Week 9 -Diane Tran

Ever since I was little, when Vietnamese New Year (Tết) came around everyone would wear the Vietnamese traditional dress called Áo dài. People would also wear this traditional dress for weddings. It would come in various designs and patterns and I would always think this traditional dress was so elegant and beautiful. I would love wearing this dress on Vietnamese New Years and it made me more connected to my Vietnamese culture.  Áo dài is considered, "one that is a reinvention of culture, general identity and expression" (Treen, 4). They are worn by both sexes, but mostly by women. This is a cultural symbol of Vietnam that connects the elderly, parents, and children together. We can say that the past, present, and future is represented with this traditional dress. In addition, "Áo dài, like so much of Việt Nam, is a fusion of cultures, integrating Chinese, French, and American influences. Despite this mix, Áo dài retains its uniquely Vietnamese heritage" (Valverde, 8). Different cultures are implemented into Vietnamese traditional dresses, but it also has its uniqueness. Like how Paris used fashion as a way to rebrand its nation, Vietnam used ao dai to represent what the country is about. The history of the Ao dai reflects the adaptability of the Vietnamese.  As people who constantly had to defend themselves against foreigners, they adopted products of foreign cultures which they valued and transformed them into their own.  Thus, the women’s Ao Dai is a cultural metamorphosis that is typically Vietnamese, a design adopted from different culture combines with Western and Oriental elements of fashion and aesthetics to become a product that is uniquely Vietnamese. This dress has become the national dress, a symbol, and pride for Vietnamese people. 



Citations:
"San Jose Museum of Quilts and Textiles" Ao Dai: A Modern Design Coming of Age 2009: Catalogue
“Wedding Aodai | Heaven Ao Dai.” Aodai Heaven, heavenaodai.com/wedding-aodai/.