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Vietnamese ladies in their Ao Dai give a lasting impression
for any visitors of Vietnam. The ao dai is considered to be
an elegant, yet demure, garment of Vietnam that contributes
to the beauty of a Vietnamese. Traditionally, long, wide-legged
trousers are worn under a high-necked, long-sleeved, fitted
tunic with slits along each side. The outfit's pants reach to
the soles of the feet, often trailing along the ground. The
Ao Dai appears to give the lady of Vietnam a beautiful figure.
Its body-hugging top flows over wide trousers that brush the
floor. Splits in the gown extend well above waist height and
make it comfortable and easy to move in. Although virtually
the whole body is swathed in soft flowing fabric, these splits
give the odd glimpse of a bare midriff, making the outfit very
sensual. Rapidly becoming the national costume for ladies, its
development is actually very short compared to the country's
history.
Ao dai is pronounced 'ao yai' in the south, but 'ao zai' in
the north, the different color of the national dress symbolizes
the wearer's age and status. Young Vietnamese ladies wear pure
white, fully lined outfits symbolizing their purity. As they
grow older but are still unmarried they move into soft pastel
shades while strong color Ao Dai is usually wear by married
women.
Early versions of the ao dai date back to 1744 when Lord Vu
Vuong of the Nguyen Dynasty decreed both men and women should
wear an ensemble of trousers and a gown that buttoned down the
front. It was not until 1930 that the ao dai as we know it really
appeared. Vietnamese fashion designer and writer Cat Tuong,
or as the French knew him, Monsieur Le Mur, lengthened the top
so it reached the floor, fitted the bodice to the curves of
the body and moved the buttons from the front to an opening
along the shoulder and side seam. But it took another twenty
years before the next major design change was incorporated and
the modern ao dai emerged. During the 1950s two tailors in Saigon,
Tran Kim of Thiet Lap Tailors and Dung of Dung Tailors, started
producing the gowns with raglan sleeves, this creates a diagonal
seam running from the collar to the underarm and today, this
style is still preferred. Its popularity is also spreading well
beyond Vietnam's borders. For years Vietnamese immigrants
preferred to adopt Western dress and blend with their new community
but now the ao dai is seeing a revival amongst overseas
Vietnamese.
Because of the popularity of the said dress, Ao Dai is now
being mass produced to make it more available and cheaper. The
gown length appears to be gradually shortening and today is
usually just below the knee. Variations in the neck, between
boat and mandarin style, are common and even adventurous alterations
such as a low scooped neckline, puffed sleeves or off the shoulder
designs are appearing as ladies experiment with fashion. Colors
are no longer as rigidly controlled and access to new fabrics
has created some dazzling results. But most visitors in Vietnam
agree that Ao Dai gives the best of Vietnamese
ladies as it displays the grace, beauty and
elegance of the women of Vietnam.
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