Ao Dai - Traditional Dress of Vietnam - Wear for Special Occasions

When traveling through Vietnam, you will see women wearing ao dai everywhere. In Vietnamese, 'áo dài' means 'long shirt'. It is the national costume of Vietnam, symbolizing beauty and elegance.

Though the modern ao dai has many versions, such as those with shorter panels and different collar shapes (round, V or open), the typical female ao dai is a tight-fitting long silk dress with long sleeves that is worn over long pants. It gives the wearer a simple yet flattering profile while still showing the curves of the body.

Recommended Articles

Top 8 Things to Do in Hanoi

Hanoi Walking Tour and Street Food Tour

How to Get from Hanoi to Sapa, Halong Bay, or Hoi An

Best Central Vietnam Tours, Top Vietnam Tour Packages

Urban City Tours and Street Food Tours in Ho Chi Minh City

Top Things to Buy in Vietnam

15-Day Vietnam Exploration with Beach Free Days

Basic Facts About Vietnam - Quick Facts, Culture and Tourism

China Highlights, Asia Highlights, and Global Highlights collaborate to provide families and couples with personalized and stress-free experiences in diverse destinations.

Vietnam & UAE FANTASTIC tour! Thank you Albee Ning! Albee was INCREDIBLE. She arranged a 9-day private tour of both North and South Vietnam. No stone was left unturned: a private cruise up the Mekong; excellent hotel reservations; personal, caring tour guides; More Consumer, Jun 2020

We traveled with Asia Highlights… My husband and I had an absolutely wonderful 5 1/2 week trip that was organized by the exceptional Ruby Zhao. We have traveled a lot and Ruby is the VERY BEST AGENT we have ever had! More Lurinda Smith Barton Barnwell, Mar 2020

We were.very satisfied with Asia…Four Great Weeks in China and Viet Nam Asia Highlights was very efficient at advising us on what to see and the best routes to take, but they were also very flexible in integrating our own ideas in regard of travel destinations and accommodations. More Eva and Jim, Oct 2019

Trip to Vietnam with Asia Highlights was well above expectations My 12-day private trip to Vietnam was a very rewarding experience, and every day was fantastic, and well above expectations. My trip was perfectly well prepared and organized by Lissy Syoo from Asia Highlights, More cdietp, May 2019

Repeat Customer We traveled with China Highlights in 2015 and were completely satisfied, so when they emailed that they now were arranging trips to SE Asia we didn't even consider looking at other tour companies. More Terry, Feb 2019

7-Day Vietnam Tour - Hanoi, Halong Bay, Hue, Danang/Hoi An Asia Highlights did a great job planning and executing our family’s trip around Vietnam. We have two young girls and wanted to have a balance of sightseeing and activities so nobody got bored. More Andrew, Jan 2019

We would like to thank Asia Highlights We would like to thank Asia Highlights for a wonderful trip. Lissy was a joy to work with, in planning a vacation that took into account all our interests and was able to give us so much more than we expected. More Victor Cognato, Dec 2018

Vietnam with Asia Highlights Just returned from Vietnam trip arranged by Albee at Asia Highlights.She was very helpful with the arrangements even when I requested multiple changes in the itinerary. More Tom, Oct 2017

Just came back from Vietnam/Cambodia… Just came back from Vietnam/Cambodia trip via Asia Highlights and had a wonderful experience. The hotels they chosed for us were all very food. the guides were all very professional and spoke good English More Yumin Zheng, Feb 2017

Ao Dai Dress Innovation: 4 Differences Between Modern Ao Dai and Ancient Ones

The modern version of ao dai has changed a lot since its creation. Want to know the main differences between the ancient ao dai and the ao dai worn in modern times? Check out the four main differences below.

1. The ancient ao dai is loose and boxy in shape. It's good for work and is comfortable to wear. On the other hand, the modern ao dai expresses beauty with tight-fitting fabric that is still comfortable because of the two slits on the side that span the bottom portion of the dress.

If you would like to take beautiful photos in an ao dai, it's a good idea to have the dress tailor-made based on your size. This will fit you well and look much better than the rented or store-bought ones.

2. The ancient ao dai is simple in color because of societal restrictions during feudalism. The modern ao dai has different colors representing age and status.

Young girls often wear plain white, symbolizing purity. In Vietnam, high school girls' uniform is commonly a white ao dai. Older but unmarried girls wear soft pastel colors, while older married women usually wear ao dai in richer and darker colors.

3. The modern ao dai is cooler and more breathable than the ancient ao dai. Modern versions usually use silk, lace or other arable fabrics for comfort in the hot weather of Southeast Asia. The ancient ao dai was made with multiple layers of cloth.

4. The ancient ao dai was mainly for members of the royal family or government officials. Nowadays, ao dai is worn daily by Vietnamese people of all economic backgrounds. It is also the uniform of many businesses.

7-Day Northern Vietnam Family Discovery Tour Hanoi - Pu Luong Retreat - Halong Bay

Ao Dai for Men: Worn for Vietnamese Weddings and National Festivals

Though ao dai was popular with both men and women in ancient times, you will see few men wearing ao dai nowadays. Ao dai is usually worn only by women. Here's why:

1. It is considered to be old fashioned if men wear ao dai. The various modern versions of ao dai seek to show the femininity of women and are therefore more popular in women's fashion.

2. Men think ao dai are not comfortable for work because of the modern tight styles, although the men's version is much looser than the women's.

During some important occasions such as weddings, funerals, and Tet, many men will wear ao dai to show respect to tradition. In order to expand this exotic clothing culture, some groups and organizations have started to hold activities showing men dressed in ao dai. Some Vietnamese government officials also wear ao dai when attending international gatherings.

Recommended Tours

5-Day Northern Vietnam Exploration with Sapa

Vietnam Tours, Private Vietnam Tour Packages

4-Day Essence of Hanoi with a Halong Bay Cruise

5-Day Central Vietnam Scenery Exploration

11-Day Best of Thailand and Cambodia Tour

14-Day Vietnam and Cambodia Family Tour—Quality Time Journey

Top Asia Tours

15-Day Family Trip to Mongolia, China and Thailand

The History of Ao Dai Dress

Even though the ao dai is perceived as the symbol for traditional Vietnamese identity and femininity, its current form has only emerged after substantial foreign influence, making it the ao dai we know today.

The word 'ao dai' was originally used in the 18th century, during the Nguyen dynasty when Chinese-style clothing was mandated.

Ao dai was the name for a specific outfit that was used at the court of the Nguyen Lords in Hue, to distinguish them from other courtiers.

The outfit evolved into the áongũthân, a five-paneled aristocratic gown worn in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Throughout the 20th century, ao dai underwent a lot of changes.

In the 1920s and 1930s during French colonialism, the outfit was redesigned as a modern dress by a French-trained Vietnamese artist named Cat Tuong, or Le Mur. He combined the western dress style with the traditional ao dai. During this time, ao dai began to be promoted as the national costume for the modern era.

In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit to make it more appealing. Madame Nhu, sister-in-law of President Ngo Dinh Diem, popularized the new tight-fitting version of the ao dai with the boat-neck, considered controversial at the time due to its sensuality.

4-Day Essence of Hanoi with a Halong Bay Cruise Have a Alance at Hanoi and Relax in a World of Tranquil Natural Beauty

Ao Dai Dress in Modern Time

Ao dai comes in many variations of color, pattern, length, and collar in modern times.

Besides being the daily clothes for women, it is worn for special occasions such as weddings, Tết celebrations, and other formal occasions. Specific colors of ao dai are worn for worship and ritual ceremonies. Blue, purple, and brown are the main choices.

Ao Dai for Wedding

Ao dai is also commonly worn as uniforms for women whether for civil servants, tour guides, hotel staff, or high school girls.

The Difference Between Vietnamese Ao Dai and Chinese Cheongsam

Modern ao dai looks similar to Chinese Cheongsam or Qipao in shape. Both are the national costume and mainly popular with women. Want to know how to distinguish the two?

Vietnamese Ao Dai

Chinese Qipao

1. An ao dai is split from the waist into two flowing pieces split and needs to be worn with pants underneath. A qipao also has a split in the skirt but normally located in a lower position. Pants are not worn underneath a qipao.

2. An ao dai is tight on the upper part of the body but loose from the waist. A qipao is tight all over to show the curve of the hips and legs.

3. An ao dai is more suitable for walking because of the inclusion of pants underneath the dress and is commonly worn as daily clothes. Qipaos are mainly worn for parties or other formal occasions because they are not practical for daily work.

4. Ao dai are usually made with long sleeves and fall down to the ankles. Most qipao are made with short sleeves and have varying lengths.

5. No buttons are included in the design of an ao dai. On a qipao, you will always see a knot button near the neck.

Buttons in Chinese Qipao

Buttons in Chinese Qipao

Getting One

The tight-fitting feature of ao dai means that you need to get one tailor-made for you. The good news is there are many tailors who can do this whether in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, or Hoi An City.

The creation of an ao dai usually takes 1-2 days. The cost differs according to the quality of the fabric and is around USD40 or more for a comfortable outfit.

As part of our tour in Vietnam, we will visit Hoi An, where you can put on a traditional ao dai and be taken around this historic charming town with a professional photographer. Your personal guide will be happy to recommend the reputable shops and tailors where you can have your ao dai made.

Visit Vietnam with Asia Highlights

Asia Highlights welcomes the chance to help you design your perfect trip to Vietnam. Our knowledgeable staff will assist you in selecting destinations, accommodations and activities that best suit your requirements.

Check out the following links to learn more about our tours and get a head start on planning your hassle-free vacation today!