Page 260 - Trang Phục Việt Nam

The general population were restricted in dress and ornamentation. For instance, the
common people were only allowed to tattoo snake designs and floral patterns, such as
shown on the kettledrum. For servants in every household, it was prohibited to brand ink-
marks on the belly, chest, and legs, especially dragon shapes such as those of the Imperial
Guard. The people at this time were not allowed to wear gold colored shirts, and the girls were
not allowed to imitate the dress styles of palace maids. Up to this period, black-lacquered
teeth and chewing betel were popular customs. Women wore earrings, tied their hair in a bun,
and adorned flower fringes on the forehead, which recalls the apparel styles of the female
images seen on the dagger and sword handles in the Hùng Kings periods.
The Trần Dynasty
As the Lý Dynasty fell into decadence, the aristocrats who formed the Trần Dynasty (1255-
1400) progressively joined forces and took control. On the coronation day, on each side of the
royal courtyard, stood all the armed Generals-in-Chief of the Kim Ngô, Vũ Vệ, Vũ Tiệp, Vũ Lâm,
Phụng Quốc groups. Trần Thủ Độ, a high-ranking mandarin, stood on the right, carrying a
sword. Lý Chiêu Hoàng wore the crown and the royal tunic, sitting on the jade throne,
declaring the royal proclamation to abdicate her throne. After that, she lifted the crown, placed
it on Trần Cảnh’s head, and gave her royal tunic to him. Trần Cảnh complied with the royal
ordinance and then stepped up to the jade throne and declared himself King.
Maintaining the long-standing traditions of the nation, under the Trần Dynasty the Đại Việt
people with great determination and self-reliance, gloriously defeated the Yuan-Mong invaders
three times. This brought about a comprehensive development for the nation. With reference
to the weaving industry, at this time our people were able to produce cotton and hemp fabrics,
silks, gauze, fluffed and floss silks, chiffon, brocade and satin. The embroidery industry was
also well developed.
Royal costumes
From the beginning, Trần Thủ Độ restored the centralization of power, along with the
foundation of more specialized bodies. He also established new official titles and dress
codes to distinguish the official rankings in different committees and divisions.

In the eighth Hưng Long year, military officials were granted new caps and clothes. The civil
officials wore the black T-letter-shaped cap. The judicial officials wore the old blue flower-
patterned caps (pierced caps with floral patterns, with golden circles on each side). The width
of sleeves of the tunics of civil and military officials ranged about 30-40cm. Smaller sleeves,
about 27cm, were not used. The judicial officials were not allowed dress privileges. Officials
wearing Đinh-shaped caps had to tie their hair back using a strip of purple bluish-green silk.
Longhaired aristocrats could wear a triều thiên cap and those with short hair the bao cân cap.

During this period, the King wore a bình thiên cap (pacifying the world), quyển vân cap
(cloudy), or phù dung cap (changing hibiscus), royal tunic and kim long waistband (gold
dragon). The collar had a brim of a strip of fine white silk, accompanied by a pearl and golden-
fringed chuddar. Another kind of cap was the tế đằng (knitted from thin strips of rattan), inlaid