AO DAI laterally long dress, the women's national dress of Vietnam. It is a contoured, full-length dress worn over black or white loose fitting trousers. The dress splits into a front and back panel from the waist down. There are many stylish variations in color and collar design.  Early versions of the Ao Dai date back to 1744 when Lord Vu Vuong of the Nguyen Dynasty decreed both men and women should wear an ensemble of trousers and a gown that buttoned down the front. It was not until 1930s that the Ao Dai as we know it really appeared. Originally, the Ao Dai was loosely tailored with four panels, two of which were tied in back. In 1932, a nationalistic literacy group called the Tu Luc Van Doan designed what is essentially now the Ao Dai.  I remember the Ao Dai being described as, "a dress that covers everything but conceals absolutely nothing".  If you see them up close you would agree, for if the young lady were to gain a few pounds, she would have relocate the snap fasteners of the bodice portion so that she might breathe again.
 

Submitted by:
    Franklin A. Gulledge, Jr., Maj. USMC(Ret)