The ''áo gấm'' (, Hán-Nôm: 襖錦) is a modified áo dài made with thicker fabric, and is a traditional

brocade Brocade is a class of richly decorative shuttle-woven fabrics, often made in colored silks and sometimes with gold and silver threads. The name, related to the same root as the word "broccoli", comes from Italian ''broccato'' meaning "embos ...

tunic for men. It is more elaborate than the formal "áo the", a similar men's tunic. These tunics are often worn at ceremonies, birthdays, festivals and other circumstances where the women wear an expensive áo dài.Vietnamese traditional “Ao Dai” enchants Seoul audience
"On Tet and other occasions, Vietnamese men may wear an áo gấm (brocade robe), a version of the ao dai made of thicker fabric.", Hanoi Times, Sep 01, 2017 The word gấm on its own means brocade ( 錦) hence "brocade tunic". The elegance of the brocade tunic is proverbial, as per the Vietnamese saying ''áo gấm đi đêm'' ("a brocade tunic going in the dark"), meaning to display your wealth or talents but too late or where they cannot be seen.Văn Bình Phạm Thành ngữ tiếng Việt - 2003 "áo gấm đi đêm (To go out in darkness in a brocade robe) Meaning: To show one's richness but not in time so nobody knows. Example: ..."

References

Dresses Vietnamese clothing Vietnamese words and phrases Folk costumes History of Asian clothing {{vietnam-stub