Watching TV a few nights ago, we saw someone wearing an áo dài (“owzeye”) — the native dress of Vietnamese women. It caught our eye because it had flowers, or some design on it — we both remembered them usually being a solid color. Claire has an áo dài — as a souvenir of Vietnam. So I thought that it might be a good day to talk about the áo dài and how it came to be…..
The story starts in 1744, when Vietnam was divided into two territories, the Inner Land (Dàng Trong) and Outer Land (Dàng Ngoài.) To distinguish his people, Lord Nguyēn Phúc Khoát of the Inner Land asked his subjects to wear a front-buttoned gown, with trousers. This five-part dress (áo ngū thãn) was the inspiration for the modern áo dài. Royals and elites made their dresses from the finest silk, with intricate details and vibrant colors to represent rankings in court.
In the 1930s, the dress was simplified into two parts by Vietnamese artist Le Mur Nguyēn Cát Turòng. The front flap was extended to reach the ankle, and the form became more fitted. Like many “westernized” ideas, the style was only reluctantly received at first. But after Le Mur designed an áo dài collection for Queen Nam Phuróng, wife of Vietnam’s last Emperor Båo Dai, urban women started to embrace and popularize the more contemporary style.
After the establishment of the Democratic Republic of Vietnam, Hō Chi Minh wrote an essay, in 1947, noting that the áo dài was not fit for the fields or the factory, asking Vietnamese to adapt their attire to be more efficient for work. As a result, the áo dài became a dress saved for professional appearances and special occasions.
When choosing an áo dài, each color has meaning. In Imperial times, gold was a royal color and reserved for kings and queens. Red áo dài are worn during Tét for luck and prosperity. Brides may also wear red on their wedding day, so it’s a good idea to wear a different color if you’re a guest. White symbolizes purity and innocence, and black is most often worn at funerals. Some Vietnamese women also choose áo dài colors based on their zodiac sign element (metal, wood, water, fire, or earth) taken from their year of birth.
Today, Vietnamese usually wear the áo dài for culturally significant events including lunar new year ceremonies/celebrations, weddings and other special occasions.
I always thought the áo dài was attractive, refined and a bit elegant looking — one of the more attractive native costumes from the places I’ve visited….
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