Do Vietnamese youth love Tet ao dai?

Young people increasingly tend to favor Tet ao dai.

Since ancient times, the Ao Dai has always been a cultural symbol in the subconscious of the Vietnamese people. It contains many cultural values ​​as well as the traditional beauty of the whole nation.

In recent years, the ao dai seems to be revived every spring. Perhaps the ao dai is a more decorative image during Tet. In particular, the ao dai has become a trend that is preferred by young people. Every time Tet is near, people are excited to show off and take pictures of the ao dai with a few peach and apricot branches, making the atmosphere more bustling than ever.

Thi Thao (19 years old, Da Lat) shared with Travellive about the trend of wearing Ao Dai among young people today: "The tendency of young people today to like wearing Ao Dai to take photos during Tet is a positive thing, because Ao Dai is the traditional costume of Vietnamese people. Being welcomed, loved and spread by young people like that is a good thing, bringing the cultural symbol of Vietnamese people closer to everyone. When wearing Ao Dai, it always gives me a feeling of elegance, gentleness and charm. When choosing Ao Dai for Tet, I will often rely on bright colors such as red, yellow... outstanding to suit Tet and a youthful style, suitable for my age".

Phi Yen currently lives and works in the US, and recently, with her friend Kim Thi, she also took a photo set of Ao Dai for Tet in Cao Lanh, Dong Thap. Phi Yen said: "I really love and enjoy wearing Ao Dai. Not only does it make me feel gentler and prettier, but wearing Ao Dai for Tet and taking photos in my hometown makes me feel like I'm back in school. Yen likes both traditional and modern Ao Dai. Traditional Ao Dai is classic, body-hugging, graceful and charming. Modern Ao Dai has many designs and is modern, making me feel cute and dynamic."

In the spring atmosphere, the fresh scenery, wearing a flowing ao dai and walking on the street will make the Tet atmosphere more bustling, bringing a modern but no less traditional Tet feeling.

Doan Ngoc (freelance model, Hanoi) also shared her feelings about the trend of wearing Ao Dai during Tet among young people today.

"Currently, there are many designers who innovate the ao dai to make it new and accessible. Whether choosing a modernized or traditional ao dai, it is elegant and exudes the spirit of the Vietnamese people. Especially during the holidays, when there is time to go out and travel with family, it can also promote the image to international friends. Every year, when the holidays come, I always choose the ao dai, because when I wear it, I always feel the nostalgic atmosphere. In addition, when choosing ao dai, I like those with a standing collar, without too many cuts, and the colors tend to be youthful colors like pink, blue...", Doan Ngoc added.

Traditional Ao Dai - Modern Ao Dai

Traditional Ao Dai in modern society has been innovated, no longer a sophisticated Ao Dai as before. It has been innovated from material to design, attracting the attention of young people. With a youthful, fresh innovation along with countless bright colors, creating a sense of elegance for the wearer.

There are countless attractive designs such as: short ao dai and short pants, straight ao dai and long pants, ao dai redesigned to be neat, loose-fitting ao dai that exudes dynamism but still retains traditional features... All the changes of ao dai have made it impossible for young people to miss every time Tet comes and spring returns.

Chat with Song Thi, founder of UI farm - handmade ao dai designs with unique embroidery patterns that bring a completely new color.

She said that her customers are diverse in age but mainly Gen Z, 9x, people with poetic, gentle, natural and floral personalities and love handicrafts. The trend of choosing Ao Dai of today's youth always tends towards traditional values, although adapting to modern life but still preserving national identity.

So why do young people today prefer both traditional and modern ao dai designs?

"I have heard a lot of opinions from customers or tastes when choosing ao dai. In fact, young people in the past did not like ao dai not because the ao dai - the national costume of Vietnam - was not beautiful, but because the way of sewing it has changed a lot into a type of ao dai that people often call the traditional ao dai. For example, the modern ao dai with a waist is only suitable for women with a standard figure, so that the ao dai hugs the body to flatter the figure, but in reality, most Vietnamese women do not have such a standard figure, especially young people today. In addition, the decoration style of that time is no longer suitable for now, so young people do not like to wear ao dai", Song Thi said.

Ao dai is a delicate and elegant fashion. While modern fashion promotes many designs and styles of ao dai with slits or sexy tight dresses, young people today mostly choose loose-fitting ao dai.

It is not too difficult to see many photos of young people wearing Ao Dai that are making waves on social networks but bring a nostalgic feeling. Just need the right background such as streets, markets, old houses with tiled roofs, or add a few accessories such as necklaces, earrings, bouquets of flowers... all are enough to understand why young people today tend to return to the familiar Ao Dai.

There have been many conflicting opinions about the modernized ao dai due to the bold innovation or the excessive innovation that many people no longer recognize it as the traditional ao dai. According to Song Thi, this conflicting opinion is completely reasonable and not based on emotion. When designing ao dai in this era, she herself must take traditional values ​​as the basis and specifically the basic structure of an ao dai must have, must meet standard sizes.

"A national costume is recognized by the world as an intangible cultural heritage, so what young designers like us do is not to cut and transform it into something else called creativity. Instead, let's focus on renewing it and sending new, trendy design stories so that the ao dai continues to 'live' in the lives of Vietnamese people.

This is the mission for those who care, love, and are passionate about making Ao Dai like me, and it is also what Ao Dai needs Vietnamese people to do for it. One of the principles to be recognized by UNESCO as an intangible cultural heritage is that the culture must live, exist, and continue to operate in the life of that nation through generations. Otherwise, it will become tangible culture, meaning only dead cultures," Song Thi shared.

Phuong Thao is the Editor of Travellive Magazine. She is passionate about traveling and loves to capture moments with her camera in every land she visits. Travel, art, and lifestyle are her favorite writing topics.

Phuong Thao