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Private tailor-made journeys of a life time
Dec 29, 2023
By Ms. Anh Thu
Ao dai - Vietnamese Traditional Dress is a globally recognized traditional Vietnamese costume that holds the soul of the people, particularly women. It is not just a clothing type but also has significant cultural significance, making it a worthwhile learning experience for visitors to Vietnam. Paying a visit to Vietnam, it is worth wearing this elegant traditional dress, one way to emerge into Vietnamese culture. Let’s learn more about Ao Dai through this post! Let's explore Ao dai - Vietnamese Traditional Dress with The best Vietnam Tours Operator.
The Ao Dai, Vietnam's national costume, is a long, tight-fitting silk tunic with bright colors and patterns, worn by aristocrats in the 18th century. Its modern appearance emerged in the 1920s at a Paris fashion show. The ao dai is associated with innocence, femininity, modesty, and refinement, and is one of the few Vietnamese words to have made it to English dictionaries. It is more commonly worn in southern Vietnam. As far as we know, each country has its costume that represents its cultural and spiritual identity. The same goes for Vietnam. The Vietnamese Women's dress is the country's national costume through many changes of the times. Even though countless types of costumes have been created, the traditional ao dai has never gone into the past. Above and beyond national pride, the meaning of conventional Vietnamese ao dai is also a testament to the country's longevity over time. Japanese kimonos, Indian sari, Scottish kilt, or Vietnamese ao dai... are traditional costumes that are always ranked as the most beautiful, impressive, and unique costumes.
Ao Dao Linh
The history and appearance of the Ao Dai, a traditional Vietnamese shirt, is still unknown. Despite Chinese people's belief that it comes from the cheongsam, the ao dai has been around for thousands of years. The Giao Lanh ao dai, a primitive style of Vietnamese ao dai, emerged in 1444. The shirt is loose, slit on both sides, wide wrists, and heel-length, with four fabric panels, a colored belt, and a black skirt. King Nguyen Phuc Khoat ruled the southern region, while the north was governed by Lord Trinh in Hanoi. To distinguish between the two regions, King Nguyen Phuc Khoat required his assistants to wear long pants underneath a silk shirt, combining Han and Champa costumes.
Ao Tu Than Four-piece Ao Dai (17th century)
The Vietnamese Women's Museum houses a four-piece ao dai model, designed for women in productive labor. The Giao Lanh ao dai is a rustic and modest shirt, typically made in dark colors, symbolizing the four parents of a couple. Researchers and artifacts at the museum explain how this shirt was sewn separately for convenience.
Ao Tu Than Five-piece Ao Dai (during the reign of King Gia Long)
During King Gia Long's reign, the five-body shirt emerged, a symbol of aristocratic status in society. This shirt, with four flaps sewn into two, has a discreet lining on the front flap. The aristocratic Mandarin class often wore five-colored shirts to distinguish themselves from the working classes. The shirt has a wide shape, and collar, and was popular in the early twentieth century.
Lemur tunic
The Lemur ao dai, a modified version of Cat Tuong's five-piece ao dai, features two front and back flaps, a floor-length front flap, and a close-sewn shirt with straight sleeves and small hems. Named after Cat Tuong's French name, the shirt's buttons were opened to emphasize femininity. Popular until 1943, it was forgotten.
Le Pho ao dai
Le Pho, a Vietnamese artist, created a new combination of the four-body ao dai, a variation of the Lemur ao dai. She adapted the ao dai to fit Vietnamese women's bodies, increased shoulders and extended the hem to touch the ground. This made the ao dai more sexy, sophisticated, and attractive. After four years of popularity, Le Pho removed Western influences and replaced them with details from the four-piece ao dai, making the Vietnamese ao dai style highly renowned.
Raglan Ao Dai
The Raglan ao dai, also known as ao dai, was created in 1960 by Dung tailor in Dakao, Saigon. It features a close-fitting body-hugging design with diagonally connected arms, providing comfort and flexibility. The flaps are connected by buttons on the side, contributing to the style of Vietnamese ao dai. This type of ao dai is notable for its unique design.
Modern Ao Dai (1970 – present)
The fashion industry and globalization have led to the popularity of modern Ao Dai Vietnam, which retains its traditional beauty and original form. Made from various materials and paired with jeans or loose silk pants, it is worn on special occasions, traditional festivals, and weddings.
Vietnamese dresses, such as the Ao Dai, are not just traditional costumes but also a symbol of the country's identity and spirit. Throughout history, Vietnamese people have fought against foreign invasions to preserve cultural traditions, discipline, and family. The Ao Dai is a masterpiece of art, revealing hidden meanings about proper behavior and expressing the national identity and spirit of the country. Over a thousand years under Chinese domination and nearly a hundred years under French colonial rule, the Ao Dai exposed both Oriental and Western cultures. Despite challenges, it has become a symbol of women's pride and the "national soul" of Vietnamese women. The sensuous charm of the Ao Dai is not only a symbol of traditional costumes but also a cultural expression of perspectives and spiritual Vietnam. In essence, the Ao Dai represents the "national spirit" of women in Vietnam. Modern Vietnamese dresses are slim and close to the body, featuring two laps of dress from the neck to the ankles and wrapped around big legs with cuffs. To achieve a beautiful look, it is essential to know each person's body measurements and sew them manually in stores. The material used in these dresses is abundant and diverse, often decorated with lines or handmade patterns. In recent years, "Ao Dai" has incorporated ethnic culture with modern fashion elements, showcasing its uniqueness in performances at International Fashion Week, formal festivals, and beauty contests. Designers like Minh Hanh, Sy Hoang, Vo Viet Chung, and La Hang have contributed to the fame of Vietnam's dresses.
At Tet Holiday
Tet holiday in Vietnam is a significant celebration, and Vietnamese people believe that wearing Ao Dai Vietnam creates a formal atmosphere, shows respect for older generations, and maintains Vietnamese tradition. Today, many stylized and fashionable Ao Dai Vietnam have emerged to adapt to the diverse demands of Vietnamese people and the energetic festival activities. The Ao Dai is simplified by cutting off the length of the front and back layers and is sewn using cool and comfortable materials like silk and linen. Red, yellow, and bright colors are popular choices for Ao Dai, believed to bring luck and a good start in the new year. Not only women, but all family members, including men and children, wear Ao Dai during the New Year's ceremony, family photos, and visiting pagodas to pray for a happy year. In some small villages in the north of Vietnam, local people wear ancient types of Ao Dai, such as Ao Tu Than, to celebrate the Lunar New Year.
At Wedding
Ao Dai Vietnam, an ancient tradition in Vietnam, has been replaced by Western wedding dresses due to their modern beauty and popularity. With the development of the fashion industry and the creativity of Ao Dai designers, Ao Dai has become more charming and fashionable for both brides and grooms. Couples now combine Ao Dai with Western dresses for their weddings, with Ao Dai for the traditional ceremony and Western dress for the party. Parents, close relatives, bridesmaids, and groomsmaids also wear Ao Dai. Red Ao Dai for the bride and groom symbolizes happiness and luck, while bright colors like yellow, blue, and pink create an exciting space for the wedding. Due to the high cost of wedding Ao Dai, couples often rent them for their wedding and engagement party.
Student’s wearing white Ao Dai
In Vietnam, high school female students wear Ao Dai to maintain Vietnamese tradition. Most schools enforce this rule on Mondays, resulting in many wearing it on the street. This elegant and pure look is popular among students. They typically wear white Ao Dai with silk pants to feel comfortable and cool at school. On the opening ceremony of the new academic/school year, teachers and students also wear white Ao Dai as a good beginning of a new school year. They also wear the traditional custom on important occasions such as taking yearbook photos day, Gratitude and maturity ceremonies, Proms,... Ao Dai is considered to be an integral part of this those student’s important ceremonies, which can be marked as a memory or a milestone in their life. The elegance and the slim and holding closer body design of Ao Dai seem to be the cause why so many girls and women love to wear it.
Other occasions
In recent years, there is an increasing number of people, especially women and girls wearing Ao Dai. If in the past it only appeared on important occasions, now ao dai is regularly worn by women such as going to weddings, parties, class reunions, going to pagodas, traveling... In many schools and offices. , the Ao Dai became the uniform. In some localities, female officials, civil servants, and public employees wear ao dai every day of the week. This is an activity to honor the beauty and value of ao dai in social life.
When choosing ao dai, you need to pay attention to the following points:
1.1. Material
Ao dai, a popular style for many, can be made from plain fabric or cool chiffon. Japanese fabric, known for its wrinkle-free and durable properties, is also preferred by some women for its stretchy nature, making it easier and more flattering to wear. This versatile design can suit almost everyone.
1.2. Colors and patterns
The shirt features floral, dragon, and phoenix motifs from the chest to the hem, creating a slimmer feel. The color of the ao dai is a priority for women, ensuring it suits their age and exudes the beauty of the ao dai.
1.3. Designs
Tailor ao dai to fit your body for a graceful figure, avoiding loose clothing. The reformed form retains soft, graceful lines, but is shortened, reaching below the knee instead of above it. Wear a shirt that is not too loose.
1.1. Ao Dai fabric
The white ao dai fabric is the first important thing to note for ladies. When choosing an ao dai material that is too thin, the wearer will easily cause offense by revealing their underwear, or if the fabric is too thin, it will not show a beautiful figure. If you choose ao dai material that is too thick, the girls will feel stuffy, uncomfortable, and quite susceptible to "aging".
1.2. Ao Dai size
Regarding the size of the white ao dai, ladies should carefully check their measurements before ordering to get the most suitable ao dai size. If the shirt size is too tight, it will make women feel constrained, revealing many flaws in the body. If the shirt size is too large, women will not be able to fully show off the charm of their bodies.
1.3. Underwear color
Ao dai is a traditional outfit, honoring the modest, gentle, and discreet beauty of a girl, so you can choose lingerie with neutral colors such as white or beige to show off. its sophistication and fully show off the beauty of the ao dai.
1.4. Accessories coordinated with white ao dai
Each person will have a different style and personality that can be clearly expressed in fashion. Ao Dai will be combined with heels that flatter your height. Girls can choose more simple, feminine sneakers if they want to express their style. However, between personal style and fashion, there needs to be an intersection and compatibility.
Is it okay to wear an ao dai if you're not Vietnamese?
Yes, it is. You are very welcome to wear one! We are really proud to see a foreigner try it on because this means that you must be determined and interested in Vietnamese culture. This is absolutely normal for a foreigner to wear an Ao Dai.
How much does an ao dai dress cost in Vietnam?
The cheapest ao dai in Vietnam costs around 350,000 VND (15 USD), while more expensive ones can cost up to 4,700,000 VND (200 USD) due to their popularity in the Old Quarter.
