"Ao Dai" is the traditional dress for Vietnamese women. Developed from
Chinese court clothing in the early 1900s. "Ao Dai" is considered to be
an elegant, yet demure, garment. Traditionally, long, wide- legged
trousers are worn under a high-necked, long-sleeved, fitted tunic with
slits along each side. The outfit’s pants reach to the soles of the
feet, often trailing along the ground.

Over the time, it changed with the fashion trends from long tunic
to short tunic. "Ao Dai" can also be worn in many different colors. For
casual occasions, the young and single women wear pastel and bright
colors such as yellow, white, and light blue. On the other hand, older
and married women wear darker colors such as blue, purple, and brown.

"Ao Dai" is significant to Vietnamese women because it displays
grace, beauty, and elegance. The occasions in which the "Ao Dai" is
worn signifies the importance of the event.

As for today, high school girls are required to wear white "Ao
Dai". White means purity, elegance, and young. It can also be
considered as a "uniform" to unite the rich and poor within the school.

For worship, many women wear "Ao Dai" that has little or no
designs. The temple and church are considered "simple" and do not need
"flashy designs" to contaminate their purity and innocence.

And, for marriage, the bride usually wears beautiful "Ao Dai" in
red or pink. The designs of the "Ao Dai" for a matrimonial ceremony
often display mythical figures such as the dragon and phoenix and
Chinese prints.

Recently, "Ao Dai" is gaining popularity among young Vietnamese
woman. Because of the Vietnamese open-market to Western cultures, young
designers took another level in designing "Ao Dai". They used the
traditional patterns of the dress and applied with modern designs,
textures, and fabrics creating a new, and original fresh, clean cut
mixed with then and now. However, "Ao Dai" is still unique and special
not only to the eyes of the Vietnamese people, but also to the eyes of
Westerners.