Dirndls in Detail: Working with Denim

For the new Spring/Summer Collection, Day at the Lake, one of the elements I knew I needed to incorporate was denim. I wanted to use it as subtle details, as well as use it to make Denim Lederhosen Style Shorts. Creating a distressed look with fabric proved to be difficult, but creating a frayed edge was simply a nightmare!

For the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl (one of my favorites), I loved the striped cotton and I thought that accents of the denim fabric would be a perfect way to make the dirndl go from plain to a fabulous Rare Dirndl! In addition to using the denim as piping, I wanted to do a pleated trim around the neckline, a ruffle at the hemline and apron ties. I wanted the denim to have frayed edges and the best way to achieve this look was to rip the pieces, wash & dry them, and then create the trim. Sounds easy enough...





So, I did exactly that… for the neckline trim I ripped 1.5 inch strips of the denim and put them into the washing machine along with the 2.5 inch strips for the hemline and apron ties. About an hour later… this is what I pulled out of the dryer - a big messy ball of denim strips! I knew it was going to be a bit messy… but I honestly didn't expect the frayed stray strings to create this much of a nightmare!

However after about 2 hours of cutting threads, cleaning up the edges and pressing the pieces, the final result was perfect! Exactly the look I wanted. I used every scrap of the striped fabric to make inventory of the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl, so what is available now is all that will ever be made.

This is good news for me because that means I will never have to detangle another crazy denim mess like that again! (Unless someone orders a custom dirndl with frayed edge denim accents.)

























What do you think about the denim accents on the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl? Was it worth all the time to create the frayed look? Tell us on Facebook or Twitter and be sure check out some of the close up shots of the denim details on the Outdoor Adventure Dirndl on our online store by clicking here.

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2014 Spring Collection Inspiration

The new Spring/Summer collection has been in the works since the end of July. I was laying on the grass at the Potawatomie Campground in Union City MI, and literally just absorbing everything around me. The AAS Jugendgruppe started going to the campground in 2002, and now all of us (25yr olds+) have stopped dancing with the jugend, but we haven't stopped taking off the 3rd weekend of July to spend it in Pure Michigan!






Anyway… as the boys were playing soccer, the girls were relaxing in the sun, the parents were playing scrabble and chit-chatting about nothing exciting, I was overwhelmed with a feeling of warmth. I started seeing dirndl designs with warm neutral colors, light printed knits, and denim, pop into head. After borrowing some paper from the scrabble players, I started sketching and jotting down my feelings.

Why this past year was so inspiring, I'm not sure… but what I do know is that I'm so excited about how this collection really embodies how I was feeling that warm day in rustic Potawatomie and how different it is from anything I've done so far!

The warm sunshine inspired me to use more warm gold tones, like browns and beiges. The sound of the gravel underneath the bicycles and little feet running around also made me think of mixing in some metal, like buttons, chain and hooks.

I also wanted to have an ease about the collection… like the ease of putting your chair around the campfire and enjoying everyone's company. Nothing too fussy, just calm and relaxing.

Sitting in the shade (my skin and the sun don't get along very well), next to the lake, got me thinking of cool colors (greens, blues, and purples) but in a slightly warm tone as well. Like the feeling of the water… cool when you jump in, but in the heat of the summer, soon the water seems warm!






Lastly, I knew there needed to be elements of denim in the collection. When your sitting around the campfire at night, it gets a bit chilly and very buggy… so what is everyone wearing? Jeans! Denim is an important element in this spring/summer collection, but it's certainly not overwhelming.









Just writing this is making me yearn to be back on our annual camping trip. I can't wait for July when I get to wake up in a tent, only to find all my friends doing the same thing and offering me a Bloody Mary to jump start our busy day of doing absolutely nothing! Well, maybe taking out the canoe or going for a hike.





Here is a sneak peek of the collection and a behind the scenes look at the photo shoot for the Rare Dirndl Spring/Summer 2014 Day at the Lake Collection. Enjoy!

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