entry 6

So instead of spending money on clothes for the past month, I have been investing in food instead. I've also been doing stuff to keep my mind off shopping but, its getting extremely difficult due to finals and me being stressed. Yesterday, I decided to reorganize my closet once again and I noticed the different ao dais I had in storage. My mom had wrapped and store all of the Ao dais that I had collected over the years some of them were my own and others were the ones that my aunt gave me when I visited her. This reminded me of the articles we read in class about the Ao dai by Leskowich and the one by Professor Valverde. When I was looking over the different Ao dais I had, I noticed that each one was made of a different fabric or the cut was different. My favorite one was a purple one that my Aunt recently gave to me that was cut in a halter style. For as long as I could remember I have always like different styles of Ao dais and never really liked the traditional cut very much. I have noticed that Ao Dais have been deconstructed over and over again in Vietnam and the US through the different influences whether it be cultural or the current trends. I am completely influenced by this because when I would need an Ao dai I would always try new things with it like go to an Indian fabric store instead of a Vietnamese one or change the collar into a boatneck. It is because the Ao dai is so versatile that I feel as if it is not just a national dress but also something that is perpetually trendy.