The main thing is that, the main thing is that

The main thing is that the suit fits
So that in life you won’t forgive yourself
Those who did not sew this for themselves,
Their lot is unsightly and pitiful.
The main thing is that, the main thing is that
The main thing is that the suit fits.

The age of honest knights has passed, It is known that sometimes the World of proud women is surrounded by a Shameless game.... yes, and with it they went into museum storage and knightly armor. What's left? And what do the Austrian representatives of the strong half of humanity proudly flaunt in?

Residents in Austria, as well as in Bavaria, wear traditional national costume (Tracht, Trachten).
What does "trakhten" mean? The word "trachten" comes from the German word "Tragen" - "carrying", the old German "traht (a)" or "dracht": that is, what is worn.

Many people prefer jackets, dresses, suits, shirts stylized in Tracht: it could be a blouse with wooden buttons and embroidered edelweiss, a Loden coat in traditional green and red colors, a cute wedding dress with puffed sleeves and an apron, or a Tyrolean hat.

These clothes are elegant, made of natural materials, comfortable and pleasant to wear. That is why you can so often find national clothes (or stylized ones) not only in large cities, but also in small towns, as well as while walking on forest paths in the mountains, on the shores of lakes. In winter in leather, in summer in cotton in green, gray, beige and brown tones - this is the national costume of the Austrians, decorated with embroidery and bone buttons.
What does "Tracht" mean?

Urban fashion and rural national clothing have influenced each other for many centuries. Peasants, traders, artisans, ordinary people, i.e. The largest part of the population, for many centuries, could use “domestic, and therefore poor, cloth” to make clothes.
Colored jewelry, embroidery, silver chains, and red silk ribbons were not allowed. It was not until 1730 that white and black lace were allowed. Peasant clothing was made of brown, black or gray loden (Loden is a special warm, waterproof wool-based fabric). Festive red was added for scarves, shirts and collars. These paints are still used today. The national clothing of rural residents was different for different regions and reflected the status of the owner of the clothing, his profession (miner, artisan, etc.), marital status, and religion. One can note numerous “provinces of national clothing”, especially in the Alpine regions, where national traditions, including the traditions of national costume, are more supported. Clothes were made from natural materials: linen, wool or leather.

From the beginning of the 19th century, Loden won the sympathy of the highest aristocracy. Loden was often worn by Archduke John and Emperor Franz Joseph. We can say that the love of national costume was instilled in Franz Joseph from the cradle: for his christening he was given a Tyrolean hat.

Men's suits made of gray or brown loden (Loden) or cloth with colored lapels (Steireranzug). It was created based on the clothing of hunters from the Styrian region of Salzkammergut. After the First World War it began to spread in all federal states. (......)

Fabric dyeing, embroidery, silver chains or red silk ribbons were simply prohibited (1500). It was not until 1730 that it was first permitted to decorate clothing with white and black lace, while expensive edgings and silk stockings were still prohibited, and violators of this decree faced punishment or a fine. In 1752, peasants were finally allowed to wear silk scarves, which, in fact, they had been wearing for a long time. The color of the clothes also depended on the material used - peasant clothes were sewn from brown, black or gray coarse wool cloth.

Shirts and collars were made of white linen; holiday shirts were bright red. In the 17th century, and also for a long time after, men's caftans, trousers, women's dresses, corsages, stockings and even the soles of shoes were red. These are the original colors of national clothing that have been preserved until the present day.
Carved molds were used to apply various patterns to the canvas. The variety of designs on trakht still amazes the imagination. The color and type of material from which the suit was made were determined not only by time - they also characterized the age of its owner and emphasized class affiliation. With the color of clothing, its shape also changed. After the colorful costumes of the Middle Ages, the whole world donned clothes in the sombre black color typical of Spanish court attire. This fashion has reached the most remote mountain valleys of the country.

The next change in national costume occurred under the Bavarian king Ludwig XIV, nicknamed the Sun King, who introduced a variety of colors and shapes in the Baroque style throughout Europe.
Then the baton was picked up by Napoleon's armies, whose field uniforms became the prototype for clothing for the armies of all major powers.

City dwellers and peasants did their best to comply with new trends. However, despite the desire to imitate, in the peasant consciousness the desire to preserve some note typical of the native area often prevailed over fashionable trends. It took a lot of time for a new fashion to take root, but it took even longer to finally get rid of it.
Since ancient times, tracht in an almost unified form was distributed even in regions remote from each other, which is most likely due to the fact that these regions were under the control of the same masters.

Only starting from the middle of the 18th century did different areas begin to develop their own special tradition. True, these differences in national costume can only be traced at the regional level, but not at the village level.
At the end of the 19th century, special unions were formed in Bavaria, the purpose of which was to preserve and distribute the costume of the inhabitants of the mountain regions. Austria followed this example - as a result, until the Second World War, almost everything in the national clothing unions was permeated with a Bavarian breath: the costume itself, the songs, and also the dance. At the same time, Leopold Brandauer, the brave “guardian of antiquity,” introduced into fashion in Salzburg short leather trousers, a green linen jacket and a knitted jacket - that tracht that was typical of Bavaria. Fashionistas from Munich, Vienna and Salzburg preferred the Miesbacher Tracht with a black bodice and silver lacing.

Austria and Bavaria are among the few countries that still have “islands” of national costumes. These are areas where costumes are still worn in their original form today. The most famous are the Bregenzwälder Tracht, Montafoner Tracht, Welser Tracht, Miesbacher Tracht and Werdenfelser Tracht.

Even Emperor Charlemagne himself highly appreciated the clothing style of ordinary villagers. However, not all court nobles supported his tendency towards simplicity - it was too difficult for them to resist the temptation to wear magnificent Byzantine silks. Then Charles, as one legend says, resorted to cunning: he took his retinue, dressed in luxurious suits, hunting. The aristocratic society had to follow their emperor all day in the rain and wind, and when they returned to the castle in the evening, their once luxurious silk outfits turned into wet rags and simply hung awkwardly on the bodies of the noble gentlemen. Karl's suit made of loden (felt wool - editor's note) and sheepskin looked great, despite the test of bad weather that they had to endure.

Similar reasons prompted the last knight - Emperor Maximilian I - to change clothes himself and dress his loyal servants in hunting clothes, which are very similar to peasant clothes. And over the following centuries, the practical gray-green suits of ordinary hunters were ostentatiously worn by Archduke Johann of Austria, Emperor Franz Joseph I and the ruling Wittelsbach family of Bavaria. By their example, they emphasized the importance of these clothes and created fashion for them.

In the first half of the 19th century, Archduke Johann introduced the gray jacket into fashion in Styria in order to teach people simplicity of dress by his example. He instilled a love of tracht in his great-nephew Franz Joseph, who later became emperor: at his christening he gave the boy a traditional Styrian hat, and later, inviting 16-year-old Franz Joseph to hunt, Johann asked him to appear in tracht. Franz Joseph followed these wishes and remained faithful throughout his life to both hunting and Styrian hunting clothing.

The name of Franz Joseph I is inextricably linked with Bad Ischl in Salzkammergut - in this idyllic place on the banks of the Traun River he spent every summer. High society, following the example of Franz Joseph, also loved to spend the summer in Bad Ischl and enjoyed dressing up in local hunting costumes. Ladies preferred to wear short jackets made of loden, and instead of trousers, which were not yet recognized by society, they wore comfortable sports-cut skirts - this is how the women's suit was born! The leather jacket also became fashionable in these circles. To prevent freshly dyed leather from looking too “new,” Salzburg craftsmen Josef and Johann Jahn invented a special technology for applying an antique patina to leather.

The Austrian tracht gained international popularity after the collapse of the monarchy, thanks to the Salzburg Festival in 1920. However, the first production of “Every Man” by Hugo von Hofmannsthals was a purely charitable event - the actors did not receive a fee, instead they were given gifts: Werner Kraus, who played Death, dreamed of leather trousers, and they were given to him.

The creative intelligentsia who circled around Max Reinhard, vacationing in the summer between the two world wars in Salzburg and Salzkammergut, always dressed in linen jackets and “Dirndl” sundresses. Paula Vesely, Lotte Lehmann, Attila Hörbiger, Sigmund Freud and Hugo von Hofmannsthal are just some of the names. Marlene Dietrich visited here, as well as the Duke of Windsor, who set the tone in men's fashion - he even took an Alpine hat and coat to his native England.

The Austrian tracht gained worldwide fame thanks to the Trapp family, which moved to the United States shortly before the outbreak of World War I: during performances, all family members always wore tracht.

After World War I, the story of the Trapp family was filmed in Germany. In the USA, a musical was first dedicated to her "Sound of Music" and then a film was made in Hollywood that aroused great interest in Austria not only in the United States, but throughout the world. (Based on materials from the book “Alpine dirndl - tradition and fashion”)

Traditional Austrian clothing is made mainly in factories in Salzburg and Slovenia. But there are also craftsmen who make Trachten with their own hands. Thus, the Tiroler Heimatwerk partnership is located in Innsbruck. This is a partnership of people who, instead of factory production, prefer to make unique and exclusive things with their own hands. This is mainly done by older ladies - they create classic masterpieces at home. It takes them more than 40 hours to make one thing.

According to Tiroler Heimatwerk employees, such things are much better than factory ones and naturally their prices are higher. The most expensive hand-made Austrian national clothing costs 1,600 euros. But these unique items are worth it because they can be used by five generations. In a partnership, professionals can make folk clothes to order if the client needs something special. For example, sometimes orders come in with requests to sew clothes for a specific village, which should contain certain traditional motifs.

Austrian fashion combines urban and rural folk traditions; the latest fashion design finds are used along with folklore motifs. This is why traditional costumes remain always relevant. People dress up in them not only for holidays, but also use them in everyday life.

Austrians in national clothes often serve their clients in restaurants and Alpine cafes, and Austrian musicians are so partial to the traditions of their region that their favorite clothing is national, which they do not forget to emphasize at their concerts by dressing in lovely folk costumes.

National clothing is widely used in the Tiroler Schützverein society by fans of Andreas Hofer, a Tyrolean folk hero in the partisan war against the French. The strong half of humanity can still be seen in Lederhose trousers, deftly climbing mountain slopes. Or, not at all uncommon, a shepherd with a herd of cows in a Tyrolean village, wearing a charming Tyrolean hat with feathers on his head. Well, isn’t it wonderful that the tradition embodied in clothing still lives and is carefully passed on from generation to generation?

So we come to the most important accessory - leather pants.

A feature that points to the origins of knee-length lederhosen is the so-called “butt seam.” In eastern Bavaria, Salzburg, Tyrol and Upper Austria it often looks like a plate on the buttocks, while in Allgäu, Styria and Carinthia the seam runs vertically in most cases. Short leather trousers with a plate seam are rare.

Mostly lederhosen is worn with a leather harness with a front crossbar, sometimes also with a V-shaped middle insert that is fastened in front. In South Tyrol, aids made from this material are no less often used. In most cases, rough low shoes are worn with short pants. Stockings divided into two parts, Loferl, which consist of a calf part and a leg part, are also part of the costume in many areas of Upper Bavaria. Long knee socks are worn with knee-length trousers, which are pulled up to the knee and tied there so that they do not slip down.

It must be emphasized that short leather trousers were common in Germany only in southern Bavaria on the edge of the Alps. In the north of Munich and in the rest of Germany they were not part of the national costume.
A special form of leather trousers is lederhosen from Dachau. These are leather trousers designed to be worn with boots, with very closely cut long legs.

In rural regions such as the upper Allgäu, southern Chiemgau, the Bavarian Highlands and Berchtesgadee, as well as the Salzkammergut, leather trousers still belong to everyday wear. Leather trousers from these regions are usually handmade and individually tailored. They are painstakingly produced with great love for detail and remain durable throughout the life of the owner and are passed on by inheritance. Yes, real Alpine mountaineers believe that it is absolutely forbidden to wash or clean lederhosen, and the greasy the great-grandfathers’ lederhosen, the more respect they will look at the great-grandson who put them on.

In the Swiss Alps, lederhosen is not worn. The only exceptions are Appenzell and Toggenburg, where Alpine shepherds wear bright yellow knee-length trousers as part of the national dress, in contrast to the peasants of the same area, whose costume includes dark brown cloth trousers.

Leather trousers are typically made from suede, tanned deerskin or other soft leather. Red deer leather today is often imported from Australia or New Zealand. In the industrial production method, wild goat skin is also used. Cowhide is used only in industrial mass production.

The trousers are usually decorated with white, green or yellow embroidery. Cheaper leather trousers often use machine embroidery. It differs from the more expensive hand embroidery, first of all, in that the skin is pierced, while with hand embroidery it is only pinned and therefore the embroidered fields protrude into relief. Today, a sign of the quality of luxuriously crafted handmade leather trousers is also the purser seam. With this seam, the leather edges are placed openly outward.

All this is wonderful and, in general, is known to the general public. Imagine my surprise when I came across such a type of ancient national clothing of Stitia and Carinthia as..... a kilt.

Yes, exactly the same men's Karo skirt, like a Scottish one. There is very little literature on this topic, but the revival of ancient mountain traditions began a long time ago. The most famous local joke says that in the distant Middle Ages, when the Scots began to descend from the mountains and even travel, fate brought one of them to Carinthia, where he saw a very comfortable men's checkered skirt. Carefully writing down the name of this miracle (and here it is called a kilt), the Scotsman simply mixed up the letters and therefore the Scots call their skirts kilt.

Every joke has some humor in it. Everything else is true. And I wouldn’t be surprised if it turns out that Styria and Scotland are twin brothers. Be that as it may, the local kilt is rightfully included in the set of a gentleman in Styria and Corinthia, differing only in the color of the cells.

A knight remains a knight. And it doesn’t matter whether he’s wearing armor or a skirt, leather shorts or a hat with a tassel. But a hat with a tassel would probably be more comfortable, eh?

Every nation inherits an inheritance from previous generations. This heritage includes objects of material culture: everyday life, clothing, architecture, applied art. A special place is occupied by the national costume, which many nations carefully preserve as family heirlooms or museum exhibits. And there are those who continue to wear their national costumes.

Tyrolean and Bavarian national costumes are lucky, they are still worn, they are proud of them, and tourists coming to Alpine cities are surprised, and at the same time admire the people's memory of their heritage.

What is so attractive about Tyrolean national costumes?

The fact that all fabrics are natural is not surprising; in ancient times there was nothing synthetic, so all nations wore clothes only from natural materials. Tyrolean suits are very comfortable, and their cut is ideal and does not restrict movement at all.

Women's suits are distinguished by elegance and femininity, while men's suits are distinguished by masculinity, and all together they are distinguished by good taste and beautiful finishing. The Bavarians and Tyroleans explain it this way: “love of detail.”

Not only in Russia, the national costume has differences in each region, or, as they used to say, province.

Tyrolean and Bavarian national costumes are very similar, but there are changes for the same reason as in Russia. Each land has its favorite colors, fabrics and decorative details. Once upon a time, Bavaria and Tyrol were a single state, and they still have a common language. Today Bavaria is in Germany, and Tyrol is partly in Austria and partly in Italy.

Tyrolean costume - men's and women's

Men's suit-, a dark green jacket - all this in combination with leather trousers, leggings and shoes or boots; The set includes men's clothing and leather shorts - Lederhose, which can have different lengths.

Women's suit, or Dirndl, was once the traditional clothing of Alpine peasant women and servants. But his femininity and charm have long inspired European fashion designers. Dirndl consists of a blouse, always with puffy sleeves, which are often decorated with lace and embroidery.

The neckline is deep enough to open the neck and shoulders; a rigid corset with laces or an open vest emphasizes the curves of a woman’s figure. The bodice must be tight-fitting, and an apron is tied to the wide fluffy skirt.

Don't you think these things can still be worn today?

In Tyrol and Bavaria, the clothing of the inhabitants of the Alpine Mountains told everything about its owner - family, age, position in society and even the number of children. Color, style and embroidery patterns - this was information about the area and status of the owner. For a Tyrolean it is important that there is no mixing of colors, embroideries, emblems and other details in one outfit that do not correspond to a particular locale.

The national costume of the Alpine mountaineers is quite bright; various decorative details can be seen on it. Men's vests and frock coats are decorated with embroidery, chains and ribbons, which take the place of a tie.

A women's suit includes items such as vests, skirts, blouses, dresses, jackets, and coats. There is another important item in the outfit of a Tyrolean woman - an elegant apron with a bow is always tied over a skirt or dress. How can a real housewife (HausFrau) live without an apron?

If a Bavarian woman is married, the bow should be on the right, for an unmarried woman - on the left, for a widow - in the middle. The costume must be complemented by a necklace around the neck.

Tyroleans and Bavarians love their national clothing, and they will gladly share it with visiting tourists. If you are in Tyrol or Bavaria, you can buy a real national costume, although it is expensive. Real Tyrolean costumes are made from the best quality materials, with a lot of handwork and expensive finishing. For example, natural felted wool is used - Loden, natural suede, leather - the highest quality, linen, cotton and wool.

There are different embroideries, but the most popular motif is edelweiss. These flowers are sometimes knitted and sewn on as an emblem, including on men's frock coats. Ribbons and bows are made of silk, lace is sewn in several layers. Buttons are made from natural materials; there are wooden, bone and metal buttons.

And besides this, the indispensable accessories of the national costume for men are leg warmers, hats with goose or rooster feathers, there may also be chamois hair tassels, embroidered straps for leather trousers, canes, shoes or boots.

For women- handkerchiefs, handbags, woolen shawls, miniature hats, shoes with buckles. The men's winter wardrobe includes suede jackets, and the women's wardrobe includes flared coats with embroidery. And much, much more, that is, an abundance of details and items that are very necessary and useful. Please note that all this has not gone out of fashion for a long time, and at the same time it looks elegant.

The national costume of a true Tyrolean will always be made only from natural materials.

She talked a lot about wedding dresses. So, you might be interested to know that about 150 years ago, wedding dresses in Bavaria and Tyrol were made of black or dark green fabric, but the veil was white.

I would like to hope that the Tyroleans and Bavarians will wear their comfortable and beautiful national costumes for a long time. Many designers love to create collections in folk style, and Tyrolean costume inspires them to create new and interesting models.

True Alpines have full national costumes in their wardrobe and wear them to festivals and other national holidays. The Alpine tuxedo does not disappear from the city streets of Austria. This item of men's wardrobe is also included in women's. The national costume brings the past generations closer to the living ones; the spirit of antiquity contributes to the pacification of the modern environment and its regularity.

Austrian culture is vibrant and multifaceted, just like the country itself. Tradition and modernity are intertwined in Austrian culture; even in large cities you can meet citizens in national costumes. Even in the past, Austria was famous as one of the centers of music and dramatic art. Nowadays, it is impossible to imagine a holiday in Austria without the Vienna Opera, the Vienna Boys' Choir, theatres, galleries and Viennese cafes.

Vienna Opera

The Vienna Opera is not only one of the most beautiful sights of the capital of Austria, but a whole direction in the art of opera. The best stage directors, directors and performers create performances that are astonishingly brilliant. Largely thanks to the Vienna Opera, the city is considered one of the “musical capitals”. The opera ranks first in the world in terms of the number of performances. According to the residents of Vienna themselves, it is impossible to feel the spirit of the capital of Austria without visiting the opera.

Once a year the opera is transformed for another popular event - the Vienna Ball, which attracts several thousand guests. Among the guests of the Vienna Opera Ball you can see famous musicians, writers, politicians and businessmen. The honorary chairman of the ball is the President of Austria.

Vienna Ball - video

The Vienna Boys' Choir always delights the audience with its performances. More than 100 boys amaze listeners with their voices and the childish frankness and purity with which they sing.

The history of the Vienna Boys' Choir dates back more than 500 years and dates back to the reign of Emperor Maximilian I, who ordered the hiring of 6 young singers for court services and concerts.

These days, the boys' choir performs more than 300 concerts a year around the world. The boys perform world masterpieces by Bach, Beethoven, Mozart and Haydn.

Tourists can hear the Vienna Boys' Choir from September to July during Sunday services in the Hofburg Chapel or at any time in the MuTh concert hall located next to the Augarten Palace.

Vienna Boys Choir - video

Austrian national costume

The Austrian national costume (Trachten) is one of the brightest symbols of the Austrian people, their culture and traditions. Traditional outfits in Austria are not echoes of the past; locals are happy to wear traditional clothes for festivals and holidays. And even modern Austrian fashion has drawn many features from national clothing.

The national costume in Austria dates back more than 400 years; it is made from linen, silk and loden (Tyrolean fabric). The main colors for such costumes were blue, red and green.

Austrian music

Austrian folk music

Folk music is known primarily for throat singing, yodeling, which originated in the Alps. In Austria, such singing was called juchazn. Nowadays yodeling can be heard in many tourist centers, but truly traditional yodelling is performed only at performances of folk ensembles and in remote mountain villages.

Also popular in Austria is the Schrammelmusik genre - an ensemble performing folk songs with the help of a violin, guitar and accordion. Schrammelmusik music is usually associated with Vienna, with its small cafes where you can hear live performances.

Contemporary Austrian music

Contemporary music in Austria is represented by many bands and performers playing in a variety of genres. Famous and popular performers include Joe Zawinul, a famous jazz keyboardist and composer who died in 2007, and Christina Sturmer, who plays in the pop-rock genre. Also gaining worldwide fame was Johann Hölzel, a rap, rock and pop artist better known as Falco, who became the only German-language artist to take first place in the US hit parade. His songs continue to be popular not only in Austria, but throughout the world.

National mentality in Austria

The people of Austria combine the simplicity of rural mountain villages with Viennese sophistication. Each region of Austria has its own characteristics and features, way of life and way of communication.

The most noticeable differences are in the mentality between the population of large cities and residents of mountain villages. People in the mountains of the Austrian Tyrol are easier to communicate with. Even at the first meeting, it is not difficult for them to immediately switch to “you”, and the conversation is conducted as if they have known the interlocutor for a long time.

Residents of large cities, especially in the capital of Austria, are more reserved, and you won’t be able to make friends with them right away. However, this does not mean at all that the tourist will be refused help or will be served with a “sour face” in a restaurant.

All Austrians are characterized by a good sense of humor; residents of all regions of Austria can joke cheerfully, make various jokes about friends and themselves.

Traditions in Austria are strong to this day, so Sunday in many mountainous regions begins with a trip to a church service, after which the head of the family goes to a bar, where he discusses work matters, plans for the future and other pressing issues with friends over a glass of foamy drink.

In the cities of Austria, the tradition of going to church on Sundays is less observed, so many families immediately switch to meeting friends in Viennese cafes. Citizens approach such meetings with all due care, spending several hours in coffee shops talking with colleagues and friends.

Events and holidays in Austria

Most holidays in Austria are in one way or another connected with religion; the country sacredly honors the faith and the Catholic Church. In addition to religious holidays, National Day is also popular in Austria. On this day, many Austrians go outdoors, visit friends or take short trips.

• Catholic Epiphany
• Catholic Easter
• Labor Day
• Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary
• Austrian National Day
• St. Martin's Day
• Catholic Christmas
• St. Stephen's Day
• New Year

In addition to official holidays, almost all regions of Austria also have their own events, for example, the music festival in Salzburg, the Strian Autumn festival in Graz or the Vienna Ball in Vienna.

National characteristics in Austria

The national characteristics of Austria are primarily related to the mentality of the local residents. Austrians are very friendly and open people. Their love of order and organization may make them seem prim and uncommunicative to you, but this is not the case.

Residents of Austria, like their German neighbors, value punctuality. Therefore, if you have a business meeting planned during your trip, Arrivo recommends that you not be late so as not to spoil the first impression.

Don't forget about basic politeness. Remember that it is better to communicate with strangers by maintaining a distance equal to an outstretched arm. Also, you should not ask personal questions to people you don’t know well - this can offend or even offend your interlocutor.

Most people in Austria dress well and elegantly. But this is not the only feature of the Austrian style: in this country, perhaps the only one in the West, they still wear the traditional national costume (Trachten). And this immediately catches your eye when looking at the clothes of the city crowd. Of course, these are mostly modernized things, but they still give off a wonderful breath of the good old days. Moreover, the national costume of yesterday becomes the fashion of today. A cute Dirndl (a long dress with puffed sleeves and an apron) or an elegant men's jacket in gray with green trim are today indicators of good taste and emphasize individuality. How did it all begin and what is the secret of the longevity of the Austrian national costume?
The name Trachten comes from the era of romanticism, it was at that time that people started talking about national traditions, and the way people lived, spoke, sang, celebrated and dressed was considered the basis of the culture of the nation. Initially, leather and loden (a special waterproof wool-based fabric, known throughout the world as Tyrolean or Styrian), as well as linen and cotton, were used as the most affordable and reliable materials for the manufacture of national clothing. Like other national costumes, the Austrian ones used a variety of colors, but preference was given to blue (the method of dyeing this color was the cheapest), green and red.
The appearance of national clothing 400 years ago was due to the existence of a huge number of small states, whose inhabitants had to be different from each other. For our ancestors (any), national clothing was traditional and spoke about the status, age and profession of the one who wore it. Based on the costume, one could determine the marital status of its owner (married, divorced, widowed) and even the number of children, which was reflected, for example, in the embroidered ornament. The preservation and maintenance of the traditions of national costume was more noticeable in the mountainous alpine regions than on the plain. The very idea of ​​introducing a folk style of clothing into everyday life comes from the royal houses. Thus, in the era of Franz Joseph, the forester's work suit turned into a practical and elegant hunting suit and became popular national clothing. And it happened like this. A Styrian prince once invited his sixteen-year-old nephew Franz Joseph to go hunting in Upper Styria, but on the condition that he and his retinue dressed in national costumes. Franz Joseph really liked these clothes, and he loved them for the rest of his life. The famous bronze statue of the emperor near Bad Ischl depicts him in exactly this costume. The townspeople who came to hunt thus became attracted to the gray-green tones of the Styrian hunting suit.
In 1930, the smart Viennese, who have an amazing ability to aptly name things and phenomena, renamed the Tshtirian suit into the elegant and respectable-sounding Talpi tuxedo. Perhaps since then, Austrian politicians have worn it to the most important events - thus the simple costume of Styrian hunters has turned into popular national clothing for special occasions. The famous dark green hunting hat with feathers on the side has become, as it were, an emblem, an integral part of national clothing and is very popular not only among men, but also among women (though the older generation

Austrian folk dance associated mostly with the schuchplattler, landler, polka or waltz. And yet there are others: Zwifascher, Contratanze and Sprachenseltanze.

In Austria, folk dances are called by the general term Folkloretänze, and native Austrian dance types are called Volkstanz, although both are translated as folk dance.

Figure dance is a type of dance that combines various figures, has its own music and its own name. Circle dance, which includes waltz, polka and others, includes basic steps that can be performed to a variety of music. In folklore performance, the waltz and polka are somewhat different from the classical ballroom performance. Sprachinseltanze (literally translated as "dances of the island language") are those dances performed by German-speaking minorities living outside Austria but originating from that country. One of these dances is rediva.

Austrian folk dances follow several general rules:

Anyone who wants to dance enters the circle of dancers,

A welcoming speech is given to the new member of the circle,

Waltzes are danced in blocks, with breaks between them.

There is a special dance performed with the closing song.

At Viennese festivals there are usually four dance periods with long breaks and figure dancing in between. In other parts of Austria, the periods are shorter and there are more of them (three to five dances each) with shorter breaks and more active figure dancing.

Even though they are attended by only a minority of traditional residents, the Vienna Folk Dance Festival events are carefully organized and held in some unusual locations. These events include: the Alpenverein, the Autumn Dances in the Baroque Belvedere Palace, the Ländler dances (traditional music whose rhythm originated in nineteenth-century Vienna) and the Summer Dances, which take place twice a week during the summer season (July-August).

Typical instruments for Austrian folk dance are the Styrian harmonica (a type of accordion), violin, clarinet, flute, harmonica and wind instruments. Dancing is often accompanied by a double bass or guitar. Unlike modern Austrian folk pop music, drums are not used to accompany the dances.

Tourism

Main article:Tourism in Austria

In the system of tourist zoning of the world, Austria is classified as an Alpine tourist region of the Western European zone of the European region, since most of the country’s territory is covered by the Alps.

Austria is a country of traditional winter tourism. Along with Switzerland, this country is a kind of ski “Mecca” for Europeans. Today, tourism is the main source of income for Austria, covering the traditionally negative trade balance. In this industry, 70 thousand medium and small tourism enterprises (hotels, restaurants, resorts and medical institutions, swimming pools and beaches) employ 350 thousand people. In terms of the share of gross receipts from tourism in GDP (more than 6%), Austria occupies one of the leading positions in the world, and in terms of income from the tourism sector of the economies of small European countries, it firmly holds a leading position.

In Austria, a tourist service system has long been formed and streamlined. Many towns and villages such as Bad Gastein, Millstatt, Ischgl, St. Anton am Arlberg or Mayrhofen have become the largest European resorts, and former villagers are engaged in the hotel business. Ski tourism has changed Austria and the Austrians - today for them it is life and hope for the future.

We will talk about a store of national Austrian costumes. At the same time, it is not even easy to find out exactly whether these costumes are Tyrolean or Bavarian. You need to understand what their differences are, and whether there are any special features. All this is called a general concept - the national costumes of the Alpine German-speaking areas.

Handmade work - prices correspond to Austrian labor

Dirndl- national women's costumes, which are common in the regions of Austria and Bavaria.

The men's national costume does not have a separate name. This is because it varies greatly in its components. Most often, the suit consists of leather pants - lederhosen. They are very popular in Austria among all residents - from young people to old people. Lederhosen come in different lengths: short leather pants - Kurz Lederhose and ¾ length leather pants - Kniebund Lederhose. The costume may include a shirt, vest or frock coat (German: Loden). Headdresses can also vary: hats with feathers or hair brushes (Seppel). There are a lot of options, and they all have their own unique flavor. I couldn't find any detailed information about their differences, since they all look different and yet are very similar. You can find out more about the history of costumes and some wearing rules on Wikipedia, so I won’t talk about that here.

But here’s what we found out while living in Linz. As it turned out, Austrians don such unusual clothes for us not so rarely. For Austria, national and historical holidays are quite common. These are the traditions that originated many hundreds of years ago, and now residents of cities and villages strive to follow the spirit of these holidays. So if there is a spring tree day or beer festivals like Oktoberfest in Austria, the locals proudly take out their costumes. It’s like respect for history and one’s ancestors, the traditions that shape modern Austria.
Another reason to wear short leather pants or a dress with a “pronounced” neckline could be a wedding, graduation or family holiday.

Set for him and her

The prices for these handmade suits are quite high. From one hundred euros and above for a women's dress. It’s difficult to say based on a men’s suit, since the number of components may vary. But the price level remains the same.

It is noteworthy that in Austria you can buy Dirndl in chain stores such as H&M. Such costumes are sold cheaper there, and there are sales after Oktoberfest. For example, a dress can be bought for 10 euros.

But it seems to me that such “cheap” analogues are created primarily for tourists and students. For them, wearing this national clothing is more of a fun costume event like Halloween.

Austrians take costumes much more seriously. This does not mean that it is somehow arrogant. I'm talking about respect for the history of your country, traditions and heritage.

In my opinion, everything that allows a citizen to be proud of his country, to feel that he belongs to history and society, all this must be popularized in the country. It should not be a cult of a certain power or a person who rules the country for a certain period of time. Without the support of traditions, it will be difficult for society to find a common historical foundation for dialogue. This means that the country’s citizens will always be internally divided between protecting the interests of the current or previous government.

But it’s much more pleasant to go to the central square in national costume and drink a glass of beer for your common culture and history, which you are so proud of.

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