For the older women who have their own shops or don't work, there is no such thing as jeans or dresses for everyday wear. Instead, their clothing is simplistic, meant for the hot temperatures. They wear a matching top and pants set (or short pants) which are made from thin material and would remind you of summer pajamas. Every design under the sun can be found in countless shops throughout the cities and towns. When you first see them, you might think that they're wearing pajamas. But once you get to know what a set looks like, it's easy to differentiate from the pair of pajamas you see on the old Vietnamese man walking down the street! (And yes, I've seen this a few times!)
The younger women, when they aren't working, will wear western style clothes - jeans and a top. Due to the strong sun, it isn't common for them to be seen in shorts, tank tops or short sleeve shirts. If they do wear a short sleeve shirt, they'll cover up with a jacket and/or long gloves when getting on their motorbike.
Often, especially in the touristy cities, if the women work in the tourism industry, a nice restaurant or sometimes an office, they'll wear an Ao Dai. (Don't ask me how to pronounce this!) This is also the required outfit for school girls. An ao dai is a long, form-fitting dress with matching pants (most often white) made of thin silk-looking material. It's very beautiful, stylish and formal looking. Usually it's one solid color, but the top portion can include fabric designs, beads, etc.
In addition to all the clothing, there's also a Vietnamese twist to their socks. It was strange the first time I saw it, but then a woman explained the simplicity to it and it made sense. Although the simple fact that any of them wear socks still boggles the mind. Because many women wear some kind of sandal which separates the big toe from the others, they need a sock which accommodates the sandal. So these women don't wear regular socks, but split toe socks (as seen in the picture here).
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| Vietnamese split toe socks |
And finally... In the U.S., if a female appears in the public with rollers or curlers in her hair (not having finished her hair setting), classier people refer to her as a redneck. In Mexico, they're referred to as a naco. A redneck or naco is a person who grew up without a lot of social education. Often, they're from the countryside. Interestingly, the Vietnamese women (and I think I've only seen this on older women) also leave their houses with one roller/curler in their hair. However, they use it as a back holder behind at the back of their neck. I have no idea if this is acceptable with the upper class Vietnamese, but it reminds me a lot of the rednecks and nacos.
