"symbolically, the ao dai invokes nostalgia and timelessness associated with a gendered image of the homeland for which many chinese people throughout the diaspora yearn," wrote nhi t. lieu, an assistant professor at the university of texas at austin.the difficulties of working while wearing an ao dai link the dress to frailty and innocence, she wrote. vietnamese writers who favor the use of the ao dai as a school uniform cite the inconvenience of wearing it as an advantage, a way of teaching students feminine behavior such as modesty, caution, and a refined manner.