Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight: Alayna Whitney

Alayna Whitney - Kent, Ohio

My name is Alayna and I am 24 years old and an active member in the Akron Ohio Donauschwaben and I dance in both the Juggendgruppe and adult Tanzgruppe. While I am not of German heritage, my mother married into the culture and I grew up making it my own. 

When I am not dancing and celebrating my adoptive heritage, I find myself with my nose buried in a book or riding my horse. In these photographs, I am at the Akron German Family Society Oktoberfest which took place the second week in September of 2014. One picture is of my sister and I, one of me and my dance partner sharing a pre-performance selfie and one of me dancing in my dirndl. I love to tell people how I stumbled upon my Rare Dirndl. For about five years, I had been searching the internet and Europe for a Dirndl that matches my taste in literature, art and music as I felt my dirndl should reflect my personality, but had been unsuccessful. 

When I went to the Donauschwaben labor day competition this past year my friends took me over to look at the Rare Dirndls. To be completely honest I had never heard of Rare Dirndl, but I was immediately taken with the care and quality of the dirndls and how each one seemed to be unique. While browsing the rack, I found “The Raven” Dirndl and fell in love instantly, as Edgar Allan Poe is one of my favorite reads! Without a second thought, I tried one of two dresses that were there and one fit—as I imagine Cinderella’s glass slipper fit only her. So I purchased it that day. Since then I have worn the dirndl for every dancing event I get the chance to and am always receiving compliments on the dirndl. One of my favorite things about Rare Dirndl is that each and every dirndl (as you can tell many of my friends and fellow dancers own them from the one photograph) is well made and shouts whatever inner spirit the wearer wants it to reflect. For me, throwing on the sweat-heart off-shoulder blouse with a simple necklace, no knee socks and black satin bloomers with my Rare Dirndl, I feel beautiful and confident. For me, my dirndl shouts: Be Bold.


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!