What to Wear in Vietnam?

Vietnam, located in Southeast Asia, borders China to the north, Laos and Cambodia to the west, and the South China Sea to the south. The diverse geographical environments lay the foundation for Vietnam's rich tourism resources. Specifically, Vietnam can be divided into six major tourist zones, each with its own unique characteristics. Whether you like mountain scenery, prefer water scenery, or the knowledge of history and culture, there is always a tourist zone that can meet your needs.

According to statistics, there are more than 40,000 relic sites in Vietnam, plenty of of which are listed as World Cultural Heritage. Therefore, even if you often travel to Singapore, Malaysia and have already fully experienced the customs of Southeast Asia, it would be a pity not to go to Vietnam once. If you want to travel to Vietnam, please continue reading this blog which provides you with Vietnam some useful travel fashion tips!

The Climate Features in Vietnam

When packing for a trip, it is very important to pay attention to what the weather will be like in the next few days where you are going. If you want to travel to Vietnam but can't confirm your schedule, it doesn't matter. We will introduce you to the climate characteristics of each region in Vietnam throughout the year.

Most of Vietnam is located in the tropics, so the climate characteristics of the country can be summarized in one sentence: high temperature and heavy rain all year round. However, at the same time, due to the influence of the monsoon, the difference between the dry and rainy seasons is very large. In addition, the climate in different regions also has different features.

The southern region of Vietnam has the lowest latitude and has a tropical rainforest climate. The average temperature throughout the year is around 28 degrees Celsius, with no distinct differences between seasons. For example, Ho Chi Minh City is located in this area and has tropical rainforest climate characteristics, with high humidity throughout the year and small temperature differences between day and night.

Due to the influence of the monsoon, the northern region forms a tropical monsoon climate. For example, the climate of Hanoi, the capital of Vietnam, belongs this climate type. The most typical feature of this climate is that it can be divided into two seasons, dry and rainy. May to October is the rainy season, it is hot and humid, and the average temperature can even reach 35 degrees Celsius. November to April of the following year is the dry season, and the humidity and temperature drop accordingly, with a large temperature gap between day and night. The northernmost region of Vietnam presents some continental climate characteristics because it is deep inland.

Due to the climate, spring and autumn are the peak seasons for traveling in Vietnam, because these two seasons are not as hot and rainy as summer. However, if you want to travel to some coastal cities in central Vietnam, such as Hue, it is best to choose spring. Because in autumn, the coastal areas of central Vietnam are often hit by typhoons, accompanied by heavy rains and floods.

Dressing Codes in Vietnam

Although Vietnam's contemporary clothing style has gradually become more diverse, the overall style is still conservative. As tourists, we still need to follow the local dressing codes as much as possible on daily, formal and religious occasions and avoid dress taboos.

Since Vietnam's overall dressing style is conservative, overly revealing clothing is not accepted on most occasions. Mini skirts, low-cut tops, see-through clothes, etc. are all considered disrespectful to local customs.

At the same time, you also need to pay attention to the color of your clothes. For most people, red means good luck and happiness. Therefore, red clothes are often worn at weddings, celebrations and other grand occasions. However, for some ethnic minorities, red is a taboo color. The northwest of Vietnam is a multi-ethnic cultural tourism area. If you are going to visit this ethnic minority area, you need to pay special attention to the clothing taboos of ethnic minorities.

In addition, in Vietnam, you may need to take off your shoes when entering some temples and other places. If you see a sign or shoe cabinet at the door, then you will know that you need to take off your shoes before entering the place. Therefore, you need to keep your socks clean and tidy. Socks with holes or odors will cause embarrassment to you and others present.

Like other countries, the dressing codes are always stricter on religious occasions in Vietnam than on other occasions. In religious places such as temples, women are not allowed to show their shoulders and knees, which means that women need to wear long pants, long skirts and tops with high necklines when visiting temples. Moreover, as the former imperial city of Vietnam, Hue Imperial City is also known for its solemnity. Therefore, although it is not a religious occasion, it is best to wear more dignified and appropriate clothing when visiting Hue Imperial City, and avoid overly fancy clothes.

Speciality Clothing in Vietnam

In recent years, experiencing the local speciality costumes at tourist attractions has become a hobby of many tourists and also one of the important sources of income for tourist cities. If you also want to experience the speciality costumes of Vietnamese women during your trip to Vietnam, you can try the following:

🍌Ao Dai. This can be called the national dress of Vietnamese women. Ao Dai consists of a tight top and a pair of loose trousers. The top is similar to the Chinese cheongsam, which is not only tightened at the waist to highlight the waistline, but also split at the bottom, dividing it into two pieces of cloth. The bottom is similar to a pair of wide-leg pants. In the past, only noble women in Vietnam were qualified to wear Ao Dai. But nowadays, ordinary women can also wear it to show their elegance on grand occasions.

🍌Áo tứ thân. This is a long and lightweight outerwear. It has a full back and is open in the front. The ends of the front hem are not sewn together but can be tied. A dress or a top and pants can be worn under this outerwear. In short, this garment is somewhat similar to the Beizi in Chinese Song Dynasty. You can still see this colorful traditional costume at festivals and celebrations in northern Vietnam.

🍌Yếm. This is a type of traditional underwear worn by Vietnamese women, made of triangular or diamond-shaped cloth and tied with a rope at the back. It is somewhat similar to the belly band worn by ancient Chinese women and can be used as an inner layer of an Áo tứ thân.

🍌Ethnic costumes. When traveling in a multi-ethnic country, it is also a good choice to try some ethnic minority costumes. For example, you can try on Hmong clothing. The Hmong people in Vietnam have the same origin as the Miao people in China, so they have many similarities in clothing. The costumes of Hmong women are quite complex, consisting of a skirt, a top with a slit in the front and a bra, front and back aprons, a belt and leggings. There are usually various animal and plant patterns on their clothes, such as flowers, butterflies, and reed pipes.

Outfit Tips for Travelling in Vietnam in Different Seasons

Packing for a trip is not an easy task, because you need to consider not only the weather, but also the local people's dressing habits and the style of your clothes. What can you wear to be both stylish and practical when traveling?

In spring.

Spring is a good time for hiking, so we recommend that you go hiking in the mountains in northern Vietnam in spring. It should be noted that although the northern mountainous areas are mild and not rainy in spring, the temperature gap between day and night is large. Therefore, layering is the most suitable way to dress in spring. Wear a cardigan over your knit top, and a pair of jeans is useful for the mosquito repellent and abrasion resistance.

In summer.

Summer has abundant sunlight, which is perfect for sightseeing in coastal cities or going to the beach. If you choose to travel to a coastal city like Danang, we recommend the combination of a T-shirt and a pair of shorts. To make your look more in line with the tropical atmosphere, you can choose a T-shirt and a pair of beach shorts with prints of palm trees, coconuts, etc.

In winter.

Traveling to the southern region in winter can better meet the needs of keeping warm and allow you to experience winter scenes that are completely different from other snowy areas. Even in winter, southern cities in Vietnam are still in high temperature, so you will need to bring summer clothes. A sleeveless dress is a good choice for your elegant outfit. Or rather, you can also choose the combination of a T-shirt and a pair of linen pants.