Overcoming fate, passion for preserving traditional costumes

Mrs. So always wants to be able to bring traditional costumes of the nation far and wide.

Mrs. So always wants to bring traditional costumes of the nation "far away".

Mrs. Sam Thi So was born in 1968. At the age of 12, she was paralyzed, her limbs were constricted, and she could only lie in one place. Although her family sought treatment in many places, her condition did not improve. When she was 16, her father invited a good doctor to come and examine her. After a period of applying and taking medicine, she was able to stretch her legs and start crawling.

Being a determined person, since she was still sedentary, Mrs. So learned to cut and sew clothes for the whole family. Neighbors saw her sewing well and asked for help and sent her money. From then on, she worked hard every day cutting and sewing with the first joy of being able to help herself and her family.

At first, the neighbors just wanted to help and encourage her, but as time went on, seeing her cutting and sewing by hand beautifully and carefully, more and more people brought fabric. Because of the hand sewing, each shirt took a long time to make, someone told her that if she bought a sewing machine, it would be faster and less tiring. So, she asked her sister to sell her pig to buy her a sewing machine.

When she got home, Mrs. So tried to figure out how to use the sewing machine. During her first steps on the sewing machine, she suppressed the pain and put all her strength into her crippled legs. After many times of falling down because of fatigue and cramps, she was able to skillfully sew shirts, Ao Ba Ba, and fabric pants. Seeing her beautiful sewing, someone came to her to ask her to make Dao ethnic bride clothes. From then on, she "fell in love" with the job of sewing traditional ethnic costumes.

In 1998, Ms. So first learned about television and read books and newspapers. Learning through each frame and page, she understood that traditional costumes of ethnic groups are valuable assets that need to be preserved. From then on, she hoped that everyone would see the good and beauty of cultural identity and preserve it.

So, whenever someone came to make clothes to attend big events, Mrs. So would whisper, "The Red Dao ethnic costume is very special, it is the most beautiful outfit." Ms. Sam Thi Moi wore the traditional costume to the capital Hanoi , when she returned, Mrs. Moi told everyone: "Oh, when I got there, everyone praised it as beautiful, came to ask to take pictures with it, I am so proud of my ethnic costume." From then on, Mrs. So received many more orders to make Red Dao ethnic costumes.

Mrs. So's joy is that traditional Dao ethnic costumes appear more and more.

Nowadays, she makes both everyday Dao ethnic costumes and bridal costumes. Making ethnic costumes is not easy, and in her situation, it is even more difficult. To get the materials to complete the costumes, Mrs. So and her husband ride a motorbike to the highland market to choose and buy. One day there is none, the next day they have to go looking for them.

Not only is Ms. So skillful, she is also very quick and creative. For the past 2 years, she has boldly used social media to connect with customers. Her simple but genuine livestreams have helped her bring her products closer to everyone.

Orders are increasing day by day, not only in Thai Nguyen but also across the country. On average, each month, she makes 9 Dao ethnic costumes for daily wear and 1 set for festivals. There are times when the products are not made in time for orders, but customers still patiently wait because they believe in her skills and dedication. With her hands overcoming adversity, Ms. So has found her own path, connecting tradition with technology, spreading love for ethnic culture in her own way.

Ms. Ly Thi Hong, Head of Na Ca village, said: Mrs. So is a shining example of the will to overcome fate. She has contributed to helping people understand more about the meaning and importance of national cultural identity.

Source: https://baothainguyen.vn/van-hoa/202509/vuot-len-so-phan-tam-huyet-luu-giu-trang-phuc-truyen-thong-cad24eb/