Many MMORPGs regularly adapt traditional clothing from around the world. A few years ago, the developers of Final Fantasy XIV added a Dirndl. At the start of Oktoberfest 2025, our resident Bavarian and Dirndl expert Sophia Weiss analyzes how realistic the outfit actually is.
In Final Fantasy XIV, new outfits inspired by real traditional clothing are added to the online shop every few years. For players who are not from the respective culture, these are usually just pretty glamour or transmog outfits that they can equip their Warrior of Light with.
Since 2020, there have been two outfits in the online store that remind me a lot of the traditional clothing from my own homeland: the Dirndl’s Attire and the Bergsteiger’s Attire. Outside of my catgirl existence, I am a native of Upper Bavaria with roots in the Alpine region around Garmisch-Partenkirchen. Accordingly, I have been wearing Dirndls for as long as I can remember.
And of course, I wanted to know how well the developers of one of my favorite games have implemented our Dirndls. Please fasten your seatbelts; here comes a finely tuned info dump about my favorite family event clothing item.
Dirndl in Reality – Tradition vs. Fashion
Before we look at the digital Dirndl, we need to know what a real Dirndl is. Dirndl is the term for women’s traditional clothing in the Alpine region, meaning in Southern Germany, Austria, and Northern Italy. There is a distinction between normal
Dirndls and traditional clothing.
What is female traditional clothing?
Dirndls as a so called Tracht
, a heritage attire, does not change with current fashion trends. For example, in Murnau am Staffelsee, my hometown, the female members of the traditional costume association wear Dirndls with black bodices, silver metal lacing, dark red skirts, light blue aprons, and matching shawls with fringes at various official events. They have red flowers tucked into the neckline.
More about this and pictures can be found, for example, on the official website of the association on the Website of the Market Murnau. But beware: Traditional clothing changes very little over time but varies from village to village, from region to region.
The internationally known Dirndl is subject to the taste fluctuations of the fashion market. It typically consists of a fitted dress with a bodice top, an apron, a blouse, and matching shoes. There are also top-skirt combinations and the lengths of the skirt are ranging from mini to ankle. Blouse styles change almost yearly.
You can check out the current fashion on the website of the shop Grasegger (German) from Garmisch. Most of my Dirndls, on the other hand, I purchased at Daller Tracht (German). Both sites offer a good overview of the current Dirndl fashion, as it is now also being seen at the Oktoberfest.
A request: Please avoid cheap polyester Dirndls if you want to buy one for Oktoberfest, for example. Rent a real one or invest in your own, higher-quality piece. Dirndls can be worn for almost any occasion, and I have been wearing my oldest one for almost 10 years now. I just regularly switch the blouses for a bit of current flair. A well-fitting Dirndl that suits oneself is worth the purchase price.
The Final Fantasy XIV Dirndl – How Accurate Is It Really?
The Dirndl in Final Fantasy XIV can be purchased for 18 USD or 11,16 Pounds in the online store. It consists of five parts: hat, bodice, fingernails, bracelets, skirt, and shoes (with socks). I will go through the outfit piece by piece, but I will skip the hat and fingernails.
The Bodice looks correct to me in terms of cut and fit. The gold triangles
at the front would likely be connected by a silk ribbon or a metal chain in reality. It would depend on the current fashion and the manufacturer.
The deep cut of the bodice is no longer particularly fashionable today but can still occur in older models. The blouse covering the view into the neckline is completely accurate.
The blouse itself is also correct: relaxed t-shirt sleeves may not be very elegant, but they are possible. The white, wavy collar fits well with models from the 2010s. Currently, it is often high-necked, lace blouses or V-necks that are modern.
Dirndl Necklines
The deep neckline of the Dirndl is, in my personal view, also quite accurate. Of course, the currently more high-necked blouses speak against it, but just like in Final Fantasy XIV, my selfies from my early 20s often looked like this. There are also special Dirndl bras made specifically for this purpose that ensure the anatomy is correctly showcased in the Dirndl.
In the images of my character, a suitable necklace is still missing. Depending on personal taste, one can wear a large statement piece or a fabric collar. Designs often include flowers like edelweiss or hearts.
The back of the bodice in the game is supposed to be laced. This is not fundamentally incorrect, and could simply be a design choice made by the in-game tailor.
The skirt of the dirndl looks fine at first glance. It is relatively long. Younger women often opt for the knee-length ones, as long skirts are considered quite proper. So the taste of the respective lady plays the main role.
However, it is important to note that a skirt always comes with an apron, and both parts should complement each other. A simple skirt goes well with a patterned, colorful apron. A skirt with a motif pairs well with a simple apron. However, the apron motif in the game seems to resemble porcelain painting, and I have never seen it in this form on a dirndl.
The white border at the bottom of the dirndl is also not very modern anymore, but that doesn’t make it less correct. Only the color and size of the bow do not quite match, in my view. It looks more like a scarf wrapped around the hips, independent of the dress. I would file it under artistic freedom.
Above all, the shoes truly excite me: pumps or the strappy shoes used in the game are still the go-to for many when it comes to the dirndl. Also, the fact that socks are depicted is correct for me:
While my shoe cabinet today is bursting at the seams, a hundred years ago, one typically had two, maybe three pairs of shoes at home. A pair of nice Sunday pumps made often of black leather was included for festive occasions like the Sunday church visit, weddings, funerals, etc.
And because one couldn’t regularly buy new shoes, the cool summer shoes were worn in winter as well. Just, as shown here, with warm socks or stockings.
Yes, this is a proper Dirndl – Well done, dear developers
As an Upper Bavarian with dirndls in the closet, I am overall very satisfied with how Square Enix has implemented the fashion of my homeland. Here and there they have taken a bit of artistic freedom with the motif and the bow, but that is absolutely fine with me personally.
By the way: The bow is tied in the front right. Traditionally, this means that the wearer is already taken. Tied on the left would signify single, and tied in the back would mean widowed. Now the only question remains whether Square Enix had something specific in mind and is “shipping” the Warrior of Light with someone special or if someone just had a little accident.
At the end of the day, this is just a minimal critique. The dirndl has been very well implemented and even though I only wear it rarely on my character, I always enjoy it. If Square Enix could now fulfill my wish for more beautiful long hairstyles or nice braided hairstyles: Of all things, in the wrong version of Final Fantasy XIV, there are now the dream hairstyles of many players.
