o Di

(Ao Dai)

The Vietnamese Ao Dai, the long gown

worn with trousers by Vietnamese women,
has become the symbol of the Vietnamese
feminine beauty, and the pride of the
Vietnamese people. This national pride
culminated in 1995 when Miss International
Pageant in Tokyo gave its Best National
Costume
award
to
the
Vietnamese
representative Truong Quynh Mai. Even
before
such
international
recognition, the Ao Dai had long
been the source of inspiration of
artists and poets, and thus had
become
an
institution
in
Vietnamese arts and literature.
The Ao Dai was born as the costume required to be worn by the southern
courtiers under the reign of the southern lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat. Eager
to establish a separate identity from his northern rivals, the Trinh lords,
who enjoyed the status of regents to the puppet kings of the declining Le
dynasty, Lord Nguyen decreed that men and women of his court wore
trousers covered by a long
gown. Thus was born the Ao
Dai.

The garment borrowed

the style of clothing worn by

the

Cham,

the

original

inhabitants of the land to the

south of the dividing Gianh
river,

whose

country

of

Champa (now Central Vietnam) had been invaded and conquered by the
Vietnamese. The Ao Dai was Lord Nguyens way to show his respect of
the culture of the Cham and to win over their support.

Ao Dai of
the Phuong
Cham people
Empress
Nam
Although many Vietnamese identify the Ao Dai as a variation of the Ao Tu
Than (four-panel tunic), the two have separate and distinct origins. The
Ao Tu Than is generally worn by peasant women in the North. It consists
of four panels, two in the back and two in front. The back panels are sewn
together while the front panels are left open or tied by a belt. Inside the
Ao Tu Than, the woman wore a bodice (known as Yem) to cover the
chest and a long skirt (known as Vay) to cover the legs. The fabric of
the Ao Tu Than was weaved in small width, necessitating the four-panel
structure.

The original Ao Dai was by no means the symbol of aesthetics. The

garment was plain and loosely fitted, unflattering to the female body. It
was not until 1930 when a group of French-trained artists, beginning with
the
Hanoian Cat Tuong (also known as Le Mur, the French translation of a
homonym of the artists first name), combined the design of the Ao Ngu
Than (five-panel gown), a variation of the Ao Dai with features borrowed
from the Ao Tu Than, and French fashion dresses, that the Ao Dai morphed
from plainness to beauty and sensuality. The image of the last empress of
Vietnam, Hoang Hau Nam Phuong, wearing the Ao Dai with exceptional
elegance, has left a great impression on artists. Painters and sculptors
began to model their subjects in Ao Dai, and artworks depicting historical
female personages, including the Virgin Mary, became increasingly
popular.

Madonna and Child in Ao Da

The Ao Dai stepped onto the political stage when Tran Le Xuan, wife of
Ngo Dinh Nhu, Chief Political Adviser of Ngo Dinh Diem, President of South
Vietnams First Republic, donned its first dcollet version to promote her
New Woman Movement. Nguyen Thi Binh, negotiator for the Vietcong at
the Paris Peace Conference, wore the Ao Dai to demonstrate her
patriotism. Ironically, the Communist government of Vietnam had banned
the Ao Dai as a symbol of capitalist decadence. It was not until the late
1980s that the Ao Dai regained its stature which culminated with Truong
Quynh Mai.

Mme Tran Le Xuan

Today, the Ao Dai has become the Vietnamese womans choice of fashion
for special occasions. Fashion designers such as Thiet Lap of the 60s and

Sy Hoang of today have continued to conceive new designs.

The

introduction of the raglan sleeve (sleeve that continues to the neck), the
raising of the opening of the panels to a higher level exposing the skin on
both sides of the waist, and other features borrowed from Western fashion
add sexiness and sensuality to the Ao Dai.

Yet the garment moves

delicately with the body giving the wearer an appearance of modesty

combined with self-confidence.
And so the Ao Dai becomes a cause for celebration. In Vietnam as well as
among the Vietnamese emigrant communities around the globe, the Ao
Dai Beauty Pageant has become a staple in the Vietnamese entertainment
industry. Many well-known Vietnamese fashion designers devote their
entire careers to develop new looks for the Ao Dai.

The Ao Dai for men, on the other hand, did not undergo much change. It
is now worn only during traditional ceremonies and mostly by men of
older generations. The masculinity and practicality of Western mens
clothing has been eagerly embraced by Vietnamese men, and the return
to the traditional Ao Dai is simply impractical, if not unthinkable. The Ao
Dai for men has become an item of purely nostalgic value for todays and
future generations.
The history of the Ao dai reflects the adaptability of the Vietnamese. As
people who constantly had to defend themselves against foreigners, they

adopted products of foreign cultures which they valued and transformed

them into their own.

Thus,

the womens

Ao

Dai is

cultural

metamorphosis that is typically Vietnamese: a design adopted from the

Cham that combines with Western elements of fashion and aesthetics to
become a product that is uniquely Vietnamese.
There are many things that deeply impress people about Vietnam, among
them is the o Di. Those who know about Vietnamese culture or have
visited Vietnam are often fond of the o Di. o Di is Vietnams national
outfit; it is usually worn during special occasions such as Tet, holidays, or
weddings. Beside special occasions, Vietnamese high school girls also
wear o Di to class everyday.

Lets have a close look at the o Di:

(courtesy of Tran The Vinh)

Nut bam than ao: hooks (used as fasteners) and holes
Ong tay: sleeve
Duong ben: inside seam
Nut moc ket thuc: main hook and hole
T sau: back flap
Khuy co: collar button
Co o: collar
Duong may: seam
Ong tay: sleeve
Kch (eo): waist
T truoc: front flap
T sao: back flap