On the rising trend of young people pairing traditional clothing to modern street style, aside from popular Empress Nhat Binh or Ao Tac, Ao Ngu Than (5-bodied-dress) have also become popular. Commonly seen in yellow and red in weddings, Ao Ngu Than is the perfect choice for Vietnamese grooms who are aiming for an unique and artistic look.
Áo Ngũ Thân is the outfit consisting of 4 flaps which are sewn into 2 flaps of the ao dai. An extra flap would be placed on the front flap as a discreet lining, making the outfit having a total of 5 flaps, thus its name Ngu Than (5-bodied dress). The Ngu Than style is designed with an oversized shape, enhanced by a collar designed distinguishably to the Ngu Than style.
However during the Nguyen Dynasty, the style of Ngu Than for the Northern, Southern and Central Vietnamese are somewhat different, featured with subtle modification to adapt with the weather condition and political regulations of each area back then. The predecessor of Ao Dai - Ao Ngu Than - possessed noteworthy and unique characteristics.
Northern Vietnamese, commonly referred to as the outside people (đàng ngoài) were the last to inherit the outfits which belonged to the Le Dynasty, and they refused to switch to any other styles, even when politically compelled to wear Ao Ngu Than. As a result, they were considered as the hub of traditional culture and the development of various latter designs were invented because of this occurrence.
Some Northern Vietnamese improvised by wearing the dress without buttoning up and let the flaps hang to reveal their undershirt (Yem) at the chest, resembling an Ao Tu Than (4-bodied dress). A slim cotton belt was occasionally used to fit the dress around the waist or to secure the 2 front flaps together to resemble Ao Tu Than. Several buttons might occasionally be skipped, either owing to the heat or in an attempt to imitate a cross-collared garment. Even with those who buttoned up the Ao Ngu Than correctly, the pants would be replaced with skirts to enhance the difference in political opinion.
Due to these differences in the way Vietnamese from the North style the unbuttoned Ao Ngu Than to resemble Ao Tu Than, many people were confused of the two styles. However, the significant difference to distinguish the two dresses is that Ao Ngu Than is featured with a statement high collar while Ao Tu Than didn’t have such features.
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