Walking around Salzburg, I noticed many shops selling traditional Austrian dress--lederhosen and dirndls. Having some Austrian in my blood, I felt particularly drawn to the beautifully handmade dresses. Back at the hostel, I did some research to find where in town I could find an authentic dirndl to possibly purchase. I could tell just from looking in the shop windows that this would not be a cheap investment in my cultural heritage.
With a little luck, I came across a local seamstress who had books with drawings of historic dirndls specific to different regions of Austria. I asked to see the dresses of Linz (a town not far from Salsburg where my ancestors lived). The seamstresses sorted through several encyclopedic scrapbooks and opened up a page with a lovely blue dirndl with a white and red apron. Amazingly, I tried one on in a different store the day before that looked just like the picture. Perhaps I subconsciously knew which dirndl I was supposed to have!
I thanked the seamstress for her information and left to ponder my pricey piece of history. The custom-fit dirndls from the seamstress were certainly out of my price range, but the dirndl I tried on previously was half that cost.
After much debate with my checkbook, I decided to indulge myself and invest in my family's traditional garb. I now have a handmade dress, apron, and blouse to honor my heritage. It feels incredible to wear such a well crafted garment that holds personally historic meaning.
With a little luck, I came across a local seamstress who had books with drawings of historic dirndls specific to different regions of Austria. I asked to see the dresses of Linz (a town not far from Salsburg where my ancestors lived). The seamstresses sorted through several encyclopedic scrapbooks and opened up a page with a lovely blue dirndl with a white and red apron. Amazingly, I tried one on in a different store the day before that looked just like the picture. Perhaps I subconsciously knew which dirndl I was supposed to have!
I thanked the seamstress for her information and left to ponder my pricey piece of history. The custom-fit dirndls from the seamstress were certainly out of my price range, but the dirndl I tried on previously was half that cost.
After much debate with my checkbook, I decided to indulge myself and invest in my family's traditional garb. I now have a handmade dress, apron, and blouse to honor my heritage. It feels incredible to wear such a well crafted garment that holds personally historic meaning.
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