The yếm might have originated from the Chinese dudou, a variant of similar undergarments used in China since antiquity whose use spread under the Ming and Qing dynasties.

[1][2][3][4] After unification of Vietnam, the Nguyễn dynasty forced the whole country to adopt the costumes of Đàng Trong Kingdom, in which tunics and long trousers took the place of the yếm and skirt (váy đụp).

[13] Trousers and tunics based on the Chinese pattern in 1774 were ordered by Nguyễn Phúc Khoát to replace the sarong-like traditional clothing.

[18] While it was worn across classes, the material and colors used to make yếm varied widely based upon the person's social status and the occasion.

Fashion designers, in their constant quest to revitalize interest in traditional costumes - as well as reinvent them - have created many new collections of yếm.