Áo tứ thân

The dress is now obsolete in terms of its daily use in Vietnam, but it can be seen often in traditional occasions such as festivals, especially in northern Vietnam.

The Áo tứ thân can be considered one of the oldest enduring Vietnamese cultural relics, having been worn widely by women from as early as the 12th century on to the early 20th century. It was developed through the introduction of the Chinese Hanfu clothing. Vietnam has a diversity of ethnic groups and each group has its own style of dressing. In the past, "Ao tu than", which is roughly understood as "four-flapped dress", is a traditional dress often worn by Northern people. The "Ao tu than" consists of several layers of gowns; the outer usually has a brown color and its lower part is divided equally into 4 flaps. The two front flaps are tied together and with two sashes, wrapped around like a belt. Time has changed. Now Vietnamese women are proudly wearing the "Ao dai', which simply means "Long dress", as their traditional dress. The 'Ao dai' has long sleeves and with buttons from the collar down in front of the shoulder, underneath the arm and continue along the side to the waist. The dress is then slit into two flaps: one in the front and one in the back. As Vietnam expanded southward and slightly different cultures began to emerge between the regions, the Áo tứ thân gradually became associated specifically with northern women. Áo tứ thân was the dress of commoner women, which explained why it was often made with plainer fabric and in darker colors, with the exception of special occasions such as festivals or weddings. While most modern Áo tứ thân are extremely colorful, ancient Vietnamese apparently preferred more muted colors. Regardless of its many different forms, the basic Áo tứ thân consists of: A flowing outer tunic, reaching almost to the floor. It is open at the front, like a jacket. At the waist the tunic splits into two flaps: a full flap in the back (made up of two flaps sewn together) and the two flaps in the front which are not sewn together but can be tied together or left dangling A long skirt, worn under the tunic Áo yếm, an ancient bodice worn as an undergarment by women. It comes in many shapes and colors, worn under the skirt and outer tunic A silk sash which is tied at the waist as a belt The dress as it is most typically worn today (almost exclusively in northern-related festivals) tends to be extremely colorful, using different hues throughout the dress, from the tunic to the bodice and the skirt.