Academic commentary on the Ao Dai emphasizes the way the dress
ties feminine beauty to Vietnamese nationalism, especially in the form
of “Miss. Ao Dai” pageants, popular both among overseas Vietnamese
and in Vietnam itself. “Ao Dai” is one of the few Vietnamese words
that appear in English-language dictionaries.
The Ao Dai is now standard for weddings, for celebrating Tet and for
other formal occasions. A plain white Ao Dai is a common high school
uniform in the South. Companies often require their female staff to
wear uniforms that include the Ao Dai, so flight attendants,
receptionists, restaurant staff, and hotel workers in Vietnam may be
seen wearing it.
The reason why I prefer Ao Dai as a representative for our country,
Vietnam, is that it is not only a normal dress; it is a dress that inside it
hide a lot of lessons and advices that our ancestors wanted to send
us. Also, Ao Dai gives Vietnamese women a hidden charming, a
hidden, natural beauty that cannot be expressed by any other kind of
clothes. Today, Ao Dai is such a great costume for lady. It has been
honored by people from all over the world and lots of times winning
first prize in worldwide competition. A photographer in an international
exhibition in Osaka has said: “It has the power to carry the wind”.
People all over the world are surprised because the Ao Dai is not as
complex as Japanese kimono or Chinese cheongsam, but it has a
powerful impression. Ao Dai is only suitable for the graceful,
womanish, slender of Vietnamese women. It is private, bashful, and
voluptuous. It can exploit the perfect lines of women body. Ao Dai is
charming and suggestive, private but can still stress on the body lines
and curves of a woman. Ao Dai is obviously a national costume of
Vietnam. When guests visit, the homeowner can formally wear Ao Dai
