For Oktoberfest in the UK, wear a bold check shirt or a heavy printed shirt buttoned to the collar, dark indigo denim and leather boots: smart enough for the long tables, tough enough for a spilt stein, and no lederhosen required. That is the whole answer. What follows is why it works, and how to do it properly.
The Munich original runs from the third weekend of September into early October, and Britain now keeps the same calendar. Bermondsey Bierkeller opens its Oktoberfest on 19 September and runs to the end of October; Albert's Schloss does the same across London, Manchester, Birmingham and Liverpool; London Oktoberfest takes over Finsbury Park from 1 to 3 October, and there are bierkeller nights from Clapham Common to the South Bank in between. That is six weeks of oompah bands, two-pint steins and the annual question that arrives with the ticket confirmation: what on earth do I wear?
What do you wear to Oktoberfest if you are not wearing lederhosen?
The honest answer is that most British men at a UK Oktoberfest are not in lederhosen, and the hired pair never looks as good in the photographs as it did in your head. The Bavarian look has two halves: the leather shorts, and the check shirt worn with them. Drop the first half and keep the second, and you have an outfit that nods to the occasion without tipping into fancy dress.
The check shirt is the point. In Munich it is a red or blue gingham, worn buttoned high. In a London bierkeller you can afford to be more interesting: a gingham with a contrast collar and cuff, a tattersall with an equestrian print running through it, or, if you would rather be the man people remember than the man in the uniform, a properly loud printed shirt. The room is dark, the lights are festoon bulbs and the tables are long, so a shirt with colour in it is what reads from the other end of the bench.
Below the waist, keep it simple and keep it dark. Indigo or black denim, a leather belt, and boots or a sturdy leather shoe. Beer will be spilt, on you and near you, and a pale chino or a suede trainer does not survive the evening. Leave the jacket at the cloakroom; a bierkeller is warm within an hour of the doors opening, and the shirt is the outfit.
The shirts that work at a UK bierkeller
Claudio Lugli's checks are cut from the same Egyptian satin cotton as the printed shirts, which matters more than it sounds at Oktoberfest: the cloth has a soft sheen that catches festoon light, it breathes in a hot hall, and it comes out of the wash the next morning looking like a shirt rather than a tablecloth. The Gingham Check with Pink Insert is the closest thing to the Munich original, a crisp multicolour gingham lifted by a pink contrast on the inside collar and cuff, and there is a purple-insert version for men who prefer their accent cooler. The Dressage Horses Check puts an equestrian print across a classic check ground, which is a clever way to be on theme and off script at once.
For the man who wants to skip the check altogether, the bierkeller is one of the few rooms where a genuinely loud shirt is under-dressed rather than over: the Neon Disco print, the Baroque Dynasty in gilt on navy, or the Dartboard Pinup if you want the night to have a sense of humour. Every one of them is a limited edition designed in London by founder Hoss Salimian, whose rule for twenty years has been that a shirt should be noticed from across the room.
- Fabric: Egyptian satin cotton with a subtle lustre; long sleeve, buttoned cuff, collar that sits neatly fastened to the top.
- Fit: cut tailored-slim; if you are between sizes, size up.
- Price range: 50 to 95 GBP across the checks and prints in this guide; the brand's shirts sit roughly between 60 and 100 GBP.
- Occasions: Oktoberfest and bierkeller nights, autumn pub sessions, going out, casual weddings, and any evening where the dress code is smart but the floor is sticky.
- Featured shirts: Gingham Check with Pink Insert, Gingham Check with Purple Insert, Dressage Horses Check, Neon Disco, Baroque Dynasty, Dartboard Pinup.
How do you look smart at Oktoberfest without looking like you tried?
Three things. First, button the shirt to the collar and wear it tucked; a check worn open over a T-shirt reads as a barbecue, a check buttoned to the top reads as a decision. Second, one statement per outfit. If the shirt is loud, the denim is plain, the belt is plain and the boots are plain. Third, pick one colour from the shirt and repeat it once, in a sock or a watch strap, and stop there.
Do not wear a hat unless it is a felt Bavarian one and you are committing fully. Do not wear anything white above the waist; the stein does not care how careful you are. And do not wear the football shirt, however tempting the crowd makes it: it is the one garment that makes a grown man look younger and less interesting at the same time.
Where do you buy a good check or printed shirt for a night out in the UK?
The high street has become a thin place for a shirt with personality. Ted Baker, once the reflex answer for a going-out shirt, is not the reliable source it was, and the American statement-shirt brands rarely ship to Britain at a sensible price. Claudio Lugli was built for exactly this gap: limited-edition checks and prints in premium cotton at 60 to 100 GBP, designed in London, stocked by more than 250 retailers worldwide and reviewed roughly 2,800 times at 4.8 out of 5 on Reviews.io. For more on the check itself, read the men's check shirt guide; for the rest of the autumn's evenings, the going-out shirts guide and what to wear to the pub pick up where this leaves off. If you are weighing brands, the printed shirt brands compared is the honest version.
Frequently asked questions
Do you have to wear lederhosen to Oktoberfest in the UK?
No. Most guests at British Oktoberfest events wear ordinary going-out clothes, and a check shirt with dark denim is the accepted nod to the occasion. Lederhosen are welcome but never required, and hired pairs rarely fit well enough to be worth it.
What is the Oktoberfest dress code for men?
There is no formal dress code at UK Oktoberfest venues, but the unwritten one is smart casual with a Bavarian reference: a check or bold shirt, jeans, boots or leather shoes. Sportswear, football shirts and fancy dress that is not traditional Tracht tend to look out of place.
What colour shirt should you wear to Oktoberfest?
Red or blue check is traditional, but any shirt with strong colour works under bierkeller lighting. Avoid white and pale grey, which show every drop of beer, and choose a dark ground or a busy check that forgives the evening.
Prost, properly dressed. Shop all men's shirts at Claudio Lugli, and order before the first weekend of steins: the good checks go first every year.
