Rare Dirndl's 5 Year Anniversary!

As an entrepreneur, January is the season for reflection, crunching numbers and setting goals… all some of my least favorite things. Last night I spent the evening carefully going over all the expenses, the budget, and setting 2015's projections, but then I took a minute and thought, "Hey Chica! This is Rare Dirndl's 5 year Anniversary. Whooop Whoop!" (then I put down the paperwork and got myself a glass of wine to celebrate!)

A lot happened this year so, I'm really excited for 2015! There are some things from 2014 that I'm going to try not to dwell on, like finding out that a Pakistani manufacturer is stealing my photos and designs… but there are so many great things that happened in 2014 that I'm very proud of!

This quote by fashion icon, Coco Chanel really rings true to me, because ever since I was little, I was always "a little different", but now I get to use that to my advantage! When people are going to criticize my work for copy my designs, it is very important or me to remember that I've arrived  2015 because of  hard work and innovation.

I'm very proud to have come so far in only 5 years and I've updated the ABOUT US page of the website to reflect that. Click here to check out the changes! 

Included on that page is a new video that explains what Rare Dirndl is all about! (although it's not as quirky as my usual videos, it gets the job done, haha!)

Here are some videos and blog posts that highlight 2014

Dirndls on the Mancow Show (haha that was interesting!)

The introduction of the most innovative blouse and only one of it's kind, the Blouselette!

Germany Wins the World Cup and there is a dirndl to match!

Most popular Video of the year!

Our best selling accessories make a comeback and we designed new ones! 

Our beautiful Brides of 2014

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Best Throwback Thursday!! #tbtdirndl

Last week and threw out the challenge to everyone to dig into their old photo albums and find a picture of their first dirndl and post it to Instagram of Facebook for Throwback Thursday using #tbtdirndl. I was blown away by the response. In case you didn't get a chance to see, here are some of the great first/favorite dirndl pictures that were posted on social media last week.

Gerti from LA posted this pic of her first dirndl in Austria in 1969

The Becker Family with all the boys in their first lederhosen!

Thanks to my grandma I found my a picture of my first dirndl - 1989

The Los Angeles Tanzgruppe debuting their new group dirndls in 1997

Erika first dirndl! (different Erika ;-)

Marie in her dirndl in 1968

Monika's first little blue dirndl - 1992

Rosina's first dirndl after moving to the USA in the 60s

Loved seeing all the old pictures and seeing all the conversations it spurred! In our house it sure brought up a lot of great memories. The fun doesn't have to end though, feel free to continue to post pics using #tbtdirndl.

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Behind the Scenes: Let's Think Spring!

I don't know about you, but this past month has brought miserable cold weather to the mid-west… and I'm over it! I am very ready for spring… and very excited to talk about the Rare Dirndl Spring/Summer 2014 photo shoot!

Photo Bomb!!

Inspired by camping and the beauty of calm nature… I did not want to have the photo shoot inside, so I had to finish sewing the samples asap, so we could have the shoot while it was still nice outside. Well… kinda nice… by the end of the day it wasn't "a little chilly in the shade" anymore, it was just cold. But our models were troopers! They both pretended that it was summer outside and smiled like they were having a great time.

I saved the best shot for last… the canoe! The final shots turned out great and I am very happy with how they turned out, but getting those shots were no easy feat.
* 1st it was cold and windy… the morning was actually really beautiful outside, but in the late afternoon on the lake, it was windy and chilly!
* 2nd there was the fact that they were on the water battling the wind and the waves and
* 3rd, my poor photographer/dad kept getting water inside his boots, and that water is real COLD!

brrrrr!!

All in all the look was accomplished! Calm, relaxing, and easy going

I'm really excited about this new look and I hope you enjoy this behind the scenes video from the Spring/Summer photo shoot.

The new Day at the Lake Collection will be arriving on our online store at the end of February and that little promise of spring can't get here soon enough!

The Rare Dirndl Team!

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Open Studio Weekend!

I'm so excited to announce our next open studio weekend! We'll kick off the weekend on Friday night from 7pm-9pm with free Jagertee provided by Glunz Beers and yummy appetizers like cheesy bread balls, spicy homemade ranch crackers and an assortment of sausages.

Then we will have the doors open from 1pm-5pm both Saturday and Sunday with 10% items on display in the studio including all the new winter items, 2013 fall/winter dirndls and menswear, as well as the new bavarian style hats!

Come grab those perfect gifts and enter to win a prize package worth $100!





I look forward to seeing you!!!

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*Video* Small Business Saturday with Rare Dirndl!

Black Friday gets a lot of attention, but I'm more excited about Small Business Saturday and the fact that it coincides with our 1 year anniversary! (approximately) So, In honor of of that, I've put together a quick video featuring the evolution of the now Rare Dirndl Design Studio. See how it went from real drab to super fab in less than 5 minutes!

On Saturday November 30th, we will be open from 10:00am - 4:00pm. Come early to get the best selection of our new winter items such as the Loose Knit Scarves, Slouchy Hat with Peacock Feathers, Lederhosen Bow Bracelet, and my personal fav the new Ushanka with Lederhosen Details (Russian Style Hat)

Ok… so the studio will be open on saturday, but my favorite part is that there will be a German style breakfast from 10-12… wurst, käse, semmel, eier …. omg yum (you should come early otherwise I might eat it all! I'm getting hungry just typing this!)

And there's more!! Starting on Black Friday (which i'm not particularly a fan of, but everyone keeps asking me if i'm doing something for it… so i'm going to start by calling is Schwarz Freitag… anyway) I'm giving away a Rare Tote bag packed full of goodies! 

Inside the tote will be:

•  A Rare Dirndl Sticker
• A Germany Scarf
• An adorable Children's Beret
• A New Lederhosen Bracelet

Thats a $60 value and it can be yours when you spend $100 with Rare Dirndl anytime between Schwarz Freitag and Cyber Montag (while supplies last)

So thats about it, so much going on… I better got to work making all the things I'm going to give away to you for free ;-)

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Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight: Rachel Rabun

Rachel Rabun - Denver, CO

My Sister and I at the GABF (Great American Beer Festival)

Wearing our new Rare Dirndls at the Munich Oktoberfest

Oktoberfest in Munich, Germany was a trip I had been planning for over a year. We had the tickets, the flights, the hotels, but I forgot one major aspect, the clothes! I contacted Erika about a month prior to leaving for Oktoberfest and in that time she was able to create custom dirndls for myself and my sister. Within a few days, Erika had emailed me fabric ideas, layouts of embroidery work, and beautiful drawings of the dirndl design and a few weeks later I had the beautiful dirndls.

We love the custom embroidery on our dirndls

My husband, Zach, had been pushing for Oktoberfest in Munich for a few years. As a brewer, it is a must do. We are currently in the process of opening Mockery Brewing in Denver, Colorado and targeting Spring/Summer 2014 for our open date. Mockery will be located in the RiNo (River North) district of Denver. We are opening on a 15 bbl system and will be brewing beers that make a mockery of antiquated purity laws. Mockery aims to make a mockery of anything too serious by providing a laid back environment including video games, yard games, funny art work, and mockumentary movie nights.

The dirndls were a fantastic way to incorporate a little Mockery into our Oktoberfest adventures. Three of the four owners of Mockery Brewing were able to make this trip along with four friends. We spent five days drinking beer at the Schottenhamel and Hofbrau tents at Oktoberfest and numerous biergartens around Munich. It was an experience we will never forget!

Thank you to Erika for helping us create our vision of Mockery dirndls. Oktoberfest would not have felt the same without our Rare Dirndls!

We love the mix of modern and traditional that's at the core of our dirndls. 

Do you want to be next month's 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!

See Terms and Conditions for complete rules

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BIG Announcement!!

I'm SOOO excited about this new program! Its all about YOU and thats why I love it!

Steve and Teresa, live in Niles, IL, are parents to two young boys and love the go to local Oktoberfests in their Rare Dirndl designs because "we always have the most fashionable outfits!" (too bad they're my cousins so they're ineligible to win) But thats the kind of story we're looking for! Simple, fun and all about you!

It's the Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight program and its a way to tell the world all about you, your heritage, why you love Rare Dirndls and maybe even the history behind your dirndl!

Here's how it works...

To Enter: e-mail erika@erikaneumayer.com all of the following items:
1- Your name as you would like it to appear
2- Your mailing address
3- At least 1 photo of you in your Rare Dirndl (max 5 photos)
4- A 200-500 word paragraph which includes the following information
    1) Tell us a little bit about yourself (2-5 sentences is fine)
    2) Where are you wearing your Rare Dirndl in the photos?
    3) Is there a story behind your Rare Dirndl? We’d love to hear it!
    4) What is your favorite thing about Rare Dirndl?
    5) Anything else you’d like to include… your heritage, your family, your favorite dirndl accessories etc!

After submitting the required information, you will receive a confirmation e-mail. One entry per person.

Prizes: the person chosen as the “Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight” will receive:
· A $50 Rare Dirndl coupon code for use on any online purchase
· A feature on the Rare Dirndl Blog, Rare Dirndl website and in the Rare Dirndl E-mail newsletter
· A Rare Dirndl gift package worth approximately $100.

Who chooses the winner?
Each month one entry will be selected by the Rare Dirndl Design team and featured at the “Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight”. The winner will be notified before the release of the information.


I'm so excited and I can't wait to read your stories and see your pictures! Send em on in!!!!

His & Hers Okoberfest Outfits? Yes Please!!

"His & Hers" outfits are definitely a hit or miss! This trend has been in and out throughout fashion's long history and for good reason! These his & hers are not exactly what I would call high fashion!

Britany Spears and Justin Timberlake, the "IT" couple of 2001, tried this look... and I think that just about ended the trend...

But Rare Dirndl is bringing it BACK! I love using the same fabrics in a dirndl and a trachtenshirts and the matching dirndls and shirts have been über popular. I'm nearly sold out of every dirndl/shirt combo! For Spring/Summer 2014 you will be sure to see some more His & Hers ensembles, but not to worry... you won't look like Britany and Justin, you'll look more like all of these fabulous Rare Dirndl customers that posted their pics on social media! What do you think? Love the trend? Hate it? 

Aric & Kelsey

Anne & Mike

Wally & Monika

Matt, Isabelle, & Mannie

Alex &; Kat (no the jersey is not Rare)

Anthony & Erika

Monika & Mark

Christel & Jerry

Teresa & Steve

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Oma's Three Best Fall Trends

Fall is upon us and so are the fabulous fall fashions! What's new and fresh this year? I asked Grandma Rosina for her top 3 fashion trends for this season and here is what she said.

Maxi Skirts
Whats your first favorite new trend Grandma?

"Long maxi skirts! I love long skirts... you know that! I always have, so I am so excited that they are back. I see them in every magazine and in every store. I hope they stay in style because I could wear my long skirts every day!"













Going Green

What is this fall's must have color? 

"Green! Forest green, khaki green, olive green, kelly green... any kind of green. Whether it is a bag, shoes, or clothes; fall is all about green this year"

Long Chains and Spikes

What else have you been seeing a lot of?

"Long chain necklaces are very fashionable at the moment, so I can't wait to bring some of my old chains out and wear them.

Spikes are also in right now! But you know that... you have spikes and spiked fringe all over your new fall/winter collection and I love it!"









Thanks Grandma Rosina!!! Those are 3 great fall fashion trends that I will definitely keep in mind as the season progresses. Wanna see how I used spikes in my line? Check out "The Pit and The Pendulum" Dirndl and let you know what you think on Facebook!

Until next time!

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Newest Member of the Rare Dirndl Team: Meet Samantha!

I'm so excited to welcome Samantha Petkofski to the Rare Dirndl team. She is my new right hand lady and helps me with everything from sewing and cutting to research and marketing.

Samantha is currently a junior at Dominican University. She is studying apparel design in addition to biology-chemistry. As a child, she learned how to sew by watching her Oma design and create dirndls for all of the girls in their family. In high school, Samantha won "Most Outstanding" at a sectional competition through the FCCLA organization for constructing her own dirndl. She is very excited to be a part of the Rare Dirndl team, where she can continue to utilize her passion for sewing as well as pay homage to her heritage.

She's also excited about the release of the new "Nevermore" Collection next week. It combines fashion forward details, elegant fabrics, and some sexy new silhouettes. Check out the new video to get a behind the scenes look at the photo shoot and a sneak peek at the new styles. 

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
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Maternity Dirndl with No Mama Drama

This summer I've been asked this question a couple of times, "Could you make a maternity dirndl?" My response... yes, but do you really want to spend $400-$600 on a custom dirndl that you might not wear more than once? Probably not... but I have a solution!

First thing is to find a simple sleeveless knit dress, like this Michael Stars Hampton Stripe Midi Dress

Then add our off-the-shoulder blouse and a Rare Dirndl hat... and your ready for Oktoberfest!

Any sleeveless knit dress will do and any dirndl blouse can take that dress from ready-to-wear to German momma-to-be! We are going to be coming out with our own line of hats this fall as well, so follow up on facebook to be sure you know when they are available! TTFN tata for now! 

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Our Best from German Fest

Last weekend the Rare Dirndl team and I had a great time at German Fest Milwaukee despite the unusually chilly weather. We had to cover up our dirndl with sweaters, but we enjoyed listening to the music, eating the wonderful food and talking to so many great people!

The top selling dirndl last weekend was the Wicked Garden Dirndl. This edgy, fashion forward dirndl caught the eye of so many people and the smiles on those who tried it on were priceless! One of our customers said "I know I have gym shoes on... but I don't want to take it off!" And she didn't... that's one of the fabulous things about getting a dirndl at German Fest, you can try it on and walk out of the dressing room and onto the dance floor!

The top selling blouse for the weekend was the blouse that is paired with the Wicked Garden dirndl, the Sweetheart Blouse with Chain Sleeves. There are only a few left and they are going quick, so don't forget to grab yours before they are gone! Since it's all black it can easily be worn with many dirndl styles and the chains make it not only elegant, but edgy and modern as well.


We only make our blouses and dirndls in small batches which make them exclusive and if we sell out, for most styles, that's it. For example, I have no more chain to make the Sweetheart Blouse with Chain Sleeves... so once the little bit of stock we have left is gone, it's gone.







Thanks so much to everyone who came by our pop-up boutique last weekend and don't forget, the new Nevermore collection will be released on August 19th! Monika and I were sporting some new pieces last Saturday!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
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