Costumes for performing folk songs

Clothing is an essential need in human life, showing the aesthetic level of each individual, nation and era.

Although it is simple and plain, it is very harmonious with the environment and nature, carrying the strong and healthy beauty of the soul of the people of Nghe An such as: the style is often simple, practical, and versatile; the colors tend to be warm or neutral. The materials are often rustic and focus on "durability".

In the past, women who performed Vi and Giam often wore a four-panel ao dai, inside they wore a yếm (traditional Vietnamese dress), a áo dài (traditional Vietnamese dress), a long skirt, a belt, and a bao tuong (traditional Vietnamese dress); their hair was tied up and padded with an oval-shaped scarf; their feet wore clogs, sandals, or grass shoes. The four-panel ao dai had two pieces sewn together on the back, and two separate pieces in the front. This dress was often made of silk or phin fabric and had dark brown, light brown, or green leaves, and had flaps hanging down.

Although simpler, it still does not reduce the graceful and charming beauty of Nghe An women. Later, people created the five-panel ao dai for both men and women. This ao dai has the same style as the four-panel ao dai, each front and back panel has two panels sewn together along the waist of the ao dai. The small panels are connected to the two main panels by a padded collar and closed by five round buttons made of fabric or copper. Thus, the five-panel ao dai not only honors the noble values ​​of people in relation to family and society but also shows the morality of being human, encapsulating the nation's philosophy of life. Therefore, depending on the subject and class, people sew a suitable ao dai style and looking at the costume, we can also know which region the artisan is from.

In addition to the two types of shirts above, the popular costumes of artisans also include the five-panel short shirt and the blouse. These two types of shirts are widely used because they are simple, neat, and convenient for daily life and work. The materials are usually made of plain cloth, ruffles, phin, and silk. Male artisans wear the five-panel short shirt with wide-leg, deep-crotch pants, a belt tied outside the shirt, knotted so that the folds are staggered below the right hip, a turban on the head, and go barefoot or with grass sandals.

Female artists wear blouses with skirts or trousers, and a yếm inside, working and singing at the same time. A special outfit that cannot be ignored for artists is the yếm. The yếm is often worn by women as an inner wear, combined with a blouse or ao dai.

References

1. Nguyen Chi Ben, Bui Quang Thanh,Nghe - Tinh folk songs, PublisherCulture Information, Hanoi, 2013.

2. Hoang Trong Canh,Local words with parallel structure in Nghe Tinh folk poetry - Preserving and promoting the values ​​of Nghe An folk songs, PublisherNghe An, 2012.

3. Ninh Viet Giao,The scholarly nature in the lyrics of Nghe An folk songs - Preserving and promoting the values ​​of Nghe An folk songs, PublisherNghe An, 2012.

4. Vu Ngoc Khanh,Some comments on Nghe Tinh folk songs, MagazineNghe Tinh Literature and Arts, No. 21, 1996, p.117.