Vietnam’s ao dai gets century-long documentary

Vietnam’s ao dai gets century-long documentary

A new two-minute video documents the evolution of Vietnam’s national dress.

A global video trend exploring “100-years of fashion” has finally hit Vietnam.

Vu Tuong Vi, a Vietnamese stylist spent a good deal of time researching the history of the feminine tunic before crafting a video detailing the outfit’s evolution between 1910 and 2010.

The two-minute documentary begins with the traditional ao tu than (4-part dress) worn widely at the start of the 20th century to the bateau collar ao dai popularized in 1960s and 1970s by Madame Nhu (the de facto First Lady of the U.S.-backed Saigon government).

The video also chronicles shifts in hair and makeup, reminding viewers that blackened teeth were once en vogue. Accessories have likewise moved from ‘crow’s beak kerchiefs’ to a pearl necklaces.

Bring back the old days:

> Retro throwback in the ‘waspy waist’ ao dai

> Vietnam’s ‘ao dai’: a hit with French photographer

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