Vietnam Costume

Archive for the ‘Vietnam costume’ Category

Southeast Asia’s Straw Hat

Nov 11th, 2009 by Exotissimo | Comments: 0

When visiting Southeast Asia, you may notice a distinctive type of headgear worn by farmers, shop keepers, and just about anybody else. The headgear is almost synonymous with the region and for Vietnam, it is part of the national costume.

The conical straw hat, sometimes called rice hat or coolie hat is a type of straw hat originating in East and Southeast Asia. Many in East Asia, Indochina and even Thailand wear the headgear for sun and rain protection. The shape of the hat is useful in blocking out these elements. Wearers of the hat usually have a piece of cloth (or silk) as a chin strap to keep the headgear on their head. The wearer of the hat can also dip it in water so to keep his/her head cool. Other uses for the hat include a basin for scooping water when thirsty, a fan or as a basket for vegetables.

The hats in Vietnam (called non la, locally) are noted for their charming designs. In Hue, random verses from poems are decorated into the hats (in keeping with the romantic look of the hat and the artistry required to make them) as well as oriental symbols and words (for decoration purposes). Some of these can only be seen when sunlight hits the headgear.

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There is a legend regarding the origins of the hat. A long time ago, there was a tall woman who wore such a hat made of four round leaves knitted with bamboo. The weather always became favorable wherever she appeared. She also enlightened many people on farming methods and plantation of trees and vegetables. This woman all of a sudden disappeared and ascended into heaven. She then became recognized as a goddess and ever since, hats were made imitating hers to protect from the sunshine and rain.

Sotheast Asia is an alluring place to visit. You will see an area rich in culture, history, historical monuments and friendly people. The costume that the locals wear adds to the appeal of the region. Visit Exotissimo’s multi-country page for travelling options in Southeast Asia. You will almost certainly come across a person wearing this unique hat.

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Filed under: Southeast Asia costume, Southeast Asia travel, Vietnam costume

Fitting For A Vietnamese

Oct 19th, 2009 by Exotissimo | Comments: 0

Upon arriving to Vietnam, you may notice an outfit worn by many of the locals. Many women wear this for casual wear and formal ceremonies alike. Many people now associate this dress with the country.

The aodai is the national costume of Vietnam. It is a combination of a more traditional garment worn by Vietnamese during the 18^th century called the ao tu than, which was a four paneled gown. It then evolved into the ao ngu than, which was a five paneled and had a looser fit and wider sleeves than the ao tu than. Nobles would often wear multiple layers to show their prosperity despite the tropical climate of Vietnam.

The modern aodai we know today was designed with French inspirations during the 1930’s. The gown now pretty much reached the floor and the panels were wider than its predecessors. The aodai was associated with South Vietnam more than the north. The costume however was not commonly worn by Vietnamese (except for certain occasions) during the 1950’s and 1970’s because of conflicting views of the dress between the north and the south. It went through a revival in the late 1980’s when government institutions and schools began adopting the aodai as their uniforms. The costume is very popular in beauty pageants with hundreds staged in the country itself which led to the revitalization of the aodai and numerous more held overseas.

You may see many women wear the aodai during your time in Vietnam. More formal version of the garment are worn during ceremonies and festivals and an all white version is a standard high school school uniform in the south. Many companies require their female staff to wear them, so you may just spot a flight attendant wearing the aodai. You can experience the country and its national costume by contacting Exotissimo for that fitting Vietnamese experience.

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