History of Vietnamese wedding dress

The Vietnamese wedding dress history can be traced back to the early 1700’s, when Vietnamese clothing was greatly influenced by the imperial Chinese garment during the Qing dynasty called the qipao.

Compared to the qipao, the áo dài is a bit looser, with a wide and flowing skirt. Another distinct difference between the two garments includes the length of the áo dài’s slits. Unlike the qipao, the áo dài had slits that extended to the wearer’s waist, showing a part of the wearer’s sides.

Since its inception, the áo dài has had numerous alterations and modifications designed to make the outfit more appealing and practical for the succeeding Vietnamese generations. Today, shorter, more revealing and more form-fitting versions of the áo dài are available to Vietnamese women.