The basic rule of thumb is to not wear revealing clothing at any time, especially outside of the cities. Do not wear large amounts of jewelry – traditionally the Vietnamese consider it impolite to flaunt wealth in public. A few pieces of simple costume jewelry will dress up any outfit if you need to.
Even though it is not banned in Vietnam to wear jewelry, you don't want to draw people's attention towards your worth-million necklaces, for instance. Try not to carry any or just a tiny, plain item when you are walking around in public.
Gold in Vietnam is more expensive than the world price but jewellery work is usually cheaper for the reason as in #1 above.
Wearing shorts is acceptable in most situations for both men and women. However, Vietnam's traditional culture is somewhat conservative, so avoiding sleeveless shirts, tank tops, or short shorts—especially while visiting Buddhist temples—shows the greatest respect for it.
Dress standards can be more conservative outside of major cities in Vietnam. To respect this, and for your own comfort, we strongly recommend wearing modest clothing. This means clothes that cover your shoulders and knees, particularly in pagodas and religious sites.
Common taboos in Vietnam
Avoid hugging, holding hands, and especially kissing in public. Even touching a member of the opposite sex is looked down upon. Modesty: It is important to keep your body covered. Avoid overly short shorts and revealing shirts.
Popular items include their jade bracelets as well as the silver earrings with Vietnamese symbols, charm bracelets and pendants for necklaces made with pearls (from Phu Quoc and Halong Bay), Topaz and Onyx. The Vietnamese symbol for long life is also another fashionable choice for shoppers.
Thread bracelets, tribal traditional jewelry, or hoop earrings are created mainly by artisans, especially Vietnam ethnic minorities including Hmong, Thai, or ethnic groups living in Vietnam's northern mountains. They often put on a lot of jewelry when it's time for a celebration.
Some Cheap Jewelry Contains Carcinogens
Certain chromium and nickel compounds, for example, are “known to be human carcinogens” while lead is listed as a probable carcinogen. So, what does any of this research mean for you? It means that your cheap jewelry might contain chemicals that can cause cancer.
This is why it's a smart idea to come up with clever hiding spots for your valuables. Keeping jewelry and other valuables in an empty sunscreen bottle, aspirin bottle, or snack bag is a great idea for disguising your valuables while traveling.
Visitors to Vietnam can bring with them unlimited amounts of foreign currency, objects made of gold, silver, precious metals and gemstones or plated with silver or gold, but these must be declared in detail on their customs forms.
The director of a business said the State Bank of Vietnam (SBV) doesn't allow importing of material gold, and the price gap depends on market supply and demand. As a result, people have to buy gold bullion at very high prices.
Gold continued to be the top asset class for 72 percent of Vietnamese investors, the WGC said citing a study of 2,000 investors last year. The outlook for the precious metal is positive with 81 percent of investors who previously invested in gold saying they would consider doing so again.
The pearls meet international standards but they're about 20 to 30% cheaper than the average price elsewhere in the world. Because of this a lot of international tourists come to Halong Bay to purchase pearls.
No, designer brands such as Gucci, Burberry and Louis Vuitton are not cheaper in Vietnam than in Australia. In fact, many designer brands are actually more expensive in Vietnam due to higher taxes and shipping costs.
In the Vietnamese and Chinese culture, it's commonly believed to be magical, protecting those who wear it from evil and illness. Jade bracelets, which date back thousands of years, are traditionally passed from mother to daughter when the child is ready to leave home.
Wear Light, Breathable Fabrics
In order to cover up and stay comfortable during your trip, it's crucial to find breathable fabrics that can dry quickly if you sweat. Lots of Vietnamese people who live in the city enjoy wearing denim, but following this trend can make sightseeing unpleasant since its so heavy.
Traditionally, older Chinese and Vietnamese women wear jade around their wrists to protect and heal the body, and to ward off bad spirits.
Vietnamese people typically avoid direct eye contact and may gaze downward when talking. Avoiding eye contact demonstrates respect to elders, people of higher status or of the opposite sex. Speaking in a loud tone with excessive gestures is considered rude, especially when done by women.