Áo the | aaarticle.com

The áo the is the men's formal robe of Vietnam, a long, thin gown of dark gauze silk worn over a white inner tunic and paired with a coiled turban. It was the correct dress of scholars, officials, and grooms into the twentieth century.

Overview

An áo the is a long robe of loosely woven black or brown silk gauze, side-fastening in the five-panel manner and worn open enough to show the pale inner áo underneath. Light and semi-transparent, it gave dignity without much weight in the heat.

How it is worn

It is buttoned over an inner white robe and trousers and worn with the ready-made khăn xếp turban, as the formal dress of a man at ceremonies, weddings, and festivals. Plainer than the women’s robes, its propriety lay in the gauze cloth, the dark colour, and the neat turban.

History

The áo the developed from the Nguyễn five-panel robe as men’s ceremonial dress and remained standard for scholars and elders through the French colonial period. It survives as traditional groom’s and festival attire, worn with the turban that completes the look.