Áo ngũ thân

A man in Cochinchina in 1792-1793

The people of Cochinchina after the costume reform of lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát, 1792-1793

In 1744,[5] lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát officially proclaimed himself vương and carried out a series of policies to present Đàng Trong as an independent country. History records that, when the lord ascended the throne, in Thuận Hóa spread the prophecy "Bát đại hoàn Trung đô", lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát wanted to change his destiny, so he decided to officially take the throne, for planning and building the Phú Xuân citadel ordered the renewal of customs and costumes throughout Cochinchina, including ceremonial and ordinary. With ceremonial vestments, the lord allowed "to consult the regime of Chinese dynasties, to make customary and dynastic clothes, to use them as a model, to promulgate in the country, to have all kinds of văn chất".

With the ordinary costume, the lord required that both men and women wear the collar Áo ngũ thân style, buttoned on the right side with two-leg pants, and put their hair in a bun on their heads. From here, the áo tứ thân, skirt, gradually ceased to appear popular in Cochinchina:

"Men, women and people[6] in the country all wear Áo nhu bào, wear pants, wear scarves, the custom of calling quần chân áo chít from here."

So the Áo ngũ thân was created by lord Nguyễn Phúc Khoát, for both men and women, known as quần chân áo chít very quickly, it was quickly popularized throughout Cochinchina and only about 30 years later it became the main costume and characteristics of Cochinchina.[7]

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  Hát bội in Cochinchina, 1792-1793
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  People in Cochinchina are worshiping Ông Địa, 1792-1793

Middle class of the Nguyễn dynasty

Portrait of the 9-generation ancestor of the Dương family wearing Áo tấc

In 1822, Emperor Minh Mạng issued a decree to change clothes. The emperor forbade women not to wear quần không đáy (skirt) but to wear quần có đáy (pants).[8] In the 8th year of Minh Mạng (1827), the emperor decreed:

Our state and land are one, should politics and customs be different? Last month, the provincial officials in turn asked to change clothes for sĩ dân,[9] I allowed. Now, the regions in the Bắc thành should also promptly modify (clothes) to be uniform. But changing the customs is something that has just begun, and the poor and the rich are not equal, in terms of clothing needs, it takes a long time. So earnestly down this example: You guys should use your strength to inform sĩ dân in the regions: All clothes must be replaced to the clothes of the Southern of the country (from Quảng Bình onwards), the deadline is until the end of spring next year. The 10th Minh Mạng must definitely be revised to give the meaning of "vâng theo phép vua".

From this time on, Áo ngũ thân, standing collar, 5 buttons on the right side with two-leg pants was officially recognized as the national clothing of Vietnam, popular from the royal court to the folk. After Emperor Minh Mạng's regulations were announced to the entire people, causing the people to stir, they reacted with 6 ca daos:

“Tháng tám có chiếu vua ra

Cấm quần không đáy người ta hãi hùng

Không đi thì chợ không đông

Đi thì phải lột quần chồng sao đang!

Có quần ra quán bán hàng

Không quần ra đứng đầu làng trông quan."[10]

This incident shows that, every time, the improvement of costumes and fashion innovations, at first, have a certain force of support, but there will be many people who oppose and oppose. Therefore, the court's orders were not implemented thoroughly throughout the country, in the year of Đinh Dậu, the 18th year of Minh Mạng (1837), that is 10 years later, the emperor again issued an edict with a decisive attitude paralysis:

In the past, from Linh Giang back to the North, people still wore old clothes. Issued an edict to change according to southern clothes, so that the customs were uniform. Give a generous time limit, so that people can freely sew clothes and buy clothes. From the 8th year of Minh Mạng up to now, it has been ten years, still heard that the people have not changed (clothes). Besides, from Quảng Bình province to the southern provinces, hats, scarves, clothes are all in the style of the Han and Ming dynasties, looking quite neat. According to the old custom of the Northern people, men wear loincloths, women wear a costume with a tie the flap, and a skirt underneath. The beauty and the ugly were clearly seen. Some people have followed good customs, some people still keep their old habits, are they intentionally disobeying the above orders? Provincial mandarins should take that idea and instruct and advise the people. The deadline this year, must definitely change. If at the beginning of next year still keep the old clothes, it will be a crime.[11]