Traditional Attire of the Ede
The Ede are one of Vietnam's 54 ethnic groups. Besides their rich mythology, epics, and renowned musical instruments, the traditional attire of the Ede is also a prominent and distinctive feature of their culture.
In Ede culture, men and women have their own distinct traditional garments, yet they all maintain a shared aesthetic beauty. With skillful hands and meticulous precision, the Ede weave garments deeply imbued with the colors of their ethnicity. Traditionally, Ede clothing is often black or indigo.
The traditional attire for Ede women consists of a wrap-around skirt (vay tam) and a pullover top (ao chui). The women's top has a unique design; it is split horizontally from the left to the right shoulder and is put on by pulling it over the head. When worn, the top fits snugly around the body, extending down to the waist. The sleeves are designed to be short and relatively narrow, while the high, wide neckline allows for easy wearing. On an indigo background, the top is decorated with borders combined with small patterned bands of red, white, and yellow threads on the collar, shoulders, arms, cuffs, and hem.
Ede women wear the vay tam, which are fabric wraps wound multiple times around the waist and secured with cords. When worn, the hem of the skirt can reach the woman's heels, providing modesty. The patterns on the women's skirts are also borders featuring red, yellow, blue, and white threads, creating striking accents.
As for the men's attire, it comprises a loincloth (kho) and a wrap-around top (vai tam). The men's tops are designed to be wider and longer than those of women. The neckline is a round cut, sloping towards the front, and split down the chest. The sleeves are long, and the back hem is longer than the front. On the dark background of the body and sleeves, the collar trim, the split at the front, and the hem are decorated with red and white borders. Notably, the middle section of the top features horizontal stripes in a rectangular layout. This is a typical type of shirt for Ede men. There are also shortsleeved tops that reach the elbow, or sleeveless versions.
Ede men use a loincloth to cover their lower body. Typically, a loincloth is about 30cm wide. Its length varies depending on the occasion. The loincloth is worn by wrapping it around the waist, then through the crotch. One end of the loincloth is tucked into the side to secure it firmly, while the other end hangs freely in the front. The most beautiful types of loincloths are kteh, drai, drech, piek, while bong and bal are common types.
To this day, the Ede possess a complete range of traditional garments and an aesthetic style that is quite representative of the ethnic groups in the Central Highlands./.
Story: Ngan Ha Photos: Cong Dat/VNP Translated by Hong Hanh