Hi there,
I ended up in Vietnam today. On the picture you can see me on the Mekong, the most famous river of Vietnam. I’ve already spotted some Vietnamese people wearing their traditional clothing. The traditional Vietnamese garment is the ao dài. It’s mostly worn by women nowadays, but can also be worn by men. It exists of a tight-fitting silk tunic, which is worn over pants. Ao means ‘shirt’ and dài means ‘long’.
Nowadays, the ao dài is worn for weddings and other formal events. It’s still the uniform for female teachers and students in high schools in the South. Also flight attendants, receptionists, female bank staff, restaurant staff and hotel workers in Vietnam are wearing it.
The traditional ao dài changed over time. It’s not disappearing but it has become more adaptable to modern life. People are changing the design and material so that it’s more comfortable to wear it doing daily life stuff.
A couple years ago the modern ao dài turned up. It was modified at the collar, the sleeves and the length of the two flaps. Instead of wearing pants underneath, people choose to wear culottes or skirts inside. Different materials are used, like silk, brocade or voile.
I really love traditional clothing. It breathes the atmosphere of the culture of the land I’m visiting.
What is the traditional clothing of your country?
See you soon!
Dollie