Evolution Of German Lederhosen The Oktoberfest Outfit

A look at the history of German lederhosen and its evolution indicates that it is the French culotte that is the predecessor and inspiration behind its development. The silk or velvet French costume is considered as the ancestor of its German counterpart who added leather to the soft French costume to bring up its own touch of excellence. The reason was that the outfit was mostly used by the peasant class people and they required stronger and pressure resistant dresses for their works. Cullouttes were now manufactured with stronger leathers and lederhosen were thus born.

Long Journey for Oktoberfest Outfit

Leather trousers went a long way before they became the traditional Oktoberfest Outfit for the Germans. However the costume started become popular not only among the peasants and working class of people but also among the elite classes as they found lederhosen most befitting for their outdoor ventures like horse riding or hunting. It started becoming a part of the German dress culture for general as well as festive occasions. In addition; the popularity also got impetus due to the activities of the traditionalists working in Germany.

Vogel and German Lederhosen

The costume representing German culture and traditions owes its march to superior status to a person named Vogel. He was a traditionalist and opposed the spread of use of loden trousers in the country. To counter such trend of German dresses they also created a short leather dungaree. A positive outcome of such activities were that suddenly the elite classes in German society started realizing and appreciating the usefulness of lederhosen and its primarily leather base design. They found that the apparel could be ideal for outdoor activities where the external and climatic pressures on the costumes are far greater.

Opposition and Support

However the path of the lederhosen in Germany becoming the Oktoberfest outfit was not the bed of roses. People who were using full trousers and especially the church considered the dress immoral. They opposed it vehemently. It was good fortune of the traditionalists that the reigning King Ludwig II was a great supporter and the traditionalist found a big sponsor in him for their cause. The result was a boom for the traditional leather based costume. Gradually it was recognized as the representative of traditional German culture and while jeans and jackets became the common apparel in the 20th century and its aftermath the lederhosen became the costume to be used in festive occasions like the Oktoberfest.

Unique in Diversity

One of the unique features of these traditional German Lederhosen is that it is unique in diversity. They can be anything from knee length through ankle length and many versions are highly decorated as well as embroidered. One of the versions is the tight trousers worn during folk dances. There are also the boot leather trousers containing tight fitting trouser legs as well as multicolored version of the costume.

Despite all such diversities and variations the sole objective of the Oktoberfest outfit is to keep alive the age old German tradition and heritage.

The manufacturers have been also making these versatile German garments more attractive through fashion fusions and artistic interventions apart from optimizing the quality also.