Since 2018, tailors in Da Nang’s Han Market have been offering quick ‘ao dai’ tailoring service in order to satisfy the increasing demand of tourists.

‘One-hour ao dai’ is a phrase commonly used by small traders and tailors in the Han Market to invite international tourists.

Instead of taking a few days, it takes just an hour to tailor an ‘ao dai’ according to the customer's preferences. For that reason, the phrase ‘one-hour ao dai’ was born.

A South Korean baby girl in 'ao dai' taking a souvenir photo with a small trader in the Han Market

After choosing the favourite ‘ao dai’ fabric, customers will have their body measurements taken by tailors and get consultations about the style of the costume that suits their preferences by Vinglish. According to small traders, they all speak Vinglish. Because it is a language they do not learn through school, but still know it by ‘getting used to listening’. If tourists don't understand what they speak, they use body language instead. A nod means, okay.

The process to tailor the traditional costume of Vietnamese people consists of three basic steps: measuring, cutting and assembling. Right from the first stage, precision and meticulousness are required. If the measurements are wrong, the finished ‘ao dai’ will not fit the wearer's size. At the same time, tailors will take extra time to edit.

After measuring and cutting, some steps and stages are skipped or changed to shorten the time of tailoring. In particular, for traditional ‘ao dai’ making process, the stitching is mainly done by hand. Meanwhile, with ‘one-hour ao dai’ service, tailors will pedal the pieces of a long shirt, and skip the ironing stage.

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Kieu, the owner of the Kieu Tailoring Shop, said that despite short time, different steps of ‘ao dai’ tailoring from measuring, cutting, sewing, assembling, and adding the accessories are done carefully. “When customers wear them, they must be satisfied with the money they have spent” said Ms. Kieu.

Some tourists, after receiving finished products, will wear them right away to take pictures and move to other tourist attractions.

Most of customers to local tailors are from foreign countries, especially South Korea and some Southeast Asian countries such as Thailand and Singapore. The tailoring cost ranges from VND200,000 - VND300,000 per set of 'ao dai'.

Before COVID-19, during the public holidays, Tet or in the peak tourist seasons, for many days continuously, tailors at the Han Market work from morning to late evening. Ms. Kieu confided that it is normal to have lunch at 3:00 pm.

Not only a job to earn a living, for Ms. Kieu, each finished ‘ao dai’ is a bridge to attract more tourists to the Han Market, thereby contributing to promoting the development of the city tourism.

Ms. Le Thi Ninh, 50, the owner of the Ninh Tailoring Shop, has been involved in  the quick ‘ao dai’ tailoring service for four years.

She cannot count the number of sets of ‘ao dai’ she has tailored for tourists both at home and abroad. She just knows that many tourists have come back to get ‘ao dai’ tailored every time they have the opportunity to come to Da Nang. Not only that, they also introduce this service to their relatives, friends and colleagues.

Just like that, every day, the sound of sewing machines at the Han market still rings steadily. And day by day, ‘one hour ao dai’ tailoring service contributes to bringing the image of ‘ao dai’ - a representative of Vietnamese culture closer to international friends.

Ms. Kieu, Ms. Ninh or other tailors at the Han Market are acting as a bridge to preserve and spread the love of the traditional costume of Vietnamese people to tourists abroad.

The display of many readymade ‘ao dai's makes it convenient for visitors to choose the fabrics and designs.

Ms. Tran Thi Thuy Kieu, the owner of the Kieu Tailoring Shop, is taking measurements for a South Korean tourist. This is a step that requires meticulousness and precision.

With a large number of orders, each tailoring shop needs two tailors

The tailoring cost ranges from VND200,000 - VND300,000 per set of ‘ao dai’

Reporting by THU DUYEN - Translating by M.DUNG