Women's Ao Dai - Symbol of Vietnamese Beauty
Women's ao dai as it is known today appeared in the early twentieth century. Before that, the costume that is closest to ao dai is the dress of the ladies of the upper classes in the eighteenth and nineteenth century. This costume is the integration of ao tu than, the traditional dress of Northern women, and the dress of Champa women, which was brought about by the southward move of the Nguyen lords in seventeenth century. It looks like ao dai but it is much statelier and does not show off the curves of the female body. It is made from thick and heavy fabric. The young artists educated at the French Indochina College of Fine Arts modified this stately costume and turned it into modern ao dai. The first modern ao dai is believed to have appeared around 1921 and by 1934 ao dai became widely accepted throughout
Ao dai symbolizes the changes in
The flowing gracefulness of ao dai is specially suited to physical characteristics of Vietnamese women, which accounts for its enduring popularity. There have been various modifications on ao dai but basically the ao dai today is the same as when it was first introduced. To increase the beauty of the dress, rich and soft fabrics like silk and velvet are preferable. Numerous textures and decorative motifs have been created for this unique costume. Ao dai is also a great inspiration for Vietnamese fashion designers.
Ao dai is generally used for formal occasions like ceremonies and conferences but some women like to wear it to work. White ao dai is schoolgirls' uniform in many schools and female teachers are often required to wear ao dai in working hours. The scene of schoolgirls in white flowing ao dai cycling home after school is probably one of the most famous images of