Traditional Swiss clothing

With its bright colours, flowing dresses and vibrant motifs, traditional clothing in Switzerland is highly unique. Throughout history, the clothes that locals wore contributed to the country’s history and culture, and continue to influence the alpine nation to this day.

What do traditional Swiss clothes look like?

Though modern clothes are dominant in everyday life, for weddings, festivals and other traditional celebrations, people in Switzerland wear what is called their Tracht or Kleid der Heimat (clothes of the homeland). These are traditional costumes that have been passed down through the generations.

Historically, you would have been able to tell a lot about someone by what they were wearing. For instance, the traditional knee-length leather shorts or Lederhosen so synonymous with Swiss, Austrian and German traditional dress were typically worn by farmers in the mountains, as they were perfect for hiking around the Alps searching for cattle without chafing.

When it comes to location, towns in all 26 Swiss cantons have their own version of Kleid der Heimat - there are estimated to be 700 different types of traditional costumes. From the blue and white dresses of Zurich and the red and white outfits and bonnets of Valais to the red and green skirts of Lucerne and the famous lace hats worn by women in Appenzell, each place has its own spin on traditional dress.

Finally, the way that certain costumes are designed can even tell you whether the wearer is married. In a number of cantons, men indicated they were single by wearing a red handkerchief in their left pocket, while single women in Obwalden wore a white ribbon in their hair fixed with a silver clip.

Image credit: Dave Primov / Shutterstock.com

What is the female traditional dress in Switzerland?

In Switzerland, female traditional dress revolves around the Dirndl. This consists of a bodice (connected at the front), a skirt and an apron (worn at the front, on top of the skirt). The colour of the Dirndl varies by canton and community, and is typically adorned with traditional Swiss symbols such as the Edelweiss. The bodice can be either the same colour as the skirt or in contrasting colours, plain or chequered.

The Dirndl is then paired with a short sleeve or sleeveless shirt or blouse, which is worn underneath the bodice. Historically a corset was also used, but this is no longer the case. The look is completed by stockings and slip-on shoes (usually with a metal buckle). Headwear is also common, though varies by canton.

Image credit: Michael Derrer Fuchs / Shutterstock.com

What is the traditional dress for Swiss men?

By comparison, Swiss men have a lot less to put on than women, with costumes varying a lot depending on their historical profession. The most common traditional clothes you see today are formal attire, which involves dress shoes, smart long trousers, suspenders, a white, striped or chequered shirt, a colourful waistcoat or overcoat and a hat. 

However, perhaps the most famous male clothing is worn by farmers during festivals. This typically consists of black working shoes, long socks, Lederhosen, a shirt of choice with suspenders and a hunting cap.

Image credit: Gunter Nuyts / Shutterstock.com

What is the most well-known traditional dress in Switzerland?

Though there are hundreds of traditional dresses to choose from in Switzerland, the most famous one is the garb worn by people in Appenzell. For most expats, this look is made famous by the adverts used to advertise Appenzeller cheese:

Video: Appenzeller Käse / YouTube

Appenzell traditional dress for men

For the men, the Appenzell look includes black or bright yellow trousers, which are adorned by a Chüeligurt - a belt decorated with metal ornaments symbolising heritage and craftsmanship.

Above the waist, a plain white shirt is combined with a vibrant red vest with red and white silver buttons. To complete the outfit, decorative ornaments are placed at the neck and stomach, with a flat-brimmed hat adorned with a ribbon to finish the look off.

Traditional dress for women in Appenzell

For women, though the outfit is similar to others across Switzerland. It features a special florid silk skirt, a jacket called a Schlotte, white gloves and a V-shaped bib. The highlight of the outfit has to be the hat, which is a white lace bonnet that looks like two fans.

Some other notable clothing from across the cantons includes:

• The tricorne hats worn in Neuchâtel - a reminder that the canton used to be ruled by the Kingdom of Prussia.
• The thick red-panelled dresses worn in the Engadine valley of Graubünden.
• The floral caps worn by women in multiple Swiss cantons.

History of Swiss clothing 

The traditional fashion we see in Switzerland today was first documented in the 1700s. At the time, clothes were designed to showcase a person’s social status, work and where they were from, and were usually handmade from thick and coarse fabrics so that they were durable in the fields and the Alps while at work. 

During the 19th century, paintings and drawings of Swiss people in their traditional dress became popular among the first tourists in Switzerland. They would purchase these images as souvenirs of their time in the alpine nation.

Tourists help save traditional clothes

In fact, it is mainly because of these tourist prints that we know of so many different versions of Swiss traditional dress. For instance, Josef Reinhard, one of the most prominent costume painters and sellers of the late 18th and early 19th century, created portraits of 125 different types of traditional dress. His work can be seen today in the Kunstmuseum in Lucerne and the Historical Museum of Bern.

Image credit: Joseph Reinhard, public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

Historians and societies discover long-lost clothing styles

The popularity of traditional dress waned during the 19th century, as more and more people began to move to Swiss cities for work and came to favour modern clothing. Mass-produced clothes gradually also began to replace hand-sewn garments.

In fact, many of the traditional costumes we know and love today would have been lost to history were it not for the efforts of various historical societies. These associations used paintings and descriptions of traditional clothes to produce faithful recreations, saving the designs from being lost to history.

By the 1890s, affluent figures and businesspeople began to purchase personal collections of older clothes and designs, while Swiss museums such as the Landesmuseum began exhibiting them to the public. 

Buoyed by a surge in nationalism following the First World War, the Schweizer Trachten- und Volkslieder-Vereinigung or Swiss Traditional Costume Association was formed in 1926. With the help of various cantonal associations, they are dedicated to the preservation and celebration of traditional costumes.

Where can I see Swiss folk dress?

In fact, the Schweizer Trachten- und Volkslieder-Vereinigung’s Federal Costume Festival is the best place to see all the most iconic Swiss folk attire. During the last festival in Zurich in 2024, 100.000 people came out to see over 700 different dresses and outfits.

Sadly, the Federal Costume Festival only runs once every 12 years, so its next outing will be in 2036. However, those who want to see traditional Swiss garb can visit the Central Switzerland Costume Festival, Sechseläuten in Zurich, the Zermatt Folklore Festival, the Appenzeller Ländler Festival and the parades held to mark Swiss National Day on August 1.

Thumb image credit: Fedor Selivanov / Shutterstock.com