Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight: Kathleen Martini

Kathleen Martini - Columbus, OH

I'm Kathleen Martini, a 20-year-old Schwob living in Columbus, Ohio and dancing for the Trenton Donauschwaben Jugendgruppe. I have four Rare dirndls, one of which is custom, and I'm a little more than obsessed.

The custom dirndl Erika made for me when she was moving locations is probably the most beautiful piece of clothing I own. It is a vision in white, and I love it, but I think another piece she did is even more beautiful...

I'm half-Schwob, half-Irish, with my mom being the only non-genetic Schwob in the family. She always comes to Labor Day and whatever other club events we drag her to, sporting a dirndl more often than most, and throughout the years, she's always joked about getting a green dirndl to show off her Irish pride. When I discovered Erika a few years ago, she posed the perfect solution to my mom's problem. I emailed her, and she drew up a design for a beautiful shamrock-themed dirndl that I gave my mom for a late Mother's Day present. My mom loves it still, and I'll be stealing it out of her closet one of these days.

Erika is an artist, and I love her visions for dirndls. I love the tradition of our Donauschwaben heritage, and I know she does, too. It's beautiful to see her create modern pieces that are still tributes to our roots.

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!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

The Party is Happening on Pinterest, AND We're Having a Pinterest Party!

I've been on Pinterest for a few years now and I've realized that I think it is my favorite social media platform! Plus, the Rare Dirndl boards are increasingly becoming favorites of others as well. My Pinterest following is becoming ever larger and I think it's because it's not 100% dirndl focused! I could spend hours on Pinterest… and sometimes I do… (whoopsie).

I am a visual person and Pinterest is a visual platform! I love seeing new DIY ideas, funny pictures, great new products, and visually based articles that are interesting. Its a great way to find new blogs, new recipes and ideas! If you have a Pinterest account, I would encourage you to click here to jump on over to Pinterest to follow the Rare Dirndl boards!

Why?! Because that's where the party's at homie!!!

There is more fun Rare Dirndl (and not Rare Dirndl) things going on over there then on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram combined!

For Example…
If you like things that are yummy, then follow the "Yummy" Board

If you like inspirational quotes, then follow the "Good Quotes" Board

If you like everything having to do with dirndls, then follow the "Everything Dirndl" Board

If you like a good laugh every once in a while, then follow the "Things that make me Smile" Board

There are also boards specifically for things that I LOVE (that maybe you didn't know I loved) like Harry Potter, Traditional Dress, Star Wars, and Typography Jokes!

We're also celebrating Small Business Saturday with a mini Pinterest Party! 

There is one project I found on Pinterest and I am going to be working on it in the Rare Dirndl Design Studio during Small Business Saturday, November 29th from 10am-6pm!

You are welcome to come in and #shopsmall! There will be some snacks out all day, I'll be working on my Pinterest project, but that doesn't mean you can't come in and pick up the Open Gloves, Edelweiss Wrap Bracelet or anything else we have. Plus… everything will be 10% off!!! EVERYTHING! So don't miss it!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

Restaurant Review: Stony Run Inn and Grill - Kempton, PA

Today is a special treat! A guest post about a German Restaurant that I probably won't have the chance to try, but luckily my friend Heidi wrote a review. Enjoy!

Hi, I'm Heidi Kelly of HKelly designs and I live in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country, so I guess it is no surprise that we found a very nice German/Austrian restaurant just miles from home. Stony Run Inn and Grill http://www.stonyruninn.com/

At first, I wasn't so sure about going, when I think of german food I think about saurkraut and heavy food and I am a picky eater, but my husband convinced me. 

Well I opened up the menu and the first thing I look at is the drink menu and I was beyond excited to see many champagne drinks!! I don't drink beer, but I am a sucker for champagne! Besides drinks the food selection was great, there were even some American meals in case someone wasn't into the German food.







My husband and I decided to go authentic. We ordered appetizers he had a cabbage soup and I had scallops wrapped in bacon. The appetizers were the perfect size. Then we ordered our meals, I had the pork schnitzel and he had saurbraten, he also had the German beer, Warsteiner. 

All in all, one of the best meals I have had in this area! The wait staff was amazing and super knowledgeable! The owner, chef even came out to talk to us! Our waiter, I think was a part time actor, had a great German accent when he wanted to and we had a great time. We ended the night with a German coffee for my husband and we split a raspberry chocolate cake! If you ever find yourself in Pennsylvania Dutch Country near Kutztown, PA this restaurant should be on your list!

My husband and I decided to go authentic. We ordered appetizers he had a cabbage soup and I had scallops wrapped in bacon. The appetizers were the perfect size. Then we ordered our meals, I had the pork version of weinerschnitzel and he had saurbraten, he also had a German beer Warsteiner. All in all, one of the best meals I have had in this area! The wait staff was amazing and super knowledgeable! The owner, chef even came out to talk to us! Our waiter, I think was a part time actor, had a great German accent when he wanted to and we had a great time. We ended the night with a German coffee for my husband and we split a raspberry chocolate cake! If you ever find yourself in Pennsylvania Dutch Country near Kutztown, PA this restaurant should be on your list!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

Great Traditions to be Passed Down

This past weekend was the 3rd International Fair and Wine Tasting that took place at the AAS Clubhouse in Chicago. One of the items that usually sells out the fastest are the home-made German cookies. Last year I did a little trial and error, teaching myself (with a recipe from my best german recipes) to make classic Hazelnut Macaroons. The 2nd attempt was good enough to contribute to the cookie pile, but it is still just amateur hour compared to the magnificent cookies that my grandpa used to make. Here's the video… you can see for yourself why I think I'll focus my energy back in the studio making dirndls, haha!





My Grandpa started learning his trade at the tender age of 11 and throughout the years received multiple awards for his baking (and I would call it artwork). Now 90 years old, he doesn't do anymore baking, but those who know him and tasted his cookies, especially his macaronnen, still crave just a little taste.

Grandpa Jacob's famous Macaronnen

Traditions like baking family cookie recipes and making classic German dinners can unfortunately be lost. I encourage anyone who still has the ability to learn from the older generation about the traditions to do so, because it would be such a shame to loose them. I've spent a lot of time learning the craft of creating traditional Donauschwaben trachten, but in doing so, I didn't put enough (or really any) time learning my grandfather's craft. However… as seen in the above video… I don't think it's quite my calling, but it never hurts to learn from the best.


Now I'd like to hear from you! What kind of family traditions do you carry on? Which traditions do you wish you would have learned? Write your thoughts in the comments and let's get a conversation going… maybe we can even swap some recipes!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

Old Favorites and New Must Haves: Open Gloves and Edelweiss Wrap Bracelets

Last week released our newest accessory, the Edelweiss Wrap Bracelet and at first I thought maybe it was just me who thought they were fabulous, but apparently not, because they are the talk of the town.

Available in 8 colors they can easily be mixed and matched and layered and I could go on and on! They make great gifts at $20 each and as a bonus, you can get 2 for $30 in select colors!











There have been a few questions surrounding the new bracelets, so I made a quick video to explain a little bit more about them!

Another item that is all the buzz, it the final return of the Open Gloves. This is the very last run of the gloves because I have officially used every scrap of the cotton loop knit fabric to make the gloves. I had a few yards left in olive so I decided to use all of it to make the last round of gloves! They make great texting gloves because it leaves your fingers free, and they are also perfect over those grab n' go gloves from the dollar store! A quick and easy way to spruce up those old and tired $1 glovies. Click here to get your gloves now!

What's even better… Pairing the gloves and new bracelet like Monika did! She posted this picture to instagram and used #raredirndl and now her picture along with any other picture tagged using #raredirndl comes up on our new website! How cool is that!? 

We also have 2 great events coming up if you're in the Chicagoland area. This Thursday is the Lincoln Square Fall Wine Stroll and Sunday is the 3rd Annual International Fair & Wine Tasting at the AAS. We will be participating in both events and will have both of these great accessories available! 

As always we love to hear from you! So comment below or on Facebook and tell us what you think of our winter accessories or what you'd like to see from Rare Dirndl. 

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

Rare Dirndl Customer Spotlight: Ingrid Jacobs

Ingrid Jacobs - DeForest, WI

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!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here  

Ironing your Dirndl

Recently I wrote a blog post about caring for your dirndl and this week, I thought I would do a quick follow-up video about how to iron your dirndl. Most Rare Dirndls are designed for easy care and little to no ironing needed, because let's face it… who likes ironing!? I specifically choose synthetic fabrics that don't wrinkle easily or need much ironing, however… there are a few that are made of cotton because I thought the design called for a cotton fabric. Those particular dirndls will need some ironing, so here is a quick video about ironing your dirndl.

If you have questions about what your dirndl is made of and whether or not your should use a hot iron, low iron, or steam feel free to give us a call or shoot me an e-mail and we will try to answer your questions as best as possible.

Do you have any dirndl ironing tricks? We'd love to hear them! Put them in the comments below or tell us about them on Facebook!

Ever wonder what dirndl style you are? 
Take our dirndl quiz and find out! Simply type in your email here