Áo dài the "ngũ thân" as a modern dress in the 1920s and 1930s. The updated look was promoted by the artists and magazines of Tự Lực văn đoàn (Self-Reliant Literary Group) as a national costume for the modern era. In the 1950s, Saigon designers tightened the fit to produce the version worn by Vietnamese women today. The dress was extremely popular in South Vietnam in the 1960s and early 1970s. On Tết and other occasions, Vietnamese men may wear an "áo gấm" (brocade robe), a version of the ao dai made of thicker fabric. Academic commentary on the ao dai emphasizes
Miss Asian America community-based projects, service learning, and presentations in their heritage language. Cultural integration and the introduction of neoliberal values have also been examined through the prism of the Miss Asian America Pageant extensively by women's studies scholars. Professor Nhi T. Lieu, in studying Miss Asian America pointed to the pageant's role in promoting capitalism and neoliberal values presented within traditional contexts such as the utilization of the Vietnamese women's garment known as the ao dai. Lieu adds that the role of technology in beauty pageants also enabled the introduction of modernity and consumer goods to many Asian American households in attendance