The o di is a Vietnamese national costume, now most commonly worn by women.

In its current form, it is a tightfitting silk tunic worn over pantaloons. The word is pronounced [w zj] in the North and [w jj] in the South. o classifies
the item as a piece of clothing on the upper part of the body.[1] Di means "long".[2]
The word "ao dai" was originally applied to the outfit worn at the court of the Nguyn Lords at Hu in the 18th century. This outfit
evolved into the o ng thn, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Inspired by Paris
fashions, Nguyn Ct Tng and other artists associated with Hanoi University redesigned the ng thn as a modern dress in
the 1920s and 1930s.[3] The updated look was promoted by the artists and magazines of T Lc vn on (Self-Reliant Literary
Group) as a national costume for the modern era. In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit to produce the version worn
by Vietnamese women today.[3] The dress was extremely popular in South Vietnam in the 1960s and early 1970s. On Tt and
other occasions, Vietnamese men may wear an o gm (brocade robe), a version of the ao dai made of thicker fabric.
Academic commentary on the ao dai emphasizes the way the dress ties feminine beauty to Vietnamese nationalism, especially
in the form of "Miss Ao Dai" pageants, popular both among overseas Vietnamese and in Vietnam itself.[4] "Ao dai" is one of the
few Vietnamese words that appear in English-language dictionaries. [nb 1]

Early Modern Vietnam[edit]

For centuries, peasant women typically wore a halter top (ym) underneath a blouse or overcoat, alongside a skirt (vy).
[5]
Influenced by the fashions of China's imperial court, aristocrats favored less revealing clothes. [6] In 1744, Lord Nguyn Phc
Khot of Hu decreed that both men and women at his court wear trousers and a gown with buttons down the front. [3][nb
2]
Writer L Qu n described the newfangled outfit as an o di (long garment).[nb 3] The members of the southern court were
thus distinguished from the courtiers of the Trnh Lords in Hanoi, who wore cross-collared tunics and long skirts.[7]

19th century[edit]
The o t thn, a traditional four-paneled gown, evolved into the five-paneled o ng thn in the early 19th century.[7] Ng is
Sino-Vietnamese for "five." It refers not only to the number of panels, but also to the five elements in oriental cosmology. The o
ng thn 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, northern aristocrats were known to wear three to five
layers.
Two women wear o ng thn, the form of the ao dai worn in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries

The o ng thn 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 have two-flaps with slits on both sides, features preserved in the later ao
dai. Compared to a modern ao dai, 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 ao dai. Women could wear the dress with the top few buttons undone, revealing a
glimpse of their ym underneath.

20th century[edit]
Modernization of style[edit]
Hu's ng Khnh Girl's High School, which opened in 1917, was widely praised for the ao dai uniform worn by its students.
[8]
The first modernized ao dai appeared at a Paris fashion show in 1921. In 1930, Hanoi artist Ct Tng, also known as Le
Mur, designed a dress inspired by the o ng thn and by Paris fashions. It reached to the floor and fit the curves of the body by
using darts and a nipped-in waist. [9] When fabric became inexpensive, the rationale for multiple layers and thick flaps
disappeared. Modern texile manufacture allows for wider panels, eliminating the need to sew narrow panels together. The o
di Le Mur, or "trendy" ao dai, created a sensation when model Nguyn Th Hu wore it for a feature published by the
newspaper Today in January 1935.[10] The style was promoted by the artists of T Lc vn on ("Self-Reliant Literary Group")

as a national costume for the modern era. [11] The painter L Ph introduced several popular styles of ao dai beginning in 1934.
Such Westernized garments temporarily disappeared during World War II (193945).
In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit of the ao dai to create the version commonly seen today. [3] Trn Kim of Thit Lp
Tailors and Dng of Dng Tailors created a dress withraglan sleeves and a diagonal seam that runs from the collar to the
underarm.[3] The infamousMadame Nhu, first lady of South Vietnam, popularized a collarless version beginning in 1958. The ao
dai was most popular from 1960 to 1975. [12] A brightly colored o di hippy was introduced in 1968.[13] The o di mini, a version
designed for practical use and convenience, had slits that extended above the waist and panels that reached only to the knee. [9]

Communist period[edit]
The ao dai has always been more common in the South than in the North. The communists, who gained power in the North in
1954 and in the South in the 1975, had conflicted feelings about the ao dai. They praised it as a national costume and one was
worn to the Paris Peace Conference (196873) by Vietcong negotiator Nguyn Th Bnh.[14] Yet Westernized versions of the
dress and those associated with "decadent" Saigon of the 1960s and early 1970s were condemned. [15] Economic crisis, famine,
and war with Cambodia combined to make the 1980s a fashion low point. [7] The ao dai was rarely worn except at weddings and
other formal occasions, with the older, looser-fitting style preferred. [15] Overseas Vietnamese, meanwhile, kept tradition alive with
"Miss Ao Dai" pageants (Hoa Hu o Di), the most notable one held annually in Long Beach, California.[3]
The ao dai experienced a revival beginning in late 1980s, when state enterprise and schools began adopting the dress as a
uniform again.[3] In 1989, 16,000 Vietnamese attended a Miss Ao Dai Beauty Contest held in Saigon. [16] When the Miss
International Pageant in Tokyo gave its "Best National Costume" award to an ao dai-clad Trng Qunh Mai in 1995, Thi
Trang Tr (New Fashion Magazine) gushed that Vietnam's "national soul" was "once again honored." [17] An "ao dai craze"
followed that lasted for several years and led to wider use of the dress as a school uniform. [18]

Present day[edit]
No longer deemed politically controversial, ao dai fashion design is supported by the Vietnamese government. [7] It is often
called o di Vit Nam to link it to patriotic feelings. Designer Le Si Hoang is a celebrity in Vietnam and his shop in Saigon is the
place to visit for those who admire the dress. [7] In Hanoi, tourists get fitted with ao dai on Luong Van Can Street. [19] The elegant
city of Hu in the central region is known for its ao dai, nn l (leaf hats), and well-dressed women.
The ao dai is now standard for weddings, for celebrating Tt and for other formal occasions. A plain white ao dai is a common
high school school uniform in the South. Companies often require their female staff to wear uniforms that include the ao dai,
so flight attendants, receptionists, bank female staff, restaurant staff, and hotel workers in Vietnam may be seen wearing it.
The most popular style of ao dai fits tightly around the wearer's upper torso, emphasizing her bust and curves. Although the
dress covers the entire body, it is thought to be provocative, especially when it is made of thin fabric. "The ao dai covers
everything, but hides nothing", according to one saying. [14] The dress must be individually fitted and usually requires several
weeks for a tailor to complete. An ao dai costs about $200 in the United States and about $40 in Vietnam. [20]
"Symbolically, the ao dai invokes nostalgia and timelessness associated with a gendered image of the homeland for which many
Vietnamese people throughout the diaspora yearn", wrote Nhi T. Lieu, an assistant professor at the University of Texas at Austin.
[4]
The difficulties of working while wearing an ao dai link the dress to frailty and innocence, she wrote. [4] Vietnamese writers who
favor the use of the ao dai as a school uniform cite the inconvenience of wearing it as an advantage, a way of teaching students
feminine behavior such as modesty, caution, and a refined manner.[18]
The ao dai is featured in an array of Vietnam-themed or related movies. In Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Robin Williams's
character is wowed by ao dai-clad women when he first arrives in Saigon. The 1992 films Indochine and The Lover inspired
several international fashion houses to design ao dai collections, [21] including Prada's SS08 collection and a Georgio

Armani collection. In the Vietnamese film The White Silk Dress (2007), an ao dai is the sole legacy that the mother of a povertystricken family has to pass on to her daughters. [22] The Hanoi City Complex, a 65-story building now under construction, will
have an ao dai-inspired design.[23] Vietnamese designers created ao dai for the contestants in the Miss Universe beauty contest,
which was held July 2008 in Nha Trang, Vietnam.[24]
o b ba (or Vietnamese silk pajamas) is a traditional Vietnamese costume. It is most associated with southern Vietnam,
especially in rural areas.
The o b ba simply consists of a pair of silk pants and a long-sleeved, button-down silk shirt. The shirt will be somewhat long
and split at the sides of the waist, forming two flaps. In the front of the shirt at the very bottom are typically two pockets.

Usage[edit]
The garment's simplicity and versatility has contributed to its popularity, as it is used by an overwhelming amount of the
population, whether in rural or urban areas. It can be worn while laboring or lounging.
Modern versions allow countless different designs, colors, and embroidery, which have allowed the costume's transition into
modern Vietnamese fashion as well.
All of this makes it easy to explain the costume's natural presence in almost every aspect of Vietnamese life.
The o t thn or 4-part dress is one of several traditional Vietnamese costumes. It is related to the o ng thn which
translates as "5-part dress."[1]

History[edit]\
The o t thn is considered one of Vietnam's enduring relics, having been worn widely by women centuries before
the o Di. As Vietnam expanded southward, o T Thn gradually became associated specifically with northern
women.

The Dress[edit]
The o t thn was the dress of peasant women, which explains why it was often made with plain fabric in dark colors, except
when it was to be worn at special occasions such as festivals or weddings. Regardless of its many different forms, the basic o
t thn consists of:

A flowing outer tunic, reaching almost to the floor. It is open at the front, like a jacket. At the waist the tunic splits into two
flaps: a full flap in the back (made up of two flaps sewn together) and the two flaps in the front which are not sewn together
but can be tied together or left dangling.

A long skirt, worn under the tunic.

Ym, an ancient bodice worn as an undergarment by women. It comes in many fabrics and colors, worn under the skirt
and outer tunic.

A silk sash which is tied at the waist as a belt.

o T Thn in modern-day Vietnam (worn almost exclusively in northern-related festivals) tends to be extremely colorful, using
different hues throughout the dress, from the tunic to the bodice and the skirt.

The o t thn and its place in modern-day Vietnam[edit]

o T Thn is now obsolete in terms of its daily use in Vietnam. However, it can be seen often in traditional occasions such as
festivals, especially in northern Vietnam.
In southern Vietnam, the simpler silk pajamas costume o B Ba is preferred for day-to-day use.

20th Century[edit]
From the twentieth century onward Vietnamese people have also worn clothing that is popular internationally. The o di was
briefly banned after the fall of Saigon but made a resurgence.[2] Now it is worn in white by high school girls in Vietnam. It is also
worn by receptionists and secretaries. [citation needed] Styles differ in northern and southern Vietnam. [3] The current formal national
dress is the o di for women, suits or o the for men.
Vietnamese Ym refers to an ancient Vietnamese bodice used primarily as an undergarment that was once worn by
Vietnamese women across all classes. There exists a modern variant called "o ym", but the historical garment was simply
called "ym". It was most usually worn underneath a blouse or overcoat, for modesty's sake.
It is a simple garment with many variations from its basic form, which is a simple, usually diamond or square-cut piece of cloth
draped over a woman's chest with strings to tie at the neck and back.

History[edit]
Ym is similar to a garment called d du (Chinese: ) that existed in ancient China. The origin of the ym is still unknown to
many historians and scholars.[1][2] The ym has been worn by northern Vietnamese women traditionally. Unlike other Vietnamese
clothing that helped to segregate the classes, ym were worn as an undergarment by Vietnamese women of all walks of life,
from peasant women toiling in the fields to imperial consorts.
It is an integral part of the o t thn costume, which it is often worn underneath.

Different types[edit]
While it was worn across classes, the material and colors used to make ym varied widely based upon the person's rank and
the occasion. Commoner women usually wore ym in simple blacks and whites for day to day use, whereas during special
occasions they could opt for more festive, brighter colors such as red and pink. Indeed, much of Vietnamese poetry has been
dedicated to the beauty of women in their "ym o", or vermilion bodices.
While the bottom of the ym are v-shaped, there were different styles for the top of the garment which covered the neck, the
most common two variations being the rounded neck or the v-shaped neck style.
Some types of ym have a little pocket within, where women often used to store a little musk or perfume.

In modern Vietnam[edit]
As Westernization reached Vietnam, by the 20th century women increasingly abandoned the ym for the Western bra.
Fashion designers, in their constant quest to revitalize interest in traditional costumes as well as reinvent the latter have created
many new collections of ym. The modernized form of the garment is slightly different and is called "o ym" rather than simply
"ym", the latter referring to the historical garment. o ym has proven to be quite popular with young women, perhaps due to
its similarity to the Westernhalter top.