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DIY | Traditional Ao Dai Dresses

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When I was in high school, I used to design clothing and make them come to life. I designed my homecoming and prom dresses and my mom, grandmother, or aunties always helped me make them. It was a family thing that I fondly remember and wanted to bring to fruition for the wedding.

The traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai for a bride consists of an under-dress with a jacket over top and a hat. The traditional Ao Dai in general looks like this:

I altered the neckline of the dress on the inside since we were getting married in the summer and I made the sleeves belled and jacket sheer to add some more detail to the dress. Here’s the sketch I sent to my aunt in Vietnam, click to enlarge.

She took the design to a tailor and had my custom wedding Ao Dai made. I asked that the colors still be traditional (red and gold) since the homes were going to be adorned in red and gold. I LOVED the way it turned out! I nixed the hat since I didn’t want my hair up and may a red feather hair comb to wear with it.

Final Traditional Vietnamese Ao Dai dress

Then, when it got to designing the girls’ dresses, I kept in mind the summer heat. I took away the traditional sleeves since the wedding will be during the first week of summer and arm pit stains are just non-negotiable. Halter it was. I updated the traditonal colors and had the dresses made in pinks so that I could stand out a little next to the ladies. They all came by my mom’s house to be measured.