Costumes of ethnic women

      The 54 ethnic groups in Vietnam create displays of unusual combinations of colors of costumes.
While Kinh (majority Vietnamese) ladies can be proud that ao dai is now well-known worldwide, the minorities can also surprise and delight tourists with unique costumes.
The Mong people still cultivate cotton and hemp from which they weave material for clothing, and they make their own dye using local indigo plants. Decorative jewelry is also made by craftspeople; include silversmithing and bronze-making.
Women from the Nung Din, who mainly live in Muong Khuong, Si Ma Cai and Bac Ha districts in the northern Lao Cai Province, make clothing of indigo-dyed silk. But, they are also interested in patterns on collars because they believe that the butterfly-shaped silver patterns with glued triangle fringes will bring them happiness. Their skirts are made from silk pieces of 12 different colors, which symbolize the 12 months of the year.
Pa Di women wear a black skirt, a black shirt which buttons under the right armpit, and a black apron, but the shirt has a blue border and it features blue and white rings at the lower sleeves. There are studded decorative patterns on the collar as well.
As you can see, there is plenty to observe in the colorful costumes of Vietnam!