Oktoberfest visitors face backlash over ‘porno’ dress

REVELLERS travelling to Munich’s Oktoberfest should ditch ‘porno’ outfits which ape traditional Bavarian costume.

Although it used to be a rarity for visitors to dress up when attending the beer festival, locals say that table after table is now filled with men in lederhosen and women in dirndls, which comprise of a blouse, long skirt and apron.

But many of the outfits – in particular the women’s – have become increasingly revealing. One German crime writer recently told a local newspaper: ‘With the young women, it often looks like porno dresses, short and low-cut and cheap material. It has nothing to do with [Bavarian] identity.’

Munich accordion player Franz Thalhammer, 70,said: ‘Some of the dresses you see these days are crazy.’

However, visitors to the twoweek festival, which begins on September 22, could be excused for getting mixed messages. Its website encourages them to dress up, saying: ‘Traditional clothes are an absolute must,’ and includes a picture of a woman in a low-cut dirndl.