Rhythm and Balance, Scale, Texture in Áo dài

Hi readers! Welcome back to my blog! ^^

This week's blog will be about Cabaret 2022, an annual cultural show featuring music, dance, and fashion show from around the world. This is the biggest event for international community organized by Lawrence International. It was my honored to represent Vietnam in the dance performance and fashion show to appreciate and express my pride in Ao dai, Vietnam's national dress. While in college in the US, Lunar New Year and Cabaret are the only times I can wear Ao dai.

3 representatives from Vietnam from left to right: Cat Chu, Charlotte Ho, and Michelle Vu performing fashion show in Cabaret. Photo taken by: Paul Wilke

Áo Dài usually has long sleeves, fits tight around a mandarin neckline and the breast area, and is notably split on the sides from the waist to the ankle.  It is typically worn with loose pants under a high-necked, long-sleeved, fitted tunic with slits along each side. In the first picture, Ao dai were worn in festive colors with small intricated details. Even though there are three different bright colors but the hot tone of the pink one even out the cold tone of both ones on the outside. The shiny and shimmering details embroidered on the dresses create unique texture and add elegance to them. The balance not only showed on the dress but also how people perceive the. As people commonly say: “It covers everything, but hides nothing.”  In other words, this type of dress covers the entire body, but it can still be considered provocative, especially when it’s made of thin and sheer fabric.  “Indeed, balance is a prized commodity in our culture, and it is no surprise that our implicit, intuitive relationship with it has equipped us to sense balance--or imbalance--in the things we see, hear, smell, taste, and touch” (Lupton).

With its long and extensive history, that dates back to as early as the 18th century, Áo Dài (a traditional Vietnamese long dress) is not only a unique symbol of the feminine beauty, but is also a deeply ingrained part of our culture and mind. Almost unanimously, it is considered to be an outstanding work of art – a distinctive, elegant beauty of the Vietnamese.  As you can probably see, Áo Dài is not just a costume – it is the essence and the glory of the Vietnamese culture.