Why we love the ao dai (Vietnamese dress)
Many Vietnamese women say the time they feel most beautiful is when they are wearing their national dress, the ao dai. The women’s ao dai (pronounced ‘ow yai’ in Southern Vietnam, and ‘ow zai’ in the North) most commonly worn today is a form fitting, full length dress, with a long slit from just above the waistline. It is usually made with a mandarin collar, but some versions have lower collars, or other styles of open necklines. This version is worn over comfortable, loose fitting pants/trousers, usually made from satin or chiffon. Men’s ao dai are usually looser fitting, and made from thicker silk brocade fabric. From the court of the Nguyen dynasty lords, in the 18th century, the beautiful...