A new twist to Oktoberfest!

I'm sure readers are familiar with Oktoberfest, the annual German festival of food, beer and fellowship (which, despite its name, starts in mid-September).

Inside the Hacker-Festzelt, one of fourteen mammoth tents
erected for Oktoberfest each year. (Image courtesy of Wikipedia.)

The statistics for food and drink consumed at Oktoberfest are staggering. According to Wikipedia, in 2007 they included:

• 6,940,600 liters [14,668,100 US pints] of beer (126,900 litres [286,187 US pints] non-alcoholic);
• 79,624 liters of wine (equivalent to 106,165 standard 750ml. bottles);
• 32,047 liters of sparkling wine (equivalent to 42,729 standard 750ml. bottles);
• 222,725 liters [470,701 US pints] of coffee and tea;
• 909,765½ liters [1,922,677 US pints] of water and lemonade;
• 521,872 'units' (presumably pieces) of chicken;
• 142,253 pairs of pork sausages;
• 38,650 kilograms (85,030 pounds) of fish;
• 58,446 units of pork knuckles;
• 104 oxen.
  

All that, plus unspecified (but doubtless immense) quantities of what Wikipedia describes as 'Brez'n (Pretzel), Knödeln (potato or bread dumplings), Käsespätzle (cheese noodles), Reiberdatschi (potato pancakes), Sauerkraut or Blaukraut (red cabbage) along with such Bavarian delicacies as Obatzda (a fatty, spiced cheese-butter concoction) and Weisswurst (a white sausage).' I've got indigestion just thinking about it!

Oktoberfest is also famous for its so-called 'Bier Mädchen', or 'Beer Maidens'.




The term can refer to both waitresses and patrons. The ladies frequently wear Dirndl dresses during Oktoberfest, the traditional dress of Alpine peasants (although methinks the peasants didn't usually wear such low-cut bodices - not that I'm complaining, mind you . . . )




This year, an enterprising fashion house has produced a rather different Dirndl for the occasion. According to the Austrian Times:

You certainly won't need beer goggles to see through this new take on the traditional Alpine dirndl dress at this year's Oktoberfest beer festival.

This transparent version of the normally straight-laced frock - modeled by stunning Davorka Tovilo, 28 - was revealed at a special fashion show ahead of the festival which starts later this month (Sep 19) in Munich, Germany.

Costing 70 GBP [just over US $115] and in pink, black and purple, the dresses are already flying off the shelves and there's certainly no room for even a Wunder-bra underneath.

"It doesn't leave much to the imagination and I think anyone wearing it at Oktoberfest would be very popular indeed," said one buyer.

I can't post the picture directly, because it's definitely NSFW: but for those of you with inquiring minds (purely from the perspective of fashion, of course), and who are in a safe place to do so, click here to take a look.





Peter