In Vietnamese business culture, suits and ties in subdued colors are the norm. Bright color of any kind is not appropriate. The accepted style of dress for a business meeting in Vietnam is conservative – a dark colored, uncontentious suit and tie are customary for men. Women should wear conservative suits or dresses; a blouse [...]

Take a peasant’s common conical hat, add a touch of this and a little of that, and you will have the idea, but not quite an authentic Non Bai Tho or “Poetical Leaf” from Central Vietnam. Just a few simple arrangements added to theconical form are enough to give the Vietnamese leaf-covered hat unique features [...]

Silk is the most precious finery of the orient. Some say silk was invented so that women could go naked in clothes. A more whimsical tale even credits a fourteen – year old Chinese empress with this invention. For centuries, the wearing of silk was the exclusive right of the Chinese nobility, so the know-how [...]

In Vietnam, there are 54 ethnic groups, each having unique and specific styles of clothing. Traits often include splendid colors, seemingly contradicting one another in each outfit: black and red, blue and red or blue and white. The traditional costumes of native Vietnamese nations are woven with natural fiber, such as hemp, silk or cotton. [...]

Many people say that residents of Hue (the old imperial city of Vietnam during 1802-1945), from the members of reputed families to ordinary traders and retailers, are always decent in their speaking and gestures. Wearing an old Ao dai (traditional long dress) torn out with time, or made with luxurious velvet or silk, Hue women [...]

Most Vietnamese people wear new clothes to celebrate Tet, or the Lunar new year, in order to promote a fresh beginning to the year. Although Western-style outfits are more convenient for daily chores, the traditional tunic, or ao dai, reappears each Tet. These tunics add to the festival’s formal atmosphere. In the past, all ao [...]

Images of graceful girls in national charming long dress have been a symbol of Vietnam. However, looking back the historic development of national dress, Vietnam not only has ao dai but also ao yem – the indispensable dress of ancient girls. In the old days, ao yem was called yem. It is an age-old dress [...]

Initially, the women’s costume in the North of Vietnam was ao tu than (four-piece blouse) with a bodice, a skirt and a headscarf of the ancient Vietnamese women. When the country was separated into Dang Trong (the South) and Dang Ngoai (the North), the Lords of Dang Trong instituted a cultural reform, including a costume [...]