Áo yếm

Áo yếm, also referred to simply as "yếm", is an ancient Vietnamese bodice used primarily as an undergarment that was once worn by Vietnamese women across all classes.

It is a simple garment with many variations from its basic form, which is a simple, usually diamond or square-cut piece of cloth draped over a woman's chest with strings to tie at the neck and back. While it was worn across classes, the material and colors used to make Áo yếm varied widely based upon the person's rank and the occasion. Commoner women usually wore Áo yếm in simple blacks and whites for day to day use, whereas during special occasions they could opt for more festive, brighter colors such as red and pink. Indeed, much of Vietnamese poetry has been dedicated to the beauty of women in their "Yếm đào", or pink bodices. While the bottom of most Áo yếm are v-shaped, there were different styles for the top of the garment which covered the neck, the most common two variations being the rounded neck, known as "Yếm cổ xây", or the deep v-shaped neck style, called "Yếm cổ sẻ". Another type of yếm, known as "Yếm đeo bùa" has a little pocket within, where women often used to store a little musk or perfume. No one is sure of its origins, although it may have originated from China, since a similar garment, called tù dōu, existed in ancient China. The áo yếm has always existed as an essential part of the áo tứ thân costume worn by northern Vietnamese women, which itself has existed since at least the 12th century. Unlike other Vietnamese costumes in feudalistic Vietnam that helped to segregate the classes, áo yếm were worn as an undergarment by Vietnamese women of all walks of life, from peasant women toiling in the fields to imperial consorts. As westernization inevitably reached Vietnam, by the 20th century women increasingly abandoned the yếm for the western bra, at least in urban areas, although the yếm is still worn to an extent in rural areas. Fashion designers, in their constant quest to revitalize interest in traditional costumes as well as reinvent the latter have constantly created new collections of Áo yếm, which seem to be quite popular amongst modern young women; this can be easily explained through the Áo yếm's similarity to the western halter top.