If you’ve walked down the streets of Hanoi, strolled through Saigon’s districts, or scrolled past a few too many TikToks from Vietnam, chances are you’ve seen it: a young man in slicked-back hair, oversized logo T-shirt, glittery sneakers, and a confident, almost performative strut.
Đôn chề (pronounced “dol-chay”) is not the Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana. It’s a Vietnamese wordplay, being a localized, exaggerated pronunciation of Dolce. Below is a brief “history” of Đôn chề fashion in Vietnam.
A Sub-Culture Of The 2000s
The name“Đôn chề” may be recent, yet the subculture behind it has been brewing since the 2000s, spanning fashion, music, dance, and even illegal street motorbike racing.
Fashion aspect, arguably the most visible and accessible part of the trend, will be the focus of this article. At its core, Đôn chề is a bold streetwear aesthetic defined by flashiness, logo overload, and exaggerated masculine flair. Picture this: leather loafers or chunky flip-flop sliders, ultra-tight jeans, bomber jackets with eagle wing prints stretched across the back, fake gold chains, and shirts plastered with oversized brand logos, usually fake. Top it off with a baseball cap covered in designer-inspired patterns.
These fashion choices were originally embraced by working-class Vietnamese, especially in rural or suburban areas. Young men who admired the aesthetics of global luxury brands, but couldn’t afford the real thing, gave it a distinct local spin by embracing flashy fakes from labels like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, or Dolce & Gabbana.
Đôn Chề Goes Viral
If there’s one person who brought Đôn chề to the mainstream (or meme-stream), it’s Khá Bảnh (real name: Ngô Bá Khá) - a viral figure in the late 2010s. He was a controversial figure known for his flashy outfits, slick dance moves, and viral TikTok videos featuring the “múa quạt” dance - an hand-spinning move that became a nationwide meme. Though his lifestyle were problematic, his influence on Vietnamese internet culture is undeniable. He turned Đôn chề from a sub-culture into a national phenomenon.
After that, Đôn chề continued. Gen Z online creators took the aesthetic and ran with it, reimagining it in dance trends, parody skits, and thirst-trap TikTok videos. The fashion, once associated with rebellion and bravado, is now as much about fun and self-expression as it is about swagger.
But here’s an important note: not everyone who dresses Đôn chề lives the “Đôn chề lifestyle.”
In Vietnamese, “lối sống Đôn chề” (the Đôn chề lifestyle) can carry negative connotations, linked to gang culture, online drama, or reckless behavior. But many young people today adopt the fashion without the attitude. It’s rather about performance and content creation. In other words, you can wear Đôn chề without being Đôn chề.
So... Should Tourists Try It?
Why not? Embracing Đôn chề fashion might just be the most eye-catching way to say, “I’m here for the culture.”
Just remember: it’s mimicry with respect. Đôn chề is still a reflection of Vietnam’s youth culture: bold, self-aware, and deeply online. Wearing it can be a way to appreciate the country’s quirky sense of humor and fearless fashion attitude.
In the end, Đôn chề might not be “Dolce”, but it’s got something cool: Vietnamese flair. And that’s always in style.