It’s easy to mistake an áo dài, a Vietnamese traditional dress, and a 旗袍 (qípáo), or a 長衫 (cheongsam), a Chinese traditional dress, for each other when you don’t recognize the tailored details that make them so different. Although they do resemble each other with similar aspects like the collar and the slits, there is so much more to these traditional dresses than one might think. Familiarizing yourself with these cultural differences in terms of historical background and current dress distinctions is important, considering that many people actually tend to group Chinese and Vietnamese culture together. Áo dài and qípáo retain their cultural meanings once someone understands they are important in their own ways.
Áo dài have existed as far back as the early eighteenth century. Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat of Đàng Trong, also known as South Vietnam, wanted to express regional superiority to the North by adjusting the traditional dress code. The dress was known to have been derived from the Áo Tứ Thân (four-panel tunic), which was worn by Northern commoners, and the Áo Ngũ Thân (five-panel tunic), a dress worn by upper class women. The traditional áo dài’s darker colors like black and brown were soon replaced with brighter shades thanks to Cat Tuong, a French-trained artist who merged the five-panel tunic and French fashion in order to create what is the elegant garment many Vietnamese men and women wear today.
Through the “raglan” method, which cleared wrinkles from the áo dài on the woman’s body, the modern áo dài now consists of either a closed or open collar, sleeves that stop at the wrist, wide leg slits that extend past the waist, dress flaps that fall near the feet, and loose pants that flow with walking movements. The áo dài tightly hugs the torso and was revered for its ability to be conservative and provocative at the same time, due to the thin fabric. The áo dài is now a traditional product of French and Vietnamese influence.
Áo dài have existed as far back as the early eighteenth century. Lord Nguyen Phuc Khoat of Đàng Trong, also known as South Vietnam, wanted to express regional superiority to the North by adjusting the traditional dress code. The dress was known to have been derived from the Áo Tứ Thân (four-panel tunic), which was worn by Northern commoners, and the Áo Ngũ Thân (five-panel tunic), a dress worn by upper class women. The traditional áo dài’s darker colors like black and brown were soon replaced with brighter shades thanks to Cat Tuong, a French-trained artist who merged the five-panel tunic and French fashion in order to create what is the elegant garment many Vietnamese men and women wear today.
Through the “raglan” method, which cleared wrinkles from the áo dài on the woman’s body, the modern áo dài now consists of either a closed or open collar, sleeves that stop at the wrist, wide leg slits that extend past the waist, dress flaps that fall near the feet, and loose pants that flow with walking movements. The áo dài tightly hugs the torso and was revered for its ability to be conservative and provocative at the same time, due to the thin fabric. The áo dài is now a traditional product of French and Vietnamese influence.
However, qípáo in Mandarin, or cheongsam in Cantonese, is a close-fitting, short-sleeved dress with a collared neckline, traditional knotted buttons from the collar to under the arm, and a one-sided slit up as high as up to the thigh. Inspired from the chángpáo, a traditional robe worn by aristocratic men, the qípáo originated in the 1920s in Shanghai and became popular amongst upper class women in China, then a common dress in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
After the Qing dynasty was overthrown, women gained more rights and the qípáo became a part of this movement. Over time, the dress became shorter, higher slitted, and tighter to fit Western standards the British brought in. Today, Chinese, Hong Kongese, and Taiwanese people no longer wear the dress on a daily basis, but it is still worn during Lunar New Year.
To group these dresses together is ignorant towards Asian diversity. Even the Chinese and Vietnamese New Year are distinguished from each other and the cultural dress for each occasion is different, hence the need to differentiate the áo dài and the qípáo. It is acceptable to wear these dresses for cultural celebrations that call for them, but it’s ignorant to wear them for the sake of aesthetic. If you do plan to wear them during the upcoming Lunar New Year, appreciate their origins and the people who made it possible for them to exist.
After the Qing dynasty was overthrown, women gained more rights and the qípáo became a part of this movement. Over time, the dress became shorter, higher slitted, and tighter to fit Western standards the British brought in. Today, Chinese, Hong Kongese, and Taiwanese people no longer wear the dress on a daily basis, but it is still worn during Lunar New Year.
To group these dresses together is ignorant towards Asian diversity. Even the Chinese and Vietnamese New Year are distinguished from each other and the cultural dress for each occasion is different, hence the need to differentiate the áo dài and the qípáo. It is acceptable to wear these dresses for cultural celebrations that call for them, but it’s ignorant to wear them for the sake of aesthetic. If you do plan to wear them during the upcoming Lunar New Year, appreciate their origins and the people who made it possible for them to exist.