The questions we answer most often

Standard sizing runs from a 28 inch to a 60 inch waist for men, sizes 32 to 52 for dirndl, and children from 6 months to 14 years. Every piece can also be cut to your own measurements, and that costs nothing extra. Send the numbers in the order notes at checkout, or reply to your confirmation email with them. Our size guide shows exactly where to put the tape.

Take the smaller one. Leather relaxes to the body over the first week of wear, so a piece that starts slightly snug becomes correct, while a piece that starts slightly loose stays loose and always will. If you would rather not guess, send us your waist, hip and inseam and we will choose for you before we cut.

Yes, as long as production has not started, which is usually the first 24 hours. Write to us straight away with your order number. Once the hide has been cut we can often still adjust the size, but not the style, the leather or the colour, because that would mean starting again on a fresh hide.

Often. Send the head count, the styles you have in mind and the date of the event. Orders of five pieces or more get a discount and a single production slot, which matters more than the discount does. It means the whole party is cut from matched hides rather than from three different dye batches.

Real leather only. Deerskin, goat suede and cowhide, sourced as a by product of the food industry and stitched by hand. We do not sell polyester or PVC in any category, including children’s wear, and we do not stock printed panels that imitate embroidery.

Deerskin if you want the lightest and softest piece and intend to keep it for decades. Goat suede if you want comfort and easy year round wear, which suits most people who wear Trachten more than once a year. Cowhide if you want structure and hard wearing durability, which is why we use it for jackets, belts and bags rather than for lederhosen.

Because every hide takes dye differently. Two pairs cut on the same day from the same batch will vary a little in depth and in grain. That variation is a property of real leather and it is the clearest single sign that a piece is not printed synthetic. If the difference is more than a shade, send us a photo and we will look at it.

Keep it away from prolonged moisture and direct heat. Brush dry dirt off with a soft brush, condition with a leather balm once or twice a year, and never machine wash. Hang it rather than folding it, and give it a day to recover its shape between wears. Looked after that way, a good pair lasts 20 to 30 years.

Blot it with a dry towel and let it dry slowly at room temperature, away from radiators and hair dryers. Heat is what ruins wet leather, not the water itself. Once it is dry, work a little balm into any area that feels stiff and wear it for an hour to soften it back up.

Production takes 7 to 12 working days because your piece is made after you order, then transit adds 3 to 5. Total is 10 to 15 working days to most destinations. Accessories that are not made to measure usually ship within 48 hours. The full breakdown is on the shipping page.

Rush production is often possible. Write to us with the date of your event before you pay so we can confirm honestly whether we can meet it. We would rather turn the order down than miss your wedding or your flight to Munich, and we have done exactly that more than once.

Inside the United States, no. Internationally, any duty or import tax is set by your own country and is payable on delivery. We cannot calculate it in advance, and we will not declare a lower value on the customs form, because that is fraud in most of the countries we ship to and it voids the insurance on your parcel.

Tell us within 30 days and we will alter it or exchange it. If we cut it wrong against the measurements you gave us, the alteration and the return shipping are free. The returns page has the full detail, including what cannot come back.

Yes, when the fault is ours. If the measurements you sent were wrong we will still alter the piece for you, but the return shipping is yours to cover. Custom embroidery of a name or a date cannot be returned unless the embroidery itself is faulty.

No. Bavarians and Austrians welcome visitors who wear Trachten with respect, and being made welcome at a table is far easier in real leather than in a novelty costume. Wear a genuine piece, wear it properly, and you are honouring the tradition rather than mocking it.

A checkered or plain Trachten shirt, Loferl or knee socks, Haferl shoes and Hosenträger suspenders. A Trachten belt goes over the waistband rather than through loops. Keep the shirt tucked and leave the top button open. Anything beyond that and you are dressing as a photograph rather than as a person.

Length, and with it formality. Lederhosen sit above the knee and are what most people wear during the day at Oktoberfest. Bundhosen reach just below the knee, lace at the side over the calf, and are the warmer and more formal choice for evenings and for traditional occasions.