Some facts about the Ao dai (oy ai) Wedding Dress and Choang

The ao dai is a popular and traditional garment worn by both men and women in Vietnam. The Ao dai (meaning long dress) is a tight fitting long gown with openings on either side worn over long pants.

The ao dai is made up of two parts: the bodice (with long sleeves) attached to a long skirt (at the waist) with slits on either side. The skirt can extend up to the knees or all the way to the floor. Sometimes as much as four layers of fabric are used to make the skirt of an ao dai. It was customary to measure a person’s wealth by the number of layers his ao dai had. More layers meant the person wearing it was quite well-to-do.

There are two types of necklines found on an ao dai: boat neck and mandarin collar. There are also three ways of sewing buttons on the bodice of an ao dai: in the front, on the side or beginning from one side of the neckline and sloping across to the bust line.

The ao dai is worn as casual clothing or to functions and weddings. It is also the standard school uniform for girls which comes in the color white.

Darker colors are worn as girls mature into womanhood.

Red is the preferred color for marriage since it is associated with luck and prosperity.

The fabric used to make ao dai are silk or cotton.

Ao dai worn by men

The ao dai worn by men differ to the ones worn by women.

• It has only one type of neckline: the mandarin collar
• Men’s ao dai are not as long as a woman's and does not extend all the way down to the floor.
• The ao dai is loose-fitting unlike the woman’s ao dai which is more tight-fitting.

Ao dai (ow zai) wedding dress

The Ao dai worn by brides is mainly in the color red with gold colored designs but it’s not uncommon to find brides donning pink. The ao dai wedding dress is made more exquisite when the couples name or beautiful motifs are sewn on the border of the collar or cuff.

One of the features of the ao dai wedding dress which makes it stand out from the rest is the ao choang. The ao choang is a piece of clothing similar to a robe worn by brides over the ao dai.

Vietnamese brides do not wear veils but instead a hat called the khanh vanh.

Ao dai wedding dresses are easy to find in Vietnamese clothing stores but if you live in a country where there are no such shops you can buy it online or have one sewn.

Few things to remember before buying online.

• Make sure the online store you plan to buy your ao dai is a reputed one and has no bad reviews.
• How much money you are willing to spend. The price for the ao dai wedding dress sold online ranges from $75.00-$250.00.
• To give your correct measurements because the standard size may not always fit.

Few things to remember before sewing your ao dai.

• Choose a color and pattern which suits you.
• Decide on the type of fabric you want for your ao dai. Remember silk is more expensive than cotton even though it does not crush easily.
• Get a qualified seamstress to sew your ao dai.

© 2011 Suranee Perera