{"id":4171,"date":"2020-09-14T16:50:59","date_gmt":"2020-09-14T08:50:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/?p=4171"},"modified":"2021-01-13T14:08:29","modified_gmt":"2021-01-13T06:08:29","slug":"ao-dai-men","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thesmartlocal.com\/vietnam\/ao-dai-men\/","title":{"rendered":"Vietnamese Men Wearing Ao Dai To Work Spark Debate On Practicality & Reviving Tradition"},"content":{"rendered":"

Vietnamese men wear ao dai<\/em> to work<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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Ao dai<\/span><\/a><\/em> is a national costume that is worn by Vietnamese women on <\/span>special occasions<\/b>, but unknown to many, it also used to be the default outfit for Vietnamese men on both casual and formal occasions back in the 1800s and early 1900s.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Nowadays, we don’t see a lot of men wearing <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em>, except in their wedding days or certain state meetings. To revive this cultural heritage, male officials in a state agency in <\/span>Hue<\/b> have started to wear <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em> to work.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This new trend has sparked mixed reactions from netizens concerned about its practicality, as well as inspiring many Vietnamese men across the country to follow suit.<\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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Hue officials wear ao dai<\/em> to work<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nImage credit: Ministry of Home Affairs<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

In the past few days, photos capturing Vietnamese men and women clad in <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em> have been shared like wildfire on the Internet and drawn tremendous attention from netizens.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

While there\u2019s nothing new about wearing <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em>, what makes these photos go viral is that these men and women, who are staff members at the <\/span>Hue Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism<\/span><\/a>, were<\/span> wearing <\/b>ao dai<\/b><\/em> as office wear.\u00a0\u00a0<\/b><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: \u00a0Hue\u2019s Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

According to <\/span>Hue\u2019s Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism<\/b>, this unique choice of office wear is meant to promote and preserve <\/span>Vietnam\u2019s iconic <\/span>ao dai <\/span><\/em>fashion and its cultural legacy. For centuries, wearing the <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em> was part and parcel of the Vietnamese way of life for both men and women after all.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: L\u1ecbch s\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam – Vietnamese History<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

There\u2019s no better way to revive this wholesome cultural trend by wearing <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em> in day-to-day life again, so it\u2019s apt that this trend is starting in <\/span>Hue<\/b>, Vietnam\u2019s former imperial capital.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: \u00a0Hue\u2019s Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Starting from September, all men and women working at Hue\u2019s Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism<\/strong><\/span>\u00a0<\/b>are required to wear <\/span>ao dai<\/em> <\/span>to work <\/span>on the first day of each month<\/b>.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: \u00a0Hue\u2019s Department of Culture, Sports & Tourism<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Aside from wearing<\/span> ao dai<\/span><\/em> with calf-length panels, they also wear <\/span>fabric headbands <\/b>to complete the classic look.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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The pioneering office wear has drawn mixed reactions<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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These photos have been circulated on many social media platforms and have garnered mixed reactions from netizens.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/i>Di\u1ec5n \u0111\u00e0n L\u1ecbch s\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam LSVN<\/a><\/i><\/p>\n

Facebook user<\/span> Tu\u1ea5n Nguy\u1ec5n<\/span><\/a> commented on a post shared by a cultural interest Facebook page <\/span>Di\u1ec5n \u0111\u00e0n L\u1ecbch s\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam LSVN<\/span><\/a>, <\/span>\u201cOn sunny days, the wearer will feel super hot because <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em> is too tight. Meanwhile, its thin texture will make the dresser catch a cold on windy days. Putting a jacket over an<\/span> ao dai<\/span><\/em> to block out the cold will result in a<\/span> fashion disaster<\/b>. Don\u2019t forget the old school dress code whereby high school students had to wear <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em> to school for decades, until educators realized its inconvenience.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: Di\u1ec5n \u0111\u00e0n L\u1ecbch s\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam LSVN<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Facebook user <\/span>Nguy\u1ec5n Ho\u00e0ng An<\/span><\/a> gave an insightful comment, \u201cI work in the <\/span>agricultural industry<\/b>. Since my office doesn\u2019t have air conditioning, wearing T-shirts is already enough to make us all <\/span>sweaty<\/b>. <\/span>Ao dai<\/span><\/em> should be reserved for cultural activities, festivals, or state meetings.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

On the other hand, many netizens praised the idea of wearing <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em> to work.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: Di\u1ec5n \u0111\u00e0n L\u1ecbch s\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam LSVN<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Facebook user <\/span>Phan L\u00fd Hu\u1ef3nh<\/span><\/a> commented, \u201cMany Japanese people are still <\/span>wearing kimono<\/em><\/b> in their everyday lives, and the kimono is not as convenient for walking in compared to the <\/span>ao dai<\/span><\/em>. <\/span><\/i>Therefore, we should also try to promote <\/span>ao dai <\/span><\/em>in such a way that does not affect our work.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nImage credit: <\/span>Di\u1ec5n \u0111\u00e0n L\u1ecbch s\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam LSVN<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see any problem with this. It\u2019s worn only once per month. It looks beautiful and helps to promote our culture. More importantly, it shows that <\/span>ao dai <\/span><\/em>is<\/span> also a traditional outfit for Vietnamese men<\/b>, not just women.\u201d Facebook user <\/span>Ho\u00e0ng H\u1ea3i Y\u1ebfn<\/span><\/a> added. <\/span>
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\nImage credit: Di\u1ec5n \u0111\u00e0n L\u1ecbch s\u1eed Vi\u1ec7t Nam LSVN<\/a><\/em><\/span><\/p>\n

Sharing a picture of the character Neo from The Matrix in his signature black cape and outfit that resemble a men’s ao dai<\/em>, netizen <\/span>Nguyen The Hoan<\/span><\/a> encouraged everyone to be more open-minded<\/strong> and think about the ao dai <\/em>as an innovation <\/strong><\/span>in men’s fashion. He added, \u201c The outfit worn by Neo in Matrix is stunning. \u201d <\/span>
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Vietnamese men across the country are putting on their ao dai\u00a0<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n
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\nMen in Hai Phong wearing their <\/i>ao dai<\/em> outfits
\n<\/i><\/span>Image adapted from: <\/span><\/i>Phan Huy\u200e<\/span><\/i>
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Despite a mixed response to the <\/span>ao dai<\/em> <\/span>dress code in the Hue state agency, many Vietnamese men across the country have expressed their support by sharing photo albums portraying themselves in<\/span> ao dai<\/span><\/em>.<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

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\nSaigon men in ao dai<\/em>
\nImage credit:\u00a0<\/span>Minh \u0110\u1eddi\u200e<\/span>
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\nFrom Hanoi to Hai Phong to Saigon, many Vietnamese men have walked the streets in <\/span>ao dai <\/span><\/em>to celebrate the outfit. <\/span><\/p>\n

\"aoHanoi men in ao dai<\/em>
\nImage credit:\u00a0<\/span>L\u00ea Xu\u00e2n Khoa\u200e<\/a><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

To prove that <\/span>ao dai <\/span><\/em>doesn\u2019t hamper movement, a man in Hoi An was captured riding a bicycle while wearing his <\/span>ao dai<\/span>. <\/span><\/em><\/i><\/p>\n

\"aoA Hoi An man in his ao dai riding a bicycle
\n<\/span>Image credit: <\/span>Ho\u00e0ng T\u1eed\u200e<\/span><\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

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Vietnamese men wearing ao dai <\/i>to work<\/strong><\/h3>\n
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Even though <\/span>ao dai <\/span><\/i>is no longer a fixture in most Vietnamese men\u2019s everyday wardrobes, it is still part of our traditions<\/a> and needs to be <\/span>kept alive<\/b>. <\/span>Ao dai <\/span><\/em>can be worn for ordinary days, not just special occasions which happen only a few times a year.\u00a0<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

When it comes to fashion, while it\u2019s important to move with the times to stay relevant, preserving<\/span> ao dai – <\/span><\/i>an age-old legacy – is equally crucial. The more we wear ao dai<\/em> in our daily life, the more can we preserve our heritage and celebrate our cultural identity.<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n


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