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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Don't Miss Our Hofbräuhaus Debut

I am so excited about the fashion shows that are coming up at the brand new Hofbräuhaus Chicago in Rosemont. The two shows that are taking place during their Okotberfest are sure to be full of fun and energy because not only is the venue amazing, but Rare Dirndl is all about bringing high fashion and high energy to the American dirndl market

Runway at the Münchener Trachtentage

Tomorrow is the first show! At 6:00pm I will feature some great Rare Dirndl pieces that everyone loves and now, some of them even have stories to go along with them! At 7:00pm I will be showing new the fall/winter 2013 collection, "Nevermore"

"The City in The Sea" Dirndl 

I hope to see you there and would love it if you would tell all your friends about it! You talking about Rare is always the best way for me to get new customers and if I get new customers, I can keep making the dirndls you love! YAY... which is what I need to be doing right now, so ttfn ta ta for now!

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Open Studio Weekend! Today! (& tomorrow)

WOW! I'm not going to lie, this weekend totally snuck up on me, but its the best weekend to be a German-American in Chicago... cuz its GERMAN DAY!

I'm super stoked to be working with one of the best German restaurants in Chicago, Laschet's Inn! The owner, his wife and daughter, along with me and a bunch of fabulously Rare ladies and gents will be riding on the Laschet's Mobile Beer Garten in the Steuben Parade today! I'm up early to head over there soon to start prepping the float (bring a little Rare touch to the big thing ;-) The parade starts at 2pm and starts from Lincoln and Irving and ends the German Day grounds on Lincoln, Leland and Western.

After that it'll be time to head back to the studio where I have the New Nevermore Collection on display, Chicago sports dirndls, and the Sunflower dirndl which was recently in the new Nickelodeon original movie, Swindle. Everyone is welcome to come by and browse, shop etc!

Also... I am SO excited that DAVI jewelry has teamed up with us this year! We will have lots of their amazing pieces available in studio and you should come early before I decide to keep them all... and I wish I was kidding ;-) I love love love these pieces!








The studio doors will be open today from 4pm-7pm and tomorrow from 2pm-7pm. Even if you just want to come by to see the place (considering last year it looked like this....) I'd love to see you!








Don't forget to follow Rare Dirndl on Facebook, Instagram (@raredirndl), and Twitter to see all the fabulousness that will be going on today!

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A Rare Dirndl in a Movie!? YUP!

I'm so excited about the premiere of the new Nickelodeon Original Movie, Swindle! Primarily because actress Jennette MCurdy is wearing the Sunflower Dirndl in one of the scenes. Many people have asked me how I got one of my pieces in a movie, so here is the quick back story!

Last year around June (I can't remember exactly, but I know that I was cleaning our apartment with my Oma getting it ready for us to move in) I got a call from a woman who was coordinating some of the costumes for a TV show that would be on Canadian Nickelodeon. She wanted to order the Sunflower Dirndl, but I didn't have it in stock. She needed it right away, so she said "I'll pay the rush fee if you can get it to me by next week", so I quickly got sewing and shipped the dirndl off to Canada. And that was it.

I e-mailed her about 6 months later, asking if things were going alright and if they needed anything, but no response. I would also periodically check out the Canadian Nickelodeon website to see if I could spot the dirndl anywhere, but no luck. So I kinda forgot about it.

Then a couple weeks ago, I got an e-mail from a customer (who has the Sunflower Dirndl) with this picture and this note: "So I was babysitting today and this came on the tv! A rare dirndl! I think the show is called Sam and cat...or something. How awesome! Congrats!"

She became determined to figure out where she could see her dirndl on TV again and discovered that it was going to be in the Movie Swindle!

I'm so excited to have a movie night tonight and enjoy some solid Nickelodeon awesomeness with a bowl of popcorn and a glass of wine! To celebrate, today and tomorrow ONLY, the Sunflower Dirndl is only $199 when you use coupon code SWINDLE during checkout. (after you put in your shipping address)

Let us know on facebook if you saw the movie and the Sunflower dirndl and tweet to @jennettemccurdy during to movie to tell her how fab she looks in her @raredirndl #sunflowerdirndl

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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. 

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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!

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