Promotion of lederhosen during Oktoberfest

Six million people are expected to gather in Munich in southern Germany during this year’s edition of Oktoberfest, which starts this weekend.

For male visitors, a dress code is provided. Lederhosen is clearly as much a part of the popular festival as the sauerkraut, grilled sausages and more than seven million liters of beer that are estimated to be consumed.

Knee-length leather trousers can be bought for a thousand shillings, that is, for those who are satisfied with trousers made in China. If you want hand-stitched trousers with a more classic fit, they cost at least ten times as much, at least from tailor Klaus Bensmann, who runs a leather workshop in the village of Bad Hindelang at the foot of the Alps. .

It must come out on time.

“You have to come at least six months in advance, in the winter, so that I have time to take all the measurements, sew and finish on time,” he told the Associated Press news agency.

Bensman enlists the help of his wife and two other women in sewing the decorations onto the exclusive trousers. These are basically flowers and deer antlers embroidered with mulberry silk threads.

He doesn’t want to reveal how many he sells each year. But demand is steadily increasing, he says.

-Lederhosen has seen a revival in the last ten years or so. At the same time, it must be said that it never goes out of style, at least not in Bavaria.

Oktoberfest starts on Saturday and runs until October 3.