Dzao's Traditional Costume

The Dao (pronounced Zao) are the 9th largest ethnic group in Vietnam with a population of just under 500,000. They belong to the Hmong Dao language group and are believed to have started migrating from China in the 13th century.

The women wear some of the most colourful and diverse costumes of all ethnic groups but can be identified by their black trousers richly embroidered with flower or small star patterns. Their jackets can be red or black usually with embroidered borders. The ensemble is topped by a black or red turban together with chunky silver jewelry. In addition most Dao women shave off their eyebrows and foreheads as this is traditionally regarded as a sign of beauty.

A number of variations of the Red Dao can be found around the famous hill station of Sapa. Common features are the embroidered trousers and jacket, but the most stunning part of the ensemble is the scarlet turban which can either be decorated with tassels or bells. Some Dao only wear a red scarf.

The costume of the Red Dao of Northern Ha Giang and northwestern Cao Bang is quite simple with a plain black tunic and trousers, again bordered with embroidery. However, in contrast to other Dao, they do not shave their hair; instead it is parted with silver clips underneath a square bonnet.

Red Dao ladies are from the Southern Ha Giang/northern Tuyen Quang branch. They are wearing the traditional costume of plain black trousers together with a loose fitting black jacket richly embroidered in red at the collar, the lower sleeves and on the back. An embroidered red yem (bodice) is worn under the jacket like a vest. The ensemble is worn together with a black apron embroidered in red at the edges, a red belt and a colourful turban covered by a red scarf.

Dao Ao Dai wear quite simple costumes for Dao. The Ao Dai in their name is due to the similarity of their tunic to the Ao Dai of the Viet Kinh. However, it is usually hooked up at the front. A distinctive bonnet of black and red material embroidered at the edges and decorated with coloured tassels and small coins is also worn.

The Dao Tuyen  in the area near Muong Khuong wear plain black trousers and a long black tunic, the lower part of which is lifted up and tucked into a silver belt to reveal broad horizontal stripes on the other side. The tunic is edged in red and decorated with coloured rings around the cuffs. Around the neck are hung a long silver chain and a silver necklace with long red (or pink), yellow and white tassels which hang down as far as the waist. The ensemble is worn together with a black scarf with a broad red stripe down one side, decorated with red, yellow and white tassels and beads.

Red Dao of southern Lao Cai and Yen Bai provinces wear a rather different costume than those further north. This comprises plain black trousers and a long black tunic with embroidered cuffs and lapels. The lapels are edged in red and a row of red and yellow tassels hangs from the rear. a small square of embroidery is also sewn onto the back of the tunic and its rear lower flap is also richly embroidered. The outfit is worn with a bright red belt and a plain black turban.

The Shaven-headed Dao (Dao Dau Troc) of Lang Son and Thai Nguyen have a very elegant costume distinguished by a wide band of embroidery on the collar worn over an embroidered yem (breast binding bodice) decorated with much jewelry. The head is completely shaven and covered by a distinctive bonnet. These ladies are from the region surrounding Bac Son.

The Dao Khau (Sewing Dao) women of Lai Chau province wear black trousers richly embroidered with the signature flower, tree and star patterns seen on many Dao costumes. They also wear a front hanging black apron with a wide, plain blue band around its outside (also common to some H'mong), together with a plain black turban.

White-trousered Dao (Dao Quan Trang) of Tuyen Quang, Yen Bai, Lao Cai and Ha Giang province, now actually wear black trousers, but are distinguished by their richly-embroidered white bodice (yem) worn under the jacket like a vest. The hair is tied up in a bun and covered by a black scarf.

The Black Dao women of Binh Lu district wear plain black trousers together with black jackets decorated at the sleeves and collars with thin bands of embroidery, coins and beads finished with a maroon ruff. The hair is worn distinctively in a chignon and kept in place by a large silver frame which sits on top of the head; it is then wrapped in thick black cord and finally covered by a black scarf decorated with beads and maroon tassels.

The Coin Dao (Dao Tien) are mainly settled in a large area spreading from southern Ha Giang and Cao Bang through Tuyen Quang and Bac Giang. These ladies were spotted near Ba Be national park. The most characteristic feature of their costume is their distinctive skirt which features a wide border decorated with a bold silver-grey zigzag patterns

Read More

Pa Then Women with traditional costumes

Travelling to the northern provinces of Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang, visistors will see the colourful costumes of women from the Pa Then ethnic minority.

Like many other ethnic groups in Vietnam, Pa Then people grow flax to weave the brocades and fabrics for making their traditional garments. Most of the adult Pa Then women learned how to weave and sew from their mothers. According to Pa Then custom, women have to learn these skills not only to make beautiful clothes, but also to prepare for their weddings.

A typical Pa Then woman's costume consists of a hat, a blouse, a belt, a long skirt, and a brassiere. The broad flat hat is made of red cloth embroidered with the variety of patterns and wrapped around the head in layers. The two sides are decorated with colourful tassels that cascade down to the wearer’s waist.

The most attractive part of the costume is the traditional red collarless blouse with that crosses over in the front and often longer in the back than the front. The costume is an attractive combination of hand-embroidery and appliqued fabric blocks. Geometrical patterns are embroidered on the red background while the under sleeves and appliques on the front of the blouse are black. Young women often wear a white shirt under the red blouse with the white collar on top of the red, giving it a rather striking appearance.

The skilled Pa Then women weave and create unique skirts. These skirts are also red and are pleated onto the waistband with embroidered decorations on the two side panels. The centre panel of the skirt is only decorated with simple designs.

The belt is a long white or black piece of cloth tied around the waist, with the two tails ends dangling down the front.

It takes Pa Then women nearly one month to make a complete traditional costume. Making the decorative elements and and doing the embroidery takes the most time. However, their traditional costume is always in the same model, and they wear it year round during their daily activities and at festivals. Visitors to the northen provinces of Ha Giang and Tuyen Quang will easily recognize Pa Then women because of their costumes with special features

Read More

Traditional Vietnamese male attire

                                  

Anyone who has seen the exquisite costumes worn by Vietnamese women will recognize similarities in the traditional dress of the male. Both costumes are tailored from the same fabric, worn with the conventional snug collar and buttoned down on the left side to the waist, with no crease in front or back. The male dress extends only to the knees. The female dress flows with graceful lines from a tight waist down to the heels.

The national Vietnamese dress has preserved its essential features through the ages. Vietnamese take great pride in wearing this dress for it is part of their nation, their history and their culture. It is part of Vietnamese social customs which includes respect for superiors, dignitaries and relatives. Elders in the family continue to receive this recognition as did once emperors, mandarins and court teachers, all of whom had traditional dress variations according to their status in Vietnamese society.

There are many variations on the basic theme. At the top of the list is the elaborate dress of the emperor and the mandarins. Their rank was shown in the display of color in the brocade and embroideries. Gold brocade with embroidered dragons was for the emperor only. Gold is the national color and the dragon heads the fabulous mythical animal world. Purple is the color reserved for high-ranking court mandarins, while blue is for those of lower rank.

Costumes worn for religious ceremonies also have their special colors. Dresses for ceremonial occasions usually have very wide and ample sleeves. Wedding dresses are similar to the popular fashions, and the color is usually purple or blue brocade. Dresses for mourning have frayed fringes or a line up the back and may be either black or white in color.

Vietnamese dress styles underwent changes since the beginning of French influence in the country. Many Vietnamese employed by the French had a tendency to look down upon those who continued to wear the traditional dress. European styles were popular mainly among civil servants and university students. The majority of people, especially those in the rural areas, remained faithful to their national dress and it even became a symbol of silent opposition to French colonialism. During the colonial war against the French from I945 to I954, many people concealed their social status. The revolutionaries wore black, those who were pro-French wore western clothes while others wore the simple pajama-type shirt and trousers. Following independence the traditional dress came back into its own and was once again the required attire for all ranking officials at government ceremonies or functions of the diplomatic corps.

Read More

Ao Yem

 

Vietnam not only has ao dai but also ao yem – the indispensable dress of ancient girls.

It is an age-old dress which is maintained until today. Ao yem was used by all levels of society from working class to upper class. It also was used widely in traditional festivals therefore it was the national traditional clothes of ancient ladies.

Ao yem appeared in Vietnamese life in a very old day but until Ly dynasty it was basically in shaped. Through the stream of history, ao yem was changing incessantly and improving its design. However the revolutions of ao yem only happended at the beginning of the last century while western trouser and skirt were entering Vietnam. In 17 century, ao yem did not have any big change of model. In 19 century, ao yem has a square piece is cloth with one corner cut away to fit under the woman’s throat. This scrap of fabric is secured across the chest and stomach with thin strings. There were three common models of ao yem: ao yem co xay, ao yem co xe, ao yem co canh nhan.

Entering 20 century, ao yem was used widespread with many of rich designs and models. Ao yem which has brown color and was weaved by rude cloth was for labor. Urban women favored white, pink or red ones, while women in the countryside wore ao yem in brown or beige, colors suited to their rustic environment. On special occasions, like the Lunar New Year or festivals, rural women would also wear brightly colored ao yem.

There is one kind of ao yem which was often wore by ancient ladies was called “yem deo bua”. The name was “yem deo bua” because it has a small pocket of musk beside and it was an advantage weapon of ancient ladies…furthermore, ao yem made many original love stories.In the old day when a girl had a date with her darling, she usually put a piece of betel inside her ao yem; it was called “khau trau dai yem” and maybe there is no kind of betel more supernatural than this kind of betel.

Today, the ao yem is appreciated for its cultural and artistic values.

Read More

Traditional Ao Dai for Tet

Most Vietnamese people wear new clothes to celebrate Tet, or the Lunar new year, in order to promote a fresh beginning to the year. Although Western-style outfits are more convenient for daily chores, the traditional tunic, or ao dai, reappears each Tet. These tunics add to the festival’s formal atmosphere.

In the past, all ao dai were lined. The two layers of fabric formed a set, or kép(in Vietnamese). On formal occasions, another light ao dai, always white, was worn as an undergarment under the kép to form a triple set of layers called mớ ba. This was the proper way to wearao dai until only a few decades ago. To deal with sudden encounters, such as the frequent visitors who often drop in without notice around Tet, a “hasty”ao dai could be thrown over whatever the host was wearing. From the mid-1950s, the ao dai was simplified and the kép layer eliminated.

For centuries, male and female ao dai were cut similarly, except that the neck of the women’s ao dai was about two cm high, while the male collar measured 3.5cm. The wide, down-curved hem, about 80cm across, hung about 10cm below the knee. Royal’s ao dai were of standard cut but were fashioned in different colors and materials.

Long ago city ladies had their ao dai made from colorful silk brocades and lampas. French influence popularized velvets in shades of burgundy, dark green and dark blue. While town women wore five-paneledao dai, or nam ta, women in the countryside had front-opening four-panel ao dai called tu than. The rural tu than were made from hemp-based fabrics, normally in a brown or brownish-fuchsia color.

The tu than tunics worn by wealthy countryside people at Tet were beautiful,with eight flowing silk strips in front. The inner-most layer featured two strips in the color of a lotus flower, about two meters long and 25cm wide, which wrappered around the waist and the knotted to make a bow in front. Next came the two long ends of a light yellow crepe money belt, and finally a bow and strips formed by a soft green silk belt. The two dark brown front flaps of thetunic were lightly tied under those strips to enhance their vivid colors.

Well-dressed Men

As for men’s ao dai, father Cristoforo Borri, an Italian Catholic priest who traveled through the northern Principality (today’s northern Vietnam) in the 17th century, wrote in his 1631 book “Relations de la Nouvelle Mission des Peres de la Compagnie de Jesus au Royaume de la Cochinchine” that most northern men wore a blackao dai over other layers on most festive occasions. This remained unchanged in Vietnam until recently.

Traditional ao dai pants were moderately wide with a low crotch. Conventionally, married women wore black satin pants with their ao dai. Young maidens and men wore white ao dai pants. In Hue people of all ages and sexes wore only white pants. Hue’s upper-classes of both sexes added tree pleats to their pant’s outer edges so that the pants flared out when they moved. These pleated pants are called chít-ba.

Following the mishaps of history that have marred so many traditions, Vietnam is bouncing back in peace time. With Vietnamese people’s innate pride in their culture, it will not be long until visitors can witness a traditional Vietnamese Tet, complete with authentic and colorful ao dai.

Read More