The Chut belong to the Viet-Muong language group of the Austro-Asiatic language family. They comprise approximately 7,000 people, with 5 sub-groups – Sách, Mày, Rục, A Rem, and Mã Liềng – who live mainly in the central province of Quang Tri province.
In the past, the Chut people wore the costumes of other nearby groups or simply loincloths made from tree bark, forest leaves, or animal skins.
“I first met the Chut people 35 years ago. They wore very unusual clothing, such as vests with shorts. They basically wore whatever they had,” said Associate Professor Dr. Lam Ba Nam, President of the Vietnam Association of Ethnology and Anthropology.
The research project on a representative costume for the Chut people was carried out by experts in ethnology and cultural studies. Surveys were conducted in several districts in the former Quang Binh province, which is now part of Quang Tri province.
A costume was designed for the Chut that respected their traditions and suited their living conditions. It has 5 colors: the red of the sun, the orange and earthy brown of caves – their original dwelling place – and the dark green and light green of the forest. The Rang leaf, a plant associated with prehistoric bark clothing, was stylized to create a visible connection between past and present.
“The design process was difficult because there was no traditional Chut costume, no images or models for comparison. I set out criteria to ensure the costume met the expectations of the Chut community, such as being easy to wear, easy to tailor, making people feel confident when wearing it, and conveying the culture and core values of the Chut people. I used stylized images of the Rang leaf and mountain shapes, and 5 colors symbolizing the 5 Chut sub-groups, to strengthen community connection and solidarity,” said Master Nguyen Thi Phuong Tu, a lecturer at Hanoi Architectural University and a designer of the Chut ethnic costume.
In January 2025, the project was accepted, and the costume was officially introduced in December of that year. At the debut ceremony, the Quang Tri provincial Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism handed out 624 costumes to Chut people.
“The Chut people worked with us at every stage – collecting opinions, sketching designs, consulting the community about the designs, and modeling the costumes at workshops to gather feedback. We conducted 25 group discussions and 98 interviews before finally deciding on a design that met their needs and expectations,” said Dr. Bui Thi Bich Lan, Deputy Director of the Institute of Ethnology and Religious Studies and head of the research project.
Dr. Vo Thi Mai Phuong at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology said, “The Chut display at the Vietnam Museum of Ethnology only contains some household items. We worked with them, surveying, discussing, revising models, and repeatedly adjusting the shape, materials, motifs, and patterns. Eventually we were able to create a costume for the Chut.”
The Chut ethnic costume was designed for use in cultural spaces, festivals, folk performances, and spiritual life.
