Travel Guide

10 most impressive traditional costumes of Vietnam along with the country

We will take a look at 10 of the most beautiful and unique national costumes in Vietnam, showing the typical culture of the traditional charm that the Vietnamese preserve.

1. Beautiful Ao Dai of Kinh People

traditional ao dai Vietnam
Traditional ao dai of Kinh People. TieuBaoTruong/pixabay

Among 54 Vietnamese ethnic groups, the Kinh people account for the largest number, which has many long-standing cultural beauties, especially in costumes. The traditional Ao Dai is the prominent national costume of the Kinh people, showing a part of the soul and culture of Vietnam.

The Vietnamese traditional long dress is sewn in a split style, worn with long pants with high-heel shoes. This outfit is neatly designed, hugging the body. The front and back flaps of the shirt extend from the neck to the feet. Long pants are worn with wide-leg style, which helps to exude an elegant beauty and keep the wearer comfortable.

traditional ao dai vietnam
Traditional ao dai in Vietnam. TieuBaoTruong/pixabay

Over time, Ao Dai is gradually transformed and innovated to be trendy and more fashionable, but it still retains the discreet spirit, enhancing the charm of the Vietnamese women. This style of clothing can be varied in colors and patterns. The collar can be high, round, heart neck, or highlight with some stylized details, creating a deeper beauty.

2. The Traditional Clothes of Khmer People

In Vietnamese culture, costumes are an important factor, expressing the identity of each ethnic group. If the Kinh have a traditional ao dai, the Khmer have various costumes for different occasions in life.

khmer clothes
Khmer clothes for the wedding. Photo: baodantoc.vn

On weekdays, Khmer women wear clothes woven with silk, tinsel, and flowers. This is a type of shirt and sarong skirt that exalts feminine and flexible beauty. In addition, there is also a combination of Sbay that is a type of silk scarf rolled diagonally from the left shoulder to the right flank.

When going to the Vietnamese temples or on Tet holidays, Khmer women wear sarongs with beads attached, t-shirts woven from silk and cotton. Costumes are usually bright yellow, suitable for the festive atmosphere. Particularly at the wedding ceremony, the bride’s outfit is a yellow dress, beaded and extremely gorgeous.

3. The Nice Dresses of Cham People

The Cham are a matrilineal ethnic group. Therefore, Cham women have an important role in preserving the national culture. Like the Kinh, the Cham choose the ao dai as the traditional costume, bringing sacred and noble beauty. Usually, they only wear long dress at weddings or big festivals.

A traditional Cham women’s costume includes ao dai, skirt, cross waistband, horizontal waistband, headscarf, neck jewelry, and earrings. The sophisticated combination creates an impressive beauty, showing the charm and grace of Cham women.

cham clothes
One of the Champa clothes. @elmundodevanesuka

It can be said that the costume of the Cham people is one of the most beautiful costumes of the Vietnamese people. The combination of many elements, from fabrics, styles, colors to iridescent beads and vibrant belts, creates a discreet yet sexy beauty.

4. The Colorful Clothes of H’mong Minority Group

When traveling to Vietnam, especially the northern mountainous provinces, you will encounter the image of H’mong people with colorful traditional costumes and sophisticated designs. The highlight of this outfit is the striking patterns, creating a certain attraction.

hmong costumes
Coloful costumes of H’Mong people. Photo: travelmag.vn

The traditional costume of H’mong women consists of a pleated skirt, a split collar shirt, xa cap (leggings), and a hat. In addition, people also wear beads and coins in their costumes to create outstanding attraction.

Particularly, men’s clothing is simpler with a round neckline and a button line on the chest. To suit the highland climate, the shirt will be sewn in two layers so that it does not get cold in winter but is still cool in summer. Men’s pants style with wide waist, wide paints, and low crotch create a unique impression.

5. The Simple Costume of Tay People

tay traditional costume
Tay traditional costume. Photo: backan.gov.vn

The ethnic costumes of the Tay people have a simple beauty, less fussy but still show grace for the wearer. The main colors of the clothes are black and indigo. Both men’s and women’s costumes are not embroidered, not brilliant. However, the highlight shown through the accessories is a belt and a silver necklace.

tay clothes
Silver necklace is a highlight of Tay clothes. @loansun92

Although designed in the spirit of minimalism, Tay’s clothes still have outstanding features thanks to the elegant shape, which enhances the woman’s charm. In Tuyen Quang, Tay women own two traditional costumes, including a five-piêc long dress with pants, and a short blouse with a skirt.

By not focusing on the sophistication of the dress, Tay creates accents through jewelry. They often wear bracelets, earrings, rings, necklaces made of silver. In particular, the Tay women’s necklace is made wider than that of other ethnic groups. The necklace is white, creating a contrast against the background of indigo and black outfits.

6. The Eye-catching Clothes of Thai People

The beauty of Thai traditional costumes is reflected in the gentle style, exalting the pure beauty of women. With characteristic white skin, Thai women are even more beautiful when wearing long skirts, the bottom of skirts embroidered brocade motifs.

thai traditional clothes
Thai traditional clothes. @vinny.nguyen.77

A proper Thai costume consists of a short shirt, a long dress, a skirt, a belt, a scarf, a hat, and xa cap (leggings). Accessories are usually necklaces, earrings, bracelets, and sarongs. On Thai clothes, each detail has its own meaning, for young, old, and unmarried or married women.

Today, the clothes of this minority have more or less changed. In the past, the elders used to wear indigo-dyed skirts made of self-woven cloth. Today, Thai women have more smooth skirts, very beautiful velvet skirts, showing the femininity and grace of the Thai people.

7. The Neat Beautiful Clothes of Ede People

ede traditional clothes
Ede traditional clothes. @thong_ky_cuc

The traditional costume that Ede women use is a gown wrapped around the waist, covering the lower half of the body. Particularly, the shirt is designed as a pullover, slit across the left shoulder to the right one. The shirt worn on the body will hug the body, creating a discreet and elegant beauty.

Usually, the traditional clothes of the Ede people will be indigo color with colorful patterns. If women wear dresses and skirts, Ede men will wear clothes and loincloths. In addition, to create more attraction, the Ede people also wear prominent silver, copper, and beaded jewelry.

8. The Brilliant Costumes of Red Dao People

Costumes are an element that clearly shows the national identity of Vietnam with many other ethnic groups in the world. Among the 54 ethnic groups of the Vietnamese people, the Red Dao ethnic group is considered to have beautiful and impressive traditional costumes. Red Dao women attach great importance to dress. Therefore, their clothes are sewn very elaborately and meticulously.

red dao traditional clothes
Red Dao traditional clothes. @transdo

Black or indigo ao dai is the most important dress of Red Dao women. The decorative motifs on the shirt are embroidered with striking red thread. Besides the ao dai, the woman also wears a shirt like a bib inside to cover her chest and belly.

Contrary to the sophistication of women’s clothing, the clothes of the Red Dao men are relatively simple, with a headscarf, short shirt, and long pants. The headscarves of both men and women are the same. The scarf is embroidered with many decorative motifs with yellow, white, blue, and red threads, creating a very unique beauty.

9 . The Beautiful Traditional Costumes of Cho Ro

Cho Ro is also one of the ethnic groups owning beautiful traditional costumes with colorful colors and many patterns and motifs. In the past, the Cho Ro people grew their own cotton and weaved and dyed yarn to make traditional dresses.

Cho Ro traditional clothes
Cho Ro traditional clothes.. Photo: Trung Nguyen/thanhtra.com.vn

Cho Ro women’s skirt is a closed skirt style, worn with a sleeveless shirt in the old style of a pullover. The shoulders, neck, arms, chest, and bodice are embroidered with many traditional patterns. Besides, on the chest, there are also special colored thread tassels attached. With festive dresses, the Cho Ro people decorate more elaborately.

For men, their outfit is long pants and loincloths that go with a variety of tops from long sleeves to no sleeves. Besides clothes, the Cho Ro people also have much jewelry such as bangles, necklaces, brocade ropes wrapped around the foreheads for young men, headscarves for adult men.

10. The Simple Charming Clothes of Tho People

tho traditional clothes
Tho traditional clothes. Photo:khxhnvnghean.gov.vn

In the past, Tho women rarely wore skirts. This ethnic group often chooses to buy dresses from Thai people, so the costumes are influenced by Thai people. However, the Tho national costume still shows a very unique beauty.

The Tho dress consists of a dark red or white hem, indigo, the skirts of black, white, and indigo with nice horizontal lines. Particularly, the skirt part is decorated with interesting diamond-shaped brocade patterns.

Tho people have fancy square-shaped white – red – green headscarves, blue or red belts. Basically, Tho costumes are not picky, it shows comfort and lightness, high use in life.


Each Vietnamese ethnic group has its own traditional costume that is very beautiful and outstanding. In which the costumes of the Kinh, Khmer, Cham, Hmong, Tay, Thai, Red Dao, Ede, Cho Ro, and Tho ethnic groups are considered to be the most impressive and attractive.

Besides visiting famous attractions in Vietnam, please range your time to explore the beauty of traditional dresses of the Vietnamese people, which can enrich your experience in this country.

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