Look at her. The Viet Granny, that unsung icon of style.

She’s busy, she’s out in the world, going about her business, unassuming and practical. She’s a working woman of a certain age and social class. She takes care of her house and her family. She’s at the market and in the streets, selling and buying. On foot, on a bicycle, on a motorcycle, or pushing a cart. And always in her “flower suit”.

In Vietnam, the focus is on the incredibly beautiful áo dài, the traditional Vietnamese dress worn in formal situations. The áo bà ba is the yin to the yang of the áo dài. Both are very chic. The áo bà ba is the traditional Southern Vietnamese ensemble of wide-legged silk trousers and a long-sleeved, button-down silk shirt with a scooped neck and two big pockets in the front. The outfit that I call the “flower suit”, the typical dress of the Viet Granny, is based on the áo bà ba. It’s a practical, original, everyday version of it.

When I’m in Vietnam, my eyes seek out the Viet Granny. Her sartorial choices are a pleasure to see. She needs sensible things that let her move freely and protect her from the sun and the dust. She always wears comfortable trousers and a blouse. The non la, the supremely practical conical hat of dried leaves that protects from the sun and the rain, or a helmet if she’s motorised. She accessorises with a robust moulded plastic bag, often bright red. Red is also, often, the colour of her shoes.

The Viet Granny doesn’t do understated dressing. She wears garments cut from colourful textiles printed with flowers or abstract motifs. They are all unique pieces, distinctive and individual. Often custom-made by local seamstresses, no two are the same. She wears tops and bottoms both in matching and mismatched combinations. I am particularly fond of the latter. The clashing patterns are as unexpected as they are delightful.

Viet Grannies are superheros. This is my ode to Viet Granny Chic.

The Viet Granny “flower suit” carries very distinctive meanings. 

It is gendered – only women wear it. Elderly women often wear the áo bà ba – plainer, pyjama-like, in silky satin fabrics that flow in the breeze. Very rarely, so do elderly men. But the everyday “flower suit” worn by working women and housewives tends to be more bright and colourful.  

It signifies a woman of a certain age. Younger  women do not wear it. Only mature and elderly ladies wear the “flower suit”. 

It indicates social class: chic urban ladies who drive cars and sit in expensive cafés do not dress like this. The women who wear the “flower suit” work in markets and in small family restaurants, sell lottery tickets in cafés, food from carts, and other wares around the streets of the city. Women in working class areas wear it at home and to go to the market. They often wear a more fashionable version with shorter sleeves and trousers.

Also, in its brighter, louder and more mismatched versions, it often functions as a signifier for the countryside as opposed to the city. It is worn by the women who sell produce from the farms in the city streets by bicycle, on foot, or on specially modified scooters carrying baskets and boxes. 

The “flower suit” is practical in many ways. Stains are harder to see on patterned fabrics. It protects arms and legs from the sun and the dust, unlike the pretty fashions of the young – short skirts, short shorts, little dresses. It is also aesthetically practical: the bright colours and variety of design make the outfits distinctive and unique to each woman. When trousers and blouse are casually mismatched, the outfit becomes an even stronger expression of individuality. 

The “flower suit” of the working Vietnamese woman is a very clear and strong signifier in Vietnamese society. It classifies the wearer and makes her visible and recognisable in society. 

The Ao Ba Ba

Usually worn by older women and sometimes by elderly men, the ao ba ba is made of silk and tends to have plainer colours and patterns. This is not a dress for working in the market or for housework. It is for going to the temple or to church, and for a more leisurely lifestyle.

The “Flower Suit” of the Viet Granny

The long sleeves and long trousers of the everyday, working version of the ao ba ba is worn with a non la to protect the skin from a long day out in the sun and dust.

The Viet Granny’s “flower suit” is often worn mismatched, mixing different patterns in trousers and shirts, in fantastically delightful combinations. The mismatch is part of its practicality – when both parts of the ensemble are not available, just mix it up.

Matchy-matchy

Mismatched

The House Dress of the Viet Granny

What I call the House Dress of the Viet Granny is similar to the “flower suit”, but tends to be more fitted, with shorter sleeves and often shorter trousers, sometimes looking more similar to pyjamas. It is for a working woman who spends more time indoors, at home or in a shop, and needs less protection from the weather.

The dress of Viet Grannies is one of the many aspects of design and material culture that shows how creative, eclectic, and diverse the Vietnamese taste is. Long live Viet Grannies in their wonderful outfits!

Thanks

Thank you Keina, and thank you Greg

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