Vietnamese Fashion Artifact

THE ORIGINAL NAME

The conical hat which is very popular at the end of 19th and early 20th-century society is called “Nón Thượng ” the reason for its name is the first Nón Thượng had been made and sold at Thượng Market in the Việt Yên Thượng Village "Upper Viet Yen", in the province of Hà Tĩnh, Tonkin (Northern. It could be also called Nón Nghệ "Nghe's hat" because it is also made in some villages in Nghệ An province in The North of Annam (Central), which formerly included the territory of Hà Tĩnh (D.Ham 1918). Nón Thượng is called by many different names, depending on the different area era, its appearance, and its origin for instance: Annamite called it “Nón Thượng ” , Tonkinese and Cochinchinese (Southern) called it “Nón Nghệ” and La Sơn - Đức Thọ called “Nón Bằng ” or “Nón Hạ” . In the Nguyễn dynasty, it was commonly called “Nón Nghệ” or “Nón Thượng ” but in the Lê dynasty, it was “Nón Ba Tầm ” (Duc 2018).

Figure 10: Artist Unknown (2015), Tonkin in 19th century [photograph],36hn

THE ORIGINAL NAME

There is no research showing the exact time this conical hat appeared but according to my personal research via many image sources in the past (Appendix 3) this hat is based on a type of hat for male soldiers in the royal court of the Lê dynasty and at that time it was called “ Nón Ba

Tầm ” . Thousands of photos and paintings of Tonkinese at the end of the 19th and early 20th century were made by France, and most of them contained this “Nón Thượng ” in woman daily life (Thang 2016).

According to “Yên Hội thôn chí” by Bùi Dương

Lịch, the process of making “Nón Thượng ” is also very sophisticated, it was spread widely throughout the country, and all women wore conical hats when they went out. The hats are light, well-crafted, and often sold for 20 Quan (Quan is the currency in old Annam), while the rough and ugly hats are also sold for no less than 2 Quan.

Both young and old, men and women can make them, and this is also a leisurely job in the local area. It is undeniable that the conical hats originating from the Northern Annam have overwhelmed the country during the Nguyễn dynasty, especially in Hue, which was very fashionable, among high-society ladies. Barely, in Hue, you can still occasionally find an old woman who uses it (D. Ham 1918).

Figure 11: Artist Unknown (2021),19th century Tonkin women [photograph],vintage,vietnamese instagram

Figure 12: Artist Unknown (2021),19th century Tonkin women [photograph],vintage,vietnamese instagram

DESIGN

“Nón Thượng ” is made of a bamboo frame covered with latanier leaves. It is completely flat, and round, and has a descending straight brim, which makes it look like the lid of a large round box. Its diameter is about 0.7 meters, and the depth of the brim is 0.08 meters. In the middle and inside, called a “cái sua ” , a woven bamboo cap, with a diameter of 0.15 meters and a depth of 0.05 meters is adapted. It is used to fix the hat on the head and ensures its balance to make sure the big conical hat does not fall off while walking. When women wear it, the appearance is exotic: it looks like they are wearing an upside-down plate, or rather, a huge pancake (D. Ham 1918).

Normally, it was held in place by a simple hemp or silk cord. On special occasions, this cord was replaced by a large red chinstrap, made up of 24 braided silk cords, each cord 2 millimeters in diameter, being divided into two branches of 12 cords each. All ending in long tassels of the same color.

The upper end of each branch of the chinstrap was fixed on each side of the hat to an engraved silver clip, composed of a fixed part and an adjustable part. The fixed part included a pair of silver filigree inserted between the brim frames: this is the “Bộ Thẻ Nón”, "the hat's lamella", of the same length as the hat's brim. It was equipped with a ring.

The movable part consisted of a ring, through which the chinstrap passed, a finely engraved bat between two silver tassels, all forming a kind of chain, and a hook, called "duck's beak", “Bộ Mỏ Vịt”, which hooked onto the lamella's ring.

The silk cords were about one meter long and were tied in the middle of the chest, extended for about twenty centimeters and ended with tassels of about fifty red silk cords 0.5 meters long.

The overall length of the chinstrap was about 1.3 meters, so when wearing the Nón Thượng, the tassels hung almost to the feet. The red color of the silk cords was enhanced by gold threads and multicolored silk threads, which first joined them in pairs of two cords, which were then joined in bundles of three pairs of cords each, these two bundles finally being

connected to from each branch of the chinstrap. The whole was very elegant and had a great decorative effect.

Figure 13: Artist Unknown (2020), Non Thuong [photograph],Bao Da Nang

Figure 14: Artist Unknown (2022), screenshot of the hat's lamella[photograph] ,invaluable

Figure 15:Artist Unknown (2018), the hat's lamella [illustration],Flickr

NGUYEN DYNASTY’S SOCIETY

Nón Thượng was associated with the Annamite women in daily life, working at home, at the paddy fields, and at the market (in the book Technique du peuple Annamite published in 1909 we can see some pictures of women at that time flipped the hat upside down to easily carry stuff on their head, figure 16). According to Henri Oger 1909, Nón Thượng seemed to be so precious to Annamite women, after using it they put it neatly under the high thatched roof. Not only in daily life, Nón Thượng is also appeared in the 19th and 20th ceramics (Appendix 4)

The most common feminine outfit of women in the Nguyễn Dynasty is the four-flap tunic (Áo Tứ Thân) with tight-fitting sleeves, (wealthy women wear five-flap tunic - "Áo Ngũ Thân"), a scarf on their head and “Nón Thượng ” whatever the weather is “Nón Thượng ” was an essential item at that time (Duc 2018). Besides being a key item for Annamite women, it was also used to classify the social hierarchy in Nguyen Dynasty, “Nón Thượng ” , “Nón Nghệ” or “Nón Hạ” were commonly called “Nón Ba Tầm ” but when Nón Ba Tầm included the “Bộ Thẻ Nón” (Hat’s lamella) and the red silk chinstrap it would be called “Nón Quai Thao” which was normally used by wealthy people and for some special occasions. Hence the expression “ Đi ra nón Thượng quai thao” (When she goes out, she wears a Thuong hat with a silk chinstrap). This is said of a wealthy and noble woman. (D.Ham 1918; Thang 2016)

Figure 16,17,18,19: Oger (1909), screenshots of Non Thuong in daily life [illustration],Technique du peuple Annamite

Figure 20: Artist Unknown (2021),19th century Tonkin women [photograph],vintage,vietnamese instagram

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MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF NON THUONG

Today, not too many people are able to identify different types of this conical hat, especially, since it is a common mistake between “Nón Thượng ” and “Nón Cụ” . Basically, “Nón Thượng ” represented Tonkinese and Annamite and “Nón Cụ” was frequently used by Cochinchinese. There are some differences between these two conical hats, Nón Cụ is made from pandan leaves, its brim diameter is shorter and its depth is longer than Nón Thượng and the decoratives are also not the same, such as the turtle shell on top of the hat. The craftsmanship of “Nón Cụ” is complex, difficult, and probably more expensive than “Nón Thượng ” which is why it was only used for special occasions, it was considered a symbolic item in Cochinchinese weddings (Appendix 5; Thanh 2023).

Figure 21: Artist Unknown (2022),19th century Cochinchine women [photograph], Philppe.truong instagram

Figure 22: Huy Nguyen (2021),Non Cu [photograph], Vietphuc Artifacts instagram

Figure 23: Le Phan (2023),Cochinchine wedding [photograph], Elle Vietnam

Figure 24: Le Phan (2023),Cochinchine wedding [illustration], Elle Vietnam

INSPIRATION

These days, typical artifacts from the past have been put to the side, discarded, and forgotten as a result of our society's rapid industrialization and equally quick urbanization. Due to its exquisite workmanship, the disappearance of the equipment and materials used to construct the hats, and most importantly the difficulty in finding present craftsmanship requiring the level of skill and effort needed to make "Nón Thượng" it could not be seen anymore. Another factor is that, despite the fact that these conical hats were a vital component of Vietnamese culture, we are always trying to simplify our lives while ignoring to preserve the traditional culture. According to my personal research (Appendix 6) at many book stores and libraries, there aren't many Vietnamese-language sources that provide in-depth information about this hat (most of the limited sources are originally in France such as Technique du peuple Annamite , Une campagne au Tonkin or Picturesque and Monumental Indochina which contains the images of "Nón Thượng"), and there is only one reproduced "Nón Thượng" in Áo Dài museums at District 9 and only one original “Nón Cụ” at History Museum but they do not give any description about it, making it difficult for the younger Vietnamese generation to discover about their own culture. (Appendix 7)

Having said that, there are “Huế Dạng ” project by Huế Dạng which shares the feminine beauty of Annam Women with Nón Cụ, “Nguyễn Triều Nữ Y” (Women’s clothing from the Nguyen Dynasty) revived in chibi-style paintings by Kris Nguyen, or “Đồng Dao” an RTW collection

from Ancloset. Each project provides different perspectives, but there is one thing in common is that they are young Vietnamese generation, trying to appreciate and preserve the culture, which is a really bright spot and should be respected. In order to preserve the culture, not just Nón Thượng or other varieties of "Nón," but also other Vietnamese artifacts should be displayed, first to the next generation and then to the rest of the world so that more people are aware of our rich cultural heritage. That way, it will not spend the rest of its life wearing out in some old houses or closets being lost in time. As Vietnamese fashion students, I believe that in addition to following global trends, we should also pay attention to preserving local heritage, sharing it with the world, and turning it into our pride which could be inspired globally.

Figure 25:AnCloset (2023), screenshot of Dong dao collection [photograph], Ancloset instagram

Figure 26: Kris Nguyen(2021),Women’s clothing from the Nguyen Dynasty [photograph],Vietnam net

Figure 27:Huế Dạng (2021), Hue Dang project [photograph], Hue Dang Facebook

As a fashion enthusiast, the value of a fashion item goes beyond its price or brand. It's about the connection between me and my clothes, their practicality, and the story they hold. My most treasured piece is a 1940s1950s Sack, Chore, Utility, Hunter Coat, also known as a Blue de Travail. (Trotman n.d)

TUAN HIEP'S WORN STORY

The industrialization of the fashion industry and the desire for constant trends has led to overconsumption and negative impacts on the environment and labor. Watching "True Cost" inspired me to only buy second-hand clothing. I have been into thrifting and hunting for rare vintage clothing for almost four years, until now, most of my garments are from thrift shops all around Vietnam. I was always fascinated with vintage workwear when every details and designs have its own purpose, I got my beautiful chore jacket 1 year ago when I was cruising around at Ba Chieu Market, looking for some vintage Levi’s for my personal recycle garment project. I visited miss Hanh, the owner of one of my favorite thrift shops there, she always gives me a good deal and it is easy to do bargain with her. After purchasing four or five pairs of Levi’s jeans for only around 60 bucks, gifted it to me as a thank you for my support I was so happy and grateful. Then I went back home, I was surprised because I thought she gifted me a T-shirt or something like that, but it was not, it was a denim chore jacket. Based on my knowledge, after having a look at the detail of the jacket I could identify that this item is from the 1950s, even until now I still cannot believe that this jacket is able to survive for more than seventy years with only a few flaws and still remain the original indigo color.

Figure 28: Tuan Hiep (2023),[photograph]

Figure 29: Tuan Hiep (2023),[photograph]

GARMENT'S ILLUSTRATION

The practical and timeless design of the chore jacket makes it perfect for any informal occasion. The indigo denim fades perfectly based on the shape of my body, giving it a unique character that I love. With numerous pockets, I can carry many things without needing a bag, which is convenient for me.

The material of this jacket is nothing too much special. The fabric is denim twill fabric with the warp dyed in natural indigo which gives a “American” spirit. This jacket has laurel leaf buttons on every button, which were particularly popular during World War II and represent victory, peace, and protection ( Munnichs 2018). The usage of triple needle stitches, which are uncommon on modern clothing, is a unique feature of this jacket that is popular in vintage workwear. I find it fascinating to look at these details and consider how this jacket was made since they all fit together so perfectly.

Many decades have passed since the jacket's creation, and it has likely had many past owners and has been a witness to many stages of history. Now, it is mine as an unexpected and precious gift, I love telling everyone I met about how I got it and how special it is when having a garment which associated with the social, cultural, and history of the working-class masculinity on my body.

Figure 30:Tuan Hiep (2023),Fashion Illustration of Garment

I was getting bored of seeing the fashion world being industrialized, designers and consumers just want to stand out from each other and forget the core value of fashion.

All of the “creation” starts becoming meaningless and nonsense, bringing up many short-term trends which leads overconsuming and makes a huge impact on environment and labors.

Seeing this current situation and after watching the documentary True Cost inspired me to change my purchasing behavior Since then, I have been into thrifting and hunting for rare vintage clothing for almost 4 years

I was walking around at Ba Chieu Market, looking for some vintage Levi’s jeans for my personal recycle garment project.

I visited Ms.Hanh and purchased a few pairs of jeans for around 60 bucks and I was so grateful that she gave me a gift for my loyalty support.

I received a vintage jacket as a gift and was amazed to find out it's from the 40s or 50s, still in its original color Despite its high value on auction pages, I won't sell it as it's too precious to me.

Appendix 1:

Appendix

Appendix 3:

Kim Dong publisher made the story look interesting and appealing to children

Appendix 2:

Through many paintings and pictures, i realize that "nón thượng" was popular in Nguyen Daynasty but appeared in Le Dysnasty and the conical form was based on this hat from Le's soldiers

Appendix 5:

My group visited HCM city Fine Arts Museum and saw many antique ceramic, bronze arts and Also Dong Ho paintings of Quan Am

Appendix 4:

Cochinchine's wedding with nón cụ was a popular topic of Biên Hoà Ceramic

Antique ceramic arts about 19th century daily life which included nón thượng im HCM city Fine Arts Museum

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Figure 47

Figure 50

Appendix 6:

Most of the book which contain the images of infomation of nón thượng is from France authors then translated to Vietnamese but not so popular here

Appendix 7:

Figure 52

CITATIONS

APPENDIX 1

Figure 43: Tuan Hiep (2023) The legend of Quan Am [photograph]

Figure 44: Tuan Hiep (2023) The legend of Quan Am [photograph]

APPENDIX 2

Figure 45: Bao (2023) Bronze Statue of Quan Am in 20th century [photograph],Fine Art Museum in HCMC.

Figure 46: Bao (2023) Ceramic Statue of Quan Am in 20th century [photograph],Fine Art Museum in HCMC

APPENDIX 3

Figure 47: Oger (1909) screenshot of Le's male soldier hat [illustration], Technique du peuple Annamite

APPENDIX 4

Figure 48: Tuan Hiep (2023) Ceramic art in 20th century [photograph],Fine Art Museum in HCMC.

Figure 49: Tuan Hiep (2023) Ceramic art in 20th century [photograph],Fine Art Museum in HCMC

The only original "nón cụ" in HCM city at History Museum

The original "nón thượng" at Áo Dài Museum

APPENDIX 5

Figure 50 : Tuan Hiep (2023) Bien Hoa ceramic art in 20th century [photograph],Fine Art Museum in HCMC.

APPENDIX 6

Figure 51 : 51Technique du peuple Annamite book cover [photograph]

Figure 52: Une campagne au tonkin book cover [photograph]

Figure 53: Indo-chine pittoresque & monumentale book cover [photograph]

APPENDIX 7

Figure 54: Tuan Hiep (2023) Nón Cụ [photograph],History Museum in HCMC

Figure 55: Khanh Linh (2023) Nón Thượng [photograph], Áo dài Museum in HCMC

Figure 51

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Figure 55