object description

For every Vietnamese woman, it is a great honor for them to dress in the traditional “Ao Dai” costume. For the people who have never been to Vietnam, “Ao Dai” is the image of Vietnam to the world reflecting not only the beauty of the Vietnamese women, but also the culture of Vietnam. More importantly, for every Vietnamese oversea like me, “Ao Dai” has a very special meaning: It is a memory of home.

“Ao Dai” is the national symbol of Vietnam. In the eyes of all Vietnamese, there is no doubt of how it has always been incredibly graceful and beautiful. Through out the history, it does not lose its symbol and image in the hearts of all Vietnamese. It becomes an object that sparkles the interests and creativity of many artists such as musicians, painters, photographers and poets to express. Today, “Ao Dai” remains as the national dress and has been perfectly overcoming all ages and time to reach to everyone who live in Vietnam and else where in the world.

“Ao Dai” is a long dress and long sleeve garment that is designed to fit and compliment all types of women body. “Ao Dai (s)” are hand-crafted clothing that is custom-tailored which made to fit the people who wear them. They have both front and back flaps to hug around the body. On the right side of the dress, it has hooks and buttons that are used to wrap the body and keep the dress stay in shape. Although, the cost of “Ao Dai” is cheaper than before, “Ao Dai” fabric is very light and made of expensive material such as Velvet, silk or satin. Today, “Ao Dai” is embroiled, painted or printed with flower patterns that are used to create more and more exquisite and elegant pieces. The traditional color of “Ao Dai” is white; however, as history plays an important role in making the “Ao Dai” colorful, today people wear Ao Dai with many different colors. Women would wear red for their wedding days, wear white for their school days and wear purple for memorial days.

Historically, “Ao Dai” was a dress for people to wear at events. During the communist period, “Ao Dai” became a symbol of the national dress and the spirit of nationalism in which it demonstrates the love and devotion of the people to the country. Women would wear “Ao Dai” for showing how much they love their country and their political regime. From that time, “Ao Dai” became extremely popular and typical among Vietnamese women. The first “Ao Dai” in history was made in the 18th century; at that time it was called “Ao Yem”. The design of Ao Yem was much different from the present Ao Dai. Ao Yem was combined between a top and a skirt. Then in the the 19th century, a new version of “Ao Yem” called “Ao Ngu Than” was designed with a loose fit and wide sleeve that was suitable for Vietnamese tropical weather. However, up until the 20th century, “Saigon designers Tran Kim and Dung have made their first sketches of what we see the “Ao Dai” today. These designers came up with an idea of tightening the fit of the “Ao dai” to create such a version that we are seen on today.