The Ao Dai street, which has taken shape for over half a century on Pasteur Street, stretches more than 1 km and is home to nearly 20 shops specializing in tailoring and designing Ao Dai.
We visited Pasteur Street’s Ao Dai district on the afternoon of November 13, riding beneath the soft, golden sunlight cast behind us. Along the street, Ao Dai design shops stand side by side, creating a strip of delicate silk. This street is accessible from many directions within Ho Chi Minh City.
To me, Pasteur Street has a romantic and poetic charm, with wide sidewalks, tall trees lining both sides, casting shadows interspersed with golden sunlight on the pavement. The street also exudes elegance and timelessness with its preserved French architectural landmarks, such as the over-130-year-old Pasteur Institute of Ho Chi Minh City.
Grace Amidst the Urban Heart
Stopping by the Pasteur Institute in Ho Chi Minh City, we were struck by the tailor shops across the street. The storefronts display a variety of Ao Dai designs, ranging from traditional to modern styles.
We met an elderly man with a gentle face, dressed elegantly, delicately handling a piece of pink fabric. His hands moved gracefully and meticulously as he measured and sketched chalk lines onto the cloth.
This was Mr. Nguyen Van Toan, 77, owner of Thanh Ha Tailor Shop and the first generation in his family to uphold a three-generation legacy of Ao Dai tailoring. He shared with us the rich history of Ao Dai tailoring, a craft he has dedicated himself to for 61 years.
Mr. Toan recalled that in the 1950s, everyone in the Ao Dai tailoring world knew of Saigon’s “Curve Wizard,” Mrs. Nguyen Thi Bac, owner of the famous Thiet Lap tailor shop on Pasteur Street, District 3, Ho Chi Minh City. Mrs. Bac laid the foundation for Pasteur Street’s Ao Dai district. At that time, Thiet Lap was a renowned Ao Dai shop with a team of 50 tailors, becoming a “phenomenon” as nightclub singers and the elite flocked there to wear the coveted “wasp-waist” Ao Dai. Later, when Mrs. Bac settled abroad, she passed down the craft to her descendants.
Mr. Toan’s shop became the third Ao Dai tailor shop on Pasteur Street (after Thiet Lap and Nha). Initially, he worked as a contract tailor for various shops and sold his creations in Cho Lon. By 2000, driven by the desire for a supportive business community and noticing Pasteur Street’s appeal to foreign visitors and its central location, he decided to move his shop there.
At that time, the street had only about three or four shops, but over the years, the number of stores gradually increased.
Having been connected to the Ao Dai for over half a century, Mr. Toan shared that in the 1960s and 1970s, Ao Dai was seen as the standard of beauty. The tightly-fitted Ao Dai, with a cinched waist emphasizing an alluring hourglass shape, was considered “fashionable” and dominated Saigon’s streets.
After 1975, the popularity of Ao Dai declined, losing its exclusive status as Western-style clothing began to gain favor.
Over 60 Years Living with Ao Dai
Mr. Toan has continuously adapted Ao Dai designs to meet changing customer preferences. In the past, people preferred Ao Dai with raglan sleeves (where the sleeves extend from the collar to provide a snug fit and reduce creases around the shoulders and armpits) and a traditional high collar.
Today, customers favor modernized Ao Dai styles, with innovations such as deep necklines, lotus leaf collars, heart-shaped collars, and intricate embellishments like gemstones and floral embroidery—creating a fresh look while maintaining the inherent elegance and grace.
“In addition to my own designs, I also tailor based on customers’ ideas. For instance, if a customer wants a unique Ao Dai with shoulders like a dress, I’ll create it as requested. One must always change, innovate designs to keep up with the times and trends,” Mr. Toan explained.
The price of an Ao Dai at Mr. Toan’s shop varies depending on the fabric and design. For regular fabrics, the cost can be around VND 1 million. For high-end materials like silk, lace, or imported fabrics, the price can reach several tens of millions of dong.
Mr. Toan believes that the true value of an Ao Dai lies in the dedication of the tailor and the happiness of the wearer. “In this traditional Ao Dai tailoring craft, just seeing people wear it beautifully on the street makes me happy,” he says with a warm smile.
While time has changed many things and Saigon no longer has the quiet charm of the past, Pasteur’s Ao Dai street continues to thrive alongside the city’s modern pulse. According to long-time artisans here, handcrafted Ao Dai faces challenges due to the impact of Covid-19 and competition from mass-produced, affordable, and convenient products.
Amid the bustling urban landscape, surrounded by skyscrapers and the city’s fast-paced rhythm, Pasteur Street preserves the timeless beauty of the nation. Many young people and foreign visitors come to Pasteur’s Ao Dai street, seeking a sense of nostalgia and a unique beauty found nowhere else.
When visiting, as we admire the flowing, graceful, and elegant Ao Dai, we can catch a glimpse of memories from bygone years.
Source: thanhnien.vn
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Source: Vietnam Insider