Áo dài
The áo dài is a Vietnamese national costume for women. In its current form, it is a tight-fitting silk dress worn over pantaloons. Together with a nón lá hat, it creates an ensemble that is instantly recognizable as Vietnamese. Áo dài is pronounced "ow yai" in the South, and "ow zai" in the North. Áo is derived from a Middle Chinese word meaning "padded coat" (襖).[1] In modern Vietnamese, áo refers to an item of clothing that covers from the neck down. Dài means "long."
The word áo dài was applied to various garments historically, including the five-paneled áo ngũ thân or "traditional áo dài," a 19th century aristocratic gown. Inspired by Paris fashions, Hanoi artist Nguyễn Cát Tường redesigned this gown as a dress in 1930.[2] In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit to produce the version worn by Vietnamese women today.[3] The communists, who have ruled all of Vietnam since 1975, generally disapproved of the dress and argued for utilitarian clothing.[4] In the 1990s, the áo dài regained popularity.[4]
In its most popular form, the dress fits tightly around the wearer's upper torso, emphasizing her bust and curves. Slits on the side extend above the waist and allow a glimpse of her midriff. Although the dress covers a woman's entire body, it is thought to be provocative, especially when made of thin material. Many high schools require female students to wear it as part of a school uniform. The equivalent garment for men, called an áo gấm ("brocade robe"), is still worn on occasion, such as at a wedding.
History
Early gowns
Until the twentieth century, peasant women typically wore a skirt (váy) and a halter top (áo yếm).[4] Influenced by Chinese norms, aristocrats favored less revealing clothes.[4] In 1744, Lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát of Huế decreed that both men and women at his court wear trousers and a gown with buttons down the front.[3] The members of the southern court were thus distinguished from the courtiers of the Trịnh Lords in Hanoi, who wore a split-sided jacket and a long skirt.[5]
The direct ancestor of the modern áo dài is the ngũ thân. Ngũ is Sino-Vietnamese for "five", a reference to the gown's five panels, which may refer to the five elements in oriental cosmology. The ngũ thân evolved from a traditional gown called áo tứ thân in the early 19th century.[6] It had a loose fit and sometimes had wide sleeves. Wearers could display their prosperity by putting on multiple layers of fabric, which at that time was costly. Despite Vietnam's tropical climate, aristocrats were known to wear three to five layers.
The ngũ thân had two flaps sewn together in the back, two flaps sewn together in the front, and a "baby flap" hidden underneath the main front flap. The gown appeared to be a two-flapped tunic with slits on both sides, features preserved in the later áo dài. Compared to a modern áo dài, the front and back flaps were much broader and the fit looser. It had a high collar and was buttoned in the same fashion as a modern áo dài. Women could wear the dress with the top few buttons undone, revealing a glimpse of their yếm underneath.
The modern dress
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In 1930, Hanoi artist Cát Tường, also known as Le Mur, designed a dress inspired by the ngũ thân and by Paris fashions. It reached to the floor and fit the curves of the body by using darts and a nipped-in waist.[7] When fabric became inexpensive, the rationale multiple layers and thick flaps dissappeared. Modern texile manufacture allowed for wider panels, eliminating the need to sew narrow panels together. The "áo dài Le Mur," or "trendy" áo dài, created a sensation when model Nguyễn Thị Hậu wore it for a feature published by the newspaper Today in January 1935.[8] The style was promoted by the artists of Tự Lực văn đoàn ("Self-Reliant Literary Group") as a national costume for the modern era.[9] The painter Lê Phô introduced several popular styles of áo dài beginning in 1932. Such Westernized garments temporarily disappeared during World War II (1939-45).
In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit of the áo dài to create the version commonly seen today.[3] Tran Kim of Thiet Lap Tailors and Dung of Dung Tailors created a dress with raglan sleeves and a diagonal seam that runs from the collar to the underarm.[3] The infamous Madame Nhu, first lady of South Vietnam, popularized a collarless version beginning in 1958. A brightly colored "hippy áo dài" was introduced in 1968.[10] Also in the late 1960s, slits were extended above the waist to create an "áo dài mini," a response to the mini skirt then fashonable in the West.[7]
In addition to these major modifications, the áo dài has experienced smaller design changes as fashion evolved. Variations included the use of floral or checkered patterns and the use of gossamer fabrics, as well as longer or shorter tunic lengths. The most popular style fits tightly around the wearer's upper torso, emphasizing her bust and curves. Although the dress covers the the entire body, it is thought to be provocative, especially when it is made of thin fabric. "The áo dài covers everything, but hides nothing," according to one saying.[11] An áo dài must be individually fitted, which can require multiple visits to a tailor. Vietnamese women typically make their own áo dài.
The áo dài has always been more common in the South than in the North. The communists, who gained power in the North in 1955 and in the South in the 1975, had conflicted feelings concerning the áo dài. They praised it as a national costume while at the same time condemning Westernized versions and those associated with "decadent" Saigon of the 1950s and 1960s.[7] Overseas Vietnamese, meanwhile, kept tradition alive with áo dài pageants.[5] The dress experienced a revival begining in 1989 when 16,000 Vietnamese attended a "Miss Aodai Beauty Contest" held in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). The áo dài is now standard for weddings, for celebrating Tết, and for other formal occasions. A plain white áo dài is a common high school uniform in the South. Companies often require their female staff wear uniforms that include the áo dài, so flight attendants, receptionists, restaurant staff, and hotel workers may wear them.
Popular Culture
In the Vietnamese film The White Silk Dress (2007) a white silk áo dài is the sole legacy that the mother of a poverty-stricken family has to pass on to her daughters. The Hanoi City Complex, a 65-story building now under construction, will have an áo dài-inspired design.[12] Vietnamese designers have created áo dài for the contestants in the Miss Universe beauty contest, held this year in Nha Trang, Vietnam.[13]
References
- ^ American Heritage Dictionary, "ao dai"
- ^ Vietnam Trip Advisor, "Ao Dai".
- ^ a b c d Ellis, Claire, "Ao Dai: The National Costume", 2000
- ^ a b c d Wakefield, Marie, "Ao Dai - Vietnamese Plus Size Fashion Statement", 2007
- ^ a b Valverde, Caroline Kieu, "The History and Revival of the Vietnamese Ao Dai, NHA Magazine, 2006.
- ^ About Vietnam, "Fashion"
- ^ a b c Niessen, Sandra, and Leshkowich, Ann Marie, Re-orienting Fashion: The Globalization of Asian Dress, p. 91, 2003.
- ^ A Fashion Revolution. For a picture of the áo dài Le Mur, see Ao Dai --The Soul of Vietnam
- ^ Aodai4u
- ^ Ao Dai --The Soul of Vietnam
- ^ Vietnamese AoDai
- ^ Vietnam’s tallest building planned in Hanoi
- ^ Vietnam.net Bridge, "Miss Universe contestants try on ao dai"
See also
External links
- Ao Dai -- Soul of Vietnam The history of the áo dài in photos.
- Ao Dai Project Another gallery. Less history and more makeup. How about those kids in the "áodài Trẻem"?
- Viettouch: "Ao Dai Viet Nam" A hipster black áo dài? Ralph Lauren does it his way.
- The Ao Dai Blog The latest in áo dài-related news. Because somebody has to.
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