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With a history spanning over 4000 years, Vietnam has undergone countless stages of development and cultural exchange, corresponding to flexible changes in community aesthetic tastes, particularly reflected in women's clothing.
1. 2000 BC - 200 AD
Women's clothing during the Hung Kings era was more elaborately decorated than men's. Women wore short blouses that reached their stomachs, with a bodice underneath, and a belt with three rows of evenly spaced dots below the chest. The patterns on the blouses were similar to those carved on drums or bronze knives of the same period. The clothing reflected the robust beauty of women.
2. 11th - 19th centuries
During the Le Dynasty, women's clothing designs flourished with elaborate details, multiple layers of cloaks, and eye-catching colors.
Throughout each feudal dynasty, women's clothing changed to varying degrees: from patterns and sleeve styles to dominant colors. Generally, however, the garments were meticulously sewn in multiple layers, signifying the softness and grace of women. The materials and styles were influenced by Chinese culture, and there was a clear hierarchy between the clothing of commoners and royalty. Notably, women's clothing during the Tay Son period closely resembled military uniforms, with the skirt replaced by trousers.
3. Early 20th century - before 1945
The influence of Western culture led to less elaborate clothing for women during this period, with simpler cuts and moderate lengths for ease of movement and work. Women mainly wore four-panel blouses, bodices, went barefoot, and dyed their teeth black.
Women in Northern Vietnam have their hair neatly coiled, wear a headscarf, and have their teeth dyed black.
A traditional Northern Vietnamese woman's attire is incomplete without a hat. They wear a three-tiered hat when going out, and a smaller hat when working in the fields. Their hair is always neatly combed. Northern women often wrap their hair in a narrow scarf draped around their head, tucking the excess under the brim and tossing it to one side like a ponytail. Southern women usually tie their hair in a bun at the back of their neck.
A woman from old Saigon with her hair neatly tied back.
Women and conical hats.
4. After 1945 - the end of the 20th century
Clothing was strongly influenced by Westernization. In urban areas, women mainly wore skirts or modernized ao dai (traditional Vietnamese dress), while rural women in Northern Vietnam still wore brown blouses, black silk trousers, and square headscarves. Meanwhile, in Saigon, married women wore black trousers, while white trousers served as a sign that young women were still single.
The four most beautiful women of Hanoi in the 1930s.
From 1975 to the end of the 20th century, Vietnamese women's clothing seemed to focus more on flattering the individual's figure, with women freely choosing their own outfits. Young women in Saigon quickly adapted, emerging with a modern and "fashionable" beauty, creating many unique fashion trends, but also leading to a conflict in perceptions between traditional and modern beauty within the community.
Fashionable and traditional outfits worn by Saigon women in the late 20th century.
5. The 21st Century
Fashion in the 21st century has become a highly attractive industry. Along with the influx of fashion trends from around the world, modern Vietnamese women's clothing has transformed to suit the realities of this new lifestyle. They have different clothing choices for various occasions: strolling, traveling, working, staying at home, etc. And no matter how much it changes, clothing ultimately remains an item that enhances a woman's beauty, provided they don't blindly follow trends and inadvertently become "sacrificial offerings" to this "tailoring industry."
Two Worlds - a painting by director Dao Quoc Huy.
A video by Ngoc Thao depicts the evolution of women's clothing over the past 100 years.
