The diverse types of traditional clothing of the people of Quang Ngai.

Báo Quảng Ngãi•25/05/2023

( Quang Ngai Newspaper) - Clothing is a criterion for reflecting social life. Since ancient times, the people of Quang Ngai have had regulations on the use of different types of clothing, such as clothing worn during festivals, funerals, weddings, and the clothing of officials or common people.

Ancient clothing

The book "Phủ biên tạp lục" by Lê Quý Đôn records: “In the year Bính Thân (1776), the national clothing system had established rules. After pacifying the border regions, politics and customs should be unified. If anyone wore clothing in the style of foreigners (Chinese), they should change to the national system. Clothing should be tailored according to national customs, using silk fabric; only officials are allowed to use it. Brocade and fabrics with dragon and phoenix patterns should absolutely not be used indiscriminately. For everyday wear, men and women should wear short-sleeved, stand-collar shirts with sleeves of varying width. Shirts must be sewn closed from the armpits downwards, not open. Men can wear round-collar, narrow-sleeved shirts for convenience while working. For ceremonial wear, long-sleeved, stand-collar shirts should be made of indigo, black, or white fabric.”

Traditional Vietnamese attire: the áo dài (long dress) and khăn đóng (headscarf) worn by people in Quang Ngai in the past. Photo: Vo Minh Tuan

In the past, people in Quang Ngai all wore loincloths, but later they reformed them into two-legged trousers for convenience. Men and women wore their hair long, either in a bun or with a headscarf, or wore a brown, open-chested, round-necked, split-hem shirt with two pockets at the bottom. This was a short shirt worn with wide-legged trousers or trousers with a drawstring waistband. On holidays and festivals, men wore long robes, turbans, and white trousers. These were long robes with a right armhole, without any decorative patterns; if there were any, they were only woven patterns in the same color tone on the fabric. In ceremonies and festivals, they had to wear long robes and turbans, with different colors of red, yellow, and black depending on their rank. The embroidered patterns on the robes often depicted the characters "Longevity" or "Happiness," signifying a long and blessed life. Women wore short brown blouses with a bodice underneath, which was a round-necked, small-edged style. Skirts were modest, sometimes reaching only to the ankles. When going out, women often wear square headscarves styled like a "crow's beak" or conical hats.

The people of Quang Ngai were once proud of the ao dai, a garment that covered the body from the neck to just below the knees. There were two types of ao dai: one with a V-neck and a loose, unbuttoned front, usually worn underneath a high-necked blouse for modesty; and one with a V-neck and a standing collar. Therefore, the colors of the ao dai were also clearly defined. For example, in funerals, women wore white ao dai, with their hair down and a headscarf wrapped in a circle, or a conical hat. In weddings, they wore red or green ao dai embroidered with the character "Phuc" (meaning fortune/blessing), a headscarf, and shoes. Brides wore double ao dai: an inner red or pink ao dai and an outer green or blue ao dai with printed patterns. Artists performing in boat races, folk performances, and traditional singing (such as "sac bua," "ba trao," and "bai choi") often wore round-necked ao dai with side slits, trimmed in yellow or red, and a red headscarf symbolizing the sun.

Diverse costumes of ethnic groups

Traditional clothing of the Ca Dong people today. Photo: Dang Vu

The traditional costumes of the ethnic groups in the highlands of Quang Ngai include skirts, loincloths, and ceremonial attire. For a long time, the people of these highlands have been conscious of their unique clothing to preserve their cultural identity. The Hre people have woven brocade clothing associated with rituals, such as placing a newborn or a deceased person on a sling (ka tak) woven from brocade fabric. The patterns on the brocade fabric depict motifs related to mountains, forests, rivers, trees, flowers, animism, human life, and the universe, with the belief that wearing them will empower them with divine strength. The Hre people use three main colors: black and white, representing earth and water, and red, representing deities. Men wear loincloths (kapen) decorated with many patterns. Women wear skirts (ka tu) and blouses (iu); the skirts worn by Hre women are often black, symbolizing purity. Both men and women wear headscarves (mu), which have elegant patterns.

The Cor people have slightly different attire. Men wear loincloths, which are strips of dark blue fabric decorated with yellow and red borders, and a cloak (xà pôn) in the same color as the loincloth. This is the traditional attire that Cor men often wear during gong-beating competitions and festivals. Cor women wear skirts (kà tu) in dark blue or indigo, decorated at the hem, and tied with yellow, red, white, and blue fabric bands between the skirt and hips. The women's blouses are white, fitted at the waist and chest, and embroidered with red, yellow, and blue patterns. During festivals and New Year celebrations, the Cor people wear their traditional attire along with a headscarf.

As for the Ca Dong people, men wear loincloths made of brocade fabric, primarily green with stylized red and yellow stripes. They drape a shawl over their left shoulder, tied behind their backs, and wear a red headscarf folded in a crow's beak style. Ca Dong women also wear brocade clothing similar to that of the Hre people, but sometimes they wear a white undershirt underneath, and a red shawl draped diagonally across their chests. Ca Dong women's skirts have yellow and orange floral patterns mixed with a little red and white, and are adorned with small bells; nowadays, they are mainly dark blue or black, reaching to the ankles.

Clothing is one of the three material elements of "food, clothing, and shelter," a cultural product of society that also changes with the process of societal development. Clothing embodies the spiritual, aesthetic, and humanistic values of each ethnic group in Quang Ngai. Therefore, it is necessary to focus on preserving traditional clothing, contributing to the preservation of the cultural beauty of the people of Quang Ngai.

VO MINH TUAN

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