Exercise 59. Read the following text and prepare the report about Vietnamese clothing

By Van Ngan Saigon

TRADITIONAL VIETNAMESE MALE ATTIRE

This article is about the male counterpart of the female ao-dai. While I remember it being worn in certain traditional ceremonies by officials of the government of the RVN, as far as I remember, I have never seen it worn by officials of the SRVN. It is probably because of its association with the old Empire of VN. This is unlike the female ao-dai that is now worn at public ceremonies and even by the female newscasters in VN. By the way, any reference to "today" in this article means 1971!

A revived interest in the national Vietnamese dress for men was demonstrated at an Lions International Club meeting held in Tokyo in 1969. The assembled Lions, along with thousands of Japanese observers on the streets and perhaps millions more at their television sets, were treated to a look at the Vietnamese national dress worn by the Vietnamese Lion delegates. This was the first time Vietnamese men have worn their national dress at an international gathering since the fall of the late President Diem in November 1963. Before that time it was not unusual for Vietnamese diplomats to appear at official functions in their national attire. In Tokyo, however, the "fashion models" were private businessmen, delegates to the Lions meeting.

Anyone who has seen the exquisite costumes worn by Vietnamese women will recognize similarities in the traditional dress of the male. Both costumes are tailored from the same fabric, worn with the conventional snug collar and buttoned down on the left side to the waist, with no crease in front or back. The male dress extends only to the knees. The female dress flows with graceful lines from a tight waist down to the heels. The national Vietnamese dress has preserved its essential features through the ages. Vietnamese take great pride in wearing this dress for it is part of their nation, their history and their culture.

It is part of Vietnamese social customs, which includes respect for superiors, dignitaries and relatives. Elders in the family continue to receive this recognition as did once emperors, mandarins and court teachers, аll of whom had traditional dress variations according to their status in Vietnamese society. There are many variations on the basic theme. At the top of the list is the elaborate dress of the emperor and the mandarins. Their rank was shown in the display of color in the brocade and embroideries. Gold brocade with embroidered dragons was for the emperor only. Gold is the national color and the dragon heads the fabulous mythical animal world. Purple is the color reserved for high-ranking court mandarins, while blue is for those of lower rank. Costumes worn for religious ceremonies also have their special colors. Dresses for ceremonial occasions usually have very wide and ample sleeves. Wedding dresses are similar to the popular fashions, and the color is usually purple or blue brocade. Dresses for mourning have frayed fringes or a line up the back and may be either black or white in color.

Vietnamese dress styles underwent changes since the beginning of French influence in the country. Many Vietnamese employed by the French had a tendency to look down upon those who continued to wear the traditional dress. European styles were popular mainly among civil servants and university students. The majority of people, especially those in (he rural areas, remained faithful to their national dress and it even became a symbol of silent opposition to French colonialism. During the colonial war against the French from 1945 to 1954, many people concealed their social status. The revolutionaries wore black, those who were pro-French wore western clothes while others wore the simple pajama-type shirt and trousers.

Following independence the traditional dress came back into its own and was once again the required attire for all ranking officials at government ceremonies or functions of the diplomatic corps. When President Diem was overthrown in 1963, the national dress was so closely identified with his administration that it sank with him into oblivion. This neglect, however, was not officially inspired but rather a reflection of political turmoil, frequent government changes and resulting chaos. Today, there is serious thought to restore the Vietnamese national dress for men to its traditional and rightful place, for it is a symbol of pride in the cultural heritage of an ancient and proud Asian land.

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Traditional costumes of the Vietnamese people tend to be very simple and modest. Men tend to wear brown shirts and white trousers. Their headgear is simply a piece of cloth wrapped around the head and their footwear consists of a pair simple sandals.

For formal ceremonies men would have two additional items, a long gown, slit on either side, and a turban usually in black or brown made of cotton or silk. In feudal times, there was a strict rule governing dress codes. Ordinary people were not allowed to wear clothes with dyes other than black, brown or white. Costumes in yellow were reserved for the King.

Those in purple and red were reserved for high-ranking court officials, white dresses in blue were exclusively worn by petty court officials. Men’s dress has gradually changed along with social development. The traditional set of long gown and turban had to give way to more modern looking suits, while business shifts and trousers have replaced traditionally long sleeved shirts and wide trousers. Traditional costumes are still around and efforts are increasingly being made to restore traditional festivals and entertainment, which incorporate traditional costumes.

Young women wear light brown-colored short shirts with long black skirts. Their headgear consists of a black turban with a peak at the front. To make their waist look smaller, they tightly fasten a long piece of cloth in either pink or violet. On formal occasions, they wear a special three layered dress called an ao dai, a long gown with slits on either side.

The outer garment is a special silk gown called an ao tu than, which is brown or light brown in color with four skirts divided equally on its lower section. The second layer is a gown in a light yellow color and the third layer is a gown in pink. When a woman has her three gowns on, she would fasten the buttons on the side, and leave those on the chest unfastened so that it forms a shaped collar. This allows her to show the different colors on the upper part of the three gowns, neatly folded one after another. Beneath the three gowns is a bright red brassiere, which is left exposed to cover the woman's neck.

Over the passage of time, the traditional ao dai has gone through certain changes. Long gowns are now tailored carefully to fit the body of a Vietnamese woman. The two long slits along the side allow the gown to have two free floating pleats in the front and at the back of the dress. The floating pleats allow exposure to a long pair of white silk trousers.

As part of a woman's formal dress, an elegant looking conical palm hat is worn which is traditionally known as а non bai tho (a hat with poetry written on it). This traditional conical hat is particularly suitable for a tropical country such as Vietnam, where fierce sunshine and hard rain are commonplace. To make this conical hat, a hat maker has to choose young palm leaves which has been dried under continued sunshine. Beneath the almost transparent layers of dried palm leaves is attached a drawing of a small river wharf. Below the drawing is usually written a piece of poetry, which would to be recited by the hat wearer.

In recent years some foreign fashions have been introduced to Vietnam, but the traditional ao dai remains preferable by women in both urban and rural setting.

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