyester content], in one piece, seamed at [wearer’s] left side. Skirt has been knife pleated onto bodice in such a way as to form knife pleats across the back and sides of the skirt and a box pleat at centre front. Skirt fabric has been embroidered “a disposition” with three spaced bands of increasingly wider and more elaborate machine embroidery in stylized tulips, scrolls, scrolls formed into flowers and cross hatching and filling stitches, in olive and reddish-brown threads. Pocket opening concealed in second pleat from centre front on [wearer’s] right. Small label sewn in centre back edge of bodice seam reads: “FR 46”. White cotton twill waist stay attached at [wearer’s] left inside waistline seam. [ A waist stay relieves tension on a garment at its tightest point and helps to support the weight of the fabric. It also keeps seams and zippers from being strained during wear.]
d) Short, rectangular apron, made of medium brown polyester/cotton broadcloth. Gathered onto self-fabric waistband which has long tie attached at either end. Ties tied at centre back [see remarks]. Two spaced horizonAcquisition
Source (if not Accessioned)
Fallot, BarbaraNotes
Accession Date: 15-Jan-17
Mode of Acquisition: GiftLexicon
Nomenclature 4.0
Nomenclature Primary Object Term
DressNomenclature Sub-Class
Main GarmentsNomenclature Class
ClothingNomenclature Category
Category 03: Personal ObjectsCreated By
Jones, IsabelCreate Date
January 15, 2017Updated By
Michael GoodchildUpdate Date
April 25, 2026