A guide about Vietnam's traditional dresses

With such rich and diverse culture, one will find a unique clothing pattern in the traditional dress of Vietnam. With roughly sixty different ethnic groups, Vietnam has a vast variety of clothing styles, similar only in their affinity to bright, contradictory colours and vibrant patterns.

1. Traditional Vietnamese Dress for Men

The traditional Vietnamese dress for men is known as the Ao Dai. It is a long silk tunic with a conventional looking snug collar and is buttoned down on the left side. The male tunic falls to the knees and is generally worn with loose pants underneath.

In the past, the colour of the Ao Dai in Vietnam indicated a man's position in society. Gold is the colour that represented royalty in ancient Vietnam. The Kings' Ao Dai was embroidered with dragons to represent their strength and might. High Ranking officials wore purple Ao Dai's and the commoners wore various shades of blue.

Today, The Ao Dai is not worn commonly, on an everyday basis. However, The Ao Dai is a symbol of purity and grace and the Vietnamese wear it in large numbers on traditional occasions such as weddings and Tet (New Year).

2. Traditional Vietnamese Dress for Women

The Ao Dai, Vietnam's traditional dress, has a feminine version as well. Vastly similar to its masculine counterpart, the female Ao Dai has one striking difference - this silk tunic flows down to the ankles. The Ao Dai has two major varieties - a four-part variety, which consists of flaps in the front that women button up, and a five-part variety, which consist on an extra flap on the right to secure the Ao Dai.

3. Traditional Thai Dress in Vietnam

The Thai ethnic dress in Vietnam is elegant and demure. It consists of a plain blouse and a long skirt, which are embroidered with motifs of the sun, flowers, and dragons. The costume is accompanied by belts and Pieu scarfs and a few pieces of silver jewellery.

4. Traditional Dress of the Hmong in Vietnam

The Hmong people in Vietnam prefer to dress in a more sophisticated, yet vibrant and colourful fashion, with a bohemian flair to it. Their clothes are made of linen and consist of many colours and embroidered motifs. The outfit is made up of a black shirt, a colourful skirt, leggings, and headgear. The women often attach silver beads and jewellery to their dresses, to add a sense of individuality and spirituality.

5. Traditional Cham Dress in Vietnam

The traditional clothing of the Cham women may not be as colourful or bright as the rest, but it has a certain charm to it. The costume consists of a tight-fitting tunic shirt, a skirt the colour of the shirt and a gorgeous headscarf. The highlight of the costume is the waistband that is tied across the chest and around the waist and is prominently designed with golden iridescent shades and meticulous detail.

In the mountain regions, the most commonly worn costumes include trousers or skirts and indigo vests with motifs of wildflowers or beasts. These trousers and skirts are designed to enable easy navigation through the mountain slopes and to make farming easier. Most of the traditional Vietnamese dresses are made intricately by hand and are often sold by the locals to curious foreigners.

See more: Discover traditional costumes in Asia

Great memory about S-shaped country, Vietnam

Vietnam is a country with so many sightseeing opportunities, unique festivals, and gastronomic delights that cannot be fully experienced in a single trip. Despite years of colonialism and modernization, there are several parts of Vietnam that remains relatively authentic, with its local population making great efforts to preserve its many traditions and beliefs.

Vietnamese coffee

Vietnam is the second-largest coffee producer in the world, and they have achieved this status rather quickly over the past century. Vietnamese coffee is almost always drip coffee. Go out to any Vietnamese street coffee stall and you'll find rudimentary aluminium drip filters and cups of exquisitely aromatic black coffee underneath. The Vietnamese like their coffee nice and slow, and setting up the filter and choosing right time to drink is an art in itself.

A frequent way to enjoy this is with condensed milk and ice (cà phê sữa đá), and it naturally maintains a strong taste - everything is condensed in this cup, even the water. A strong taste, a thicker brew and a few over-roasted beans makes for a different, distinctive taste from other any kinds of coffee in the world. It is interesting that when the Vietnamese says "Đi uống cà phê" (go out for coffee), which means "let's have a chat”.

Pho (Noodle soup with beef)

Kicking off this list is of course, Pho, quite possibly the most-loved Vietnamese dish worldwide. So, Pho is the must-try dish when you visit Vietnam. It is a delicious comfort food, a bowl of hot, beefy noodle broth, topped with vegetables and herbs and plenty of meat, perfect for any time of the day. Pho is found literally anywhere in the country and luckily for the rest of the world, it is made its way to Vietnamese restaurants in almost every corner of the world.

Banh My (Vietnamese sandwiches)

Sandwiches are great, but the Banh My is even better. Once the baguette was introduced to Vietnam by the French, the Vietnamese then completely made it their own. Adding in various meats such as grilled pork, pulled chicken, beef patties and vegetables ranging from lettuce, daikon, onions, to herbs such as basil, over a deliciously thick layer of pate, the banh mi is a sandwich of flavours like no other. These buns are easily replicated at home if you have access to a good recipe and all the necessary ingredients.

See more: Hunting for the best Banh My in Ho Chi Minh City

Diverse natural landscapes

Few countries can match the diversity of Vietnam’s landscapes. From the tropical idylls of the south to the stepped rice fields of the north, Vietnam is filled with expansive beaches, untouched islets, towering mountains, and tropical forests housing thousands of rare wildlife species. Adventure seekers can explore the world’s largest cave (and over 200 more caves) in Phong Nha - Ke Bang National Park while the Sand Dunes of Mui Ne offer thrilling activities, such as sandboarding and quad biking.

Traditional costume, Ao Dai

Ao Dai - traditional dress of women in Viet Nam, hugging the body, having neckline and knee- length. It was sawn off at the hip, both the sensuous charm, not scanty but still shows the line of a young woman. Not merely traditional costumes, but also dresses as a culture to speak of perspectives and spiritual Vietnam package. In other words, it is the "national spirit" of women in Viet Nam. In Viet Nam, Ao dai is used for all ages. It has become the standard costume for formal occasions or national holidays, weddings, New Year's Day, graduation day or in important competitions. When attending a special event or appearing on television, Vietnamese women always dresses “Ao dai” simply because it contributes to their beauty.

In recent years, “Ao Dai” has changed with many innovations, combining ethnic culture with modern fashion elements, creating its unique in the performances in International Fashion Week, the formal and superficial festival, even in Beauty Contest internal and external.

Source Internet