I have wanted a dirndl ever since I learned what a dirndl was. I have wanted a Rare Dirndl ever since I stumbled across the Rare Dirndl website. My German heritage is very important to me. My father is full German, and I learned German in school; I love brats, beer, pretzels and polka. Not only do I love all things German, but I also love learning about all cultures and celebrating different heritages, especially when it comes to clothing. I already owned a kimono and two saris, so it seemed strange to me (and everyone who knows me well) that I didn’t own a dirndl.
I was visiting my parents in Minnesota, and we decided to go to Deutsche Tage at the Germanic-American Institute. Erika had a booth there, and I seized the opportunity to buy the dirndl of my dreams. I got an In Bloom Dirndl because I wanted the versatility that goes with it. I paired it with a royal blue semi circle skirt and a royal blue off-the-shoulder blouse.
My favorite part is the pattern on the apron. It is so elegant. The dirndl became my favorite outfit instantly. My boyfriend and I went to his cousin’s wedding, and I got permission from the bride to wear it. I received so many compliments. Wearing it makes me feel so feminine and beautiful. This may be my first Rare Dirndl, but it certainly won’t be my last. Do you want to be the next Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight? As the winner you will recieve a $50 Coupon Code for any online purchase, a feature on the Rare Dirndl website and blog, and a gift package worth approx $100!! Click here to get all the details!
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My first time at the Old German Beer Hall in Milwaukee WI, was a few years ago when I went with a few friends to get a beer after the German Fest and it was a blast. We drank delicious beer and took shots from the Shot Ski. This time, I went with my mom on the Thursday before German Fest since we had finished setting up the booth for the day and we were a bit hungry!
The ambiance was nice, it wasn't very busy when we first got there, but when we left the bar started filling up with the after-work beer drinkers. We didn't wear our Rare Dirndls because we knew that we were going to be wearing dirndls all day for the next 3 days… so we opted for something a bit more casual.
Thursday was 1/2 price liters, so if course we had to have a liter of beer. I had the Hofbräu Weißbier and my mom had the Hofbräu Original. Our server was Kaitlin and she was nice and her service was great (however I really, really wish she wasn't wearing a dirndl costume, but she did pull off the look better than most).
We ordered the Curry Wurst appetizer, the Schweineflügel -“Pig Wings” which were described as 3 Meaty Pork Petit Pork Shanks Served with Barbecue Mustard Dipping Sauce. We also had a side of Sauerkraut and Spätzle. We were a bit nervous that it was not going to be enough food, but it sure was!
The Curry Wurst was crispy and the sauce was absolutely delicious!!! I did however smell a bit like curry for the rest of the night, but if that's the only side effect I would order the curry wurst again in a heartbeat!
The Schweinflügel were also wonderful. Lovely pork flavor, with just enough fat and crispiness. The dipping sauce was super tasty… a unique blend of BBQ sauce and mustard flavors. I could have easily eaten an order by myself!
Unfortunately, the sides were less desirable then the appetizers. The sauerkraut tasted like it was fresh out of the can. The Spätzle was definitely home-made but the amount of butter was overwhelming… didn't stop me from finishing it, but it was simply too much butter.
Overall we had a lovely time, there was live music towards the end of our stay and like I mentioned the service was great. We would go again to try the other things on the menu and the beer specials are too good to pass up!
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This year at German Fest Milwaukee we met a ton of new people and had a wonderful time. The weather cooperated (for the most part) and everything went really smoothly from set up Thursday to the final tear down on Monday!
Three things stood out most! So here is our "Best of German Fest Milwaukee" 2014
#1- Schnitzel on a Stick!!
We met the Graf family who own the SCHNITZELs & GIGGLES food truck. They were parked right across from our booth and we had a great time with them. Not only was their food amazing (the Schnitzel was probably the best I've ever had and their fries were soooooooo good!!) but the family was too! Their energy was contagious and it made "going to work" at German Fest that much more fun! Check out their website by clicking here and be sure to like them on Facebook!
I had been in contact with Sonja from CHIKERIA for a few weeks prior to German Fest working on a custom design for her to wear on stage. Finally meeting her on the Friday of German Fest was so exciting, but what was more exciting was seeing my dirndls on stage! She wore her custom dirndl on Friday and Sunday nights and she wore the "Tell-Tale Heart" dirndl on Saturday night. I was totally geeking out and I felt so proud to have my work on the Harley Stage at German Fest. (probably not many designer's idea of fame… but I'm pumped about it!)
#3- The Footsie Wootsie Foot Vibrators!
Working German Fest is tough on the ol' feeties… we are on our feet from 8am-1am and so by Sunday, we are ready for a serious foot massage. Luckily German Fest has these strange foot massager things all over so we decided to give them a try. For 25 cents you get about a minute of ridiculously weird foot vibrating action and it worked! Our feet felt much better… for about 30 minutes and then they hurt again, but it was so fun! We made sure Meagan from SCHNITZELs & GIGGLES tried it too because the feeling is hard to describe and it's just too funny!
And the top seller this weekend… you could probably guess… The Limited Edition "Weltmeister" Dirndl! We still have a few left, but the beautiful yellow dirndl was hands down the best seller of the weekend.
Well, that was one busy weekend down… are on to the next. We are setting up tonight for the Edelwiess 100 Jähriges Jubiläum this weekend! We will be a vendor along with a few others for this wonderful celebration of the oldest Schuhplattler Verein in the country!
Be sure to follow Rare Dirndl on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter to see pictures from the weekend and keep up with all the fun goings on.
TTFN ta ta for now!
Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here
