American goes to Oktoberfest and 'everyone laughs' at outfit mistake

An American man went to Oktoberfest in Germany but found himself on the receiving end of a “plot to ridicule” him. The annual festival is a major feature and tourist draw, with millions of visitors flocking to Munich, Germany to make the most of the festival.

It’s typically held from mid September until the first Sunday in October though when it began, it was originally an October-centric celebration. It originated as a royal wedding between crown prince Ludwig and his wife Therese back in 1810 and has gone on to become a cultural phenomenon.

The event offers a beer festival merged with traditional Bavarian culture, parades, funfairs, food stalls and more. Visitors can also enjoy music in addition to Bavarian clothes like dirndls and lederhosen.

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A dirndl is a traditional dress for women, made up of a tight-fitting bodice with a low neckline, as well as a wide gathered skirt. It’s worn with an apron over the top and, most commonly, a blouse underneath.

Lederhosen are most commonly worn by men in southern Germany, as well as Austria and other parts of Europe. They’re leather breeches and have become a popular choice among many tourists who are often spotted wearing them.

This is where American Ethan came somewhat undone. The 21-year-old, based in California, ventured to Germany for Oktoberfest and was sold a pair of “extra small” lederhosen by a man who “convinced” him that’s the way all Germans wear them.

After feeling “ridiculed” and laughed at, Ethan took to TikTok where he shared a self-deprecating video of himself sporting the tight lederhosen while standing next to a woman wearing a dirndl.

Over the top of the footage, he added text which reads: “Last year I wore an extra small lederhosen to Oktoberfest. The European man who sold it to me convinced me that all Germans wear it this tight.

“But no, it was a plot to ridicule me and the United States of America. All of Germany laughed at me that day.”

In the caption accompanying the light-hearted clip, he penned: “You can hear the local Germans laugh at me in the video”.

In the comments section, people were keen to share their thoughts. One person said: “All you had to do was a little research, literally just look up Oktoberfest fits”, adding a laughing face emoji.

Another joked: “They laugh at us regardless of your tight lederhosen.”

A third said: “They’re supposed to be really tight just not super short” while another commented: “NGL [not gonna lie] kinda funny prank”.

A fifth asked: “And you believed them?”

But someone else said: “Okay so you guys in the comments, if YOU went to another country and was told by a local salesman how to wear something, you wouldn’t take their word for it? Yeah right..”

Another agreed: “Jokes on them. You’re rocking it”.

One person said: “‘Should’ve done research’ my bad I assumed the person living in the country would be knowledgeable enough to take them at their word.”

And another added: “Everyone's saying you should have done research, it's ok man. you trusted someone who you thought was being nice. That's a good heart.”