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The Tailor (2017) movie poster

Timeline

The Tailor (2017) Timeline Explained – Every Event in Order

Release, runtime and language
2017 · 100 mins · Vietnamese
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Directed by
Kay Nguyễn
Starring
Veronica Ngo, Ninh Dương Lan Ngọc, Diễm My, Diễm My 9x, Oanh Kiều, S.T Sơn Thạch

The film explores the evolution of the traditional Vietnamese ao dai during the 1960s in Saigon, a period considered its peak. Through the story of a tailor and his family, audiences witness the changing fashion and style of the ao dai as it transitions into modern times. The narrative also portrays the spirit of women in the 60s and 70s, contrasting a gentler Saigon with the bustling city it would become. The story unfolds within the complexities of family relationships and simmering tensions between two families.

On this page (5)
  1. 1 Where to watch
  2. 2 Events in order (15)
  3. 3 Timeline questions answered
  4. 4 Movie threads
  5. 5 Every angle
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15 events in order · contains spoilers

The Tailor Timeline: Events in Chronological Order

Every key event of The Tailor (2017) in order, scene by scene, with when and where it takes place. Use it to untangle flashbacks, time jumps and parallel storylines, to refresh your memory before the sequel or to find the exact scene you are thinking of.

  1. Thanh Nu Tailor House in 1969 Saigon

    In 1969, the tailor house Thanh Nu is considered the most famous tailor house in Saigon. Nine generations of the family have devoted their entire lives to tailoring ao dai, upholding the traditional Vietnamese craft through the golden era of the 1960s.

    When
    1969
    Where
    Thanh Nu tailor house, Saigon
  2. Two Sisters, Two Different Passions

    Thanh Mai, the owner of Thanh Nu, has two daughters: her biological daughter Nhu Y and her adopted daughter Thanh Loan. Thanh Loan loves tailoring ao dai, while Nhu Y prefers designing Westernized outfits, claiming that ao dai is old-fashioned and lacks variety in its designs.

    When
    1969
    Where
    Saigon
  3. A Mother's Advice Ignored

    Thanh Mai advises Nhu Y to focus on learning how to make ao dai, but Nhu Y neglects her mother's guidance because she only likes Western style fashion. This creates tension between mother and daughter over the preservation of the family's traditional craft.

    When
    1969
    Where
    Thanh Nu tailor house, Saigon
  4. The Ancestral Ao Dai

    Thanh Mai uses a unique piece of fabric passed down from her ancestors to make a beautiful ao dai. Nhu Y sees the dress, noticing that her own name is embroidered on it, and decides to try it on.

    When
    1969
    Where
    Thanh Nu tailor house, Saigon
  5. The Magical Journey to 2017

    As soon as Nhu Y tries on the ancestral ao dai, the piece of jade attached to it magically sends her through time. She is suddenly transported nearly five decades forward, arriving in the year 2017.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Saigon
  6. Saving Her Future Self

    Nhu Y falls on An Khanh, who is revealed to be Nhu Y's future self, just as An Khanh is about to attempt suicide. The collision causes the piece of jade to detach from the ao dai, leaving Nhu Y stranded in the future with no way back.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Saigon
  7. A Painful Discovery

    Nhu Y is shocked to learn that the tailor house Thanh Nu has been closed, and she can barely believe that An Khanh is her future self. She is stunned by how greatly Saigon has become modernized, while her family house stands empty and quiet.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Saigon
  8. The Tragic Years In Between

    It is revealed that after Thanh Mai died, An Khanh forced Thanh Loan to leave the house so she could open a Western tailor house, but the business failed shortly afterward. This failure caused An Khanh to become an alcoholic, while Thanh Loan opened her own successful ao dai business and raised two children, Helen and Tuan.

    When
    1969 - 2017
    Where
    Saigon
  9. Working for Helen

    Helen, Thanh Loan's daughter who is now a famous fashion designer, agrees to help An Khanh keep the family house, but in exchange Nhu Y must work for her. Nhu Y takes a job as a cleaner at the company while Tuan kindly helps her adapt to modern life.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Helen's fashion company, Saigon
  10. Assigned to Ao Dai Designing

    The company needs 1960s inspired designs, which is An Khanh's specialty, so she helps Helen with the project. Being impressed by Nhu Y's talent, Helen assigns her to ao dai designing, a great challenge since Nhu Y has always hated ao dai and never learned to make them.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Helen's fashion company, Saigon
  11. An Apology and a Letter From the Past

    An Khanh meets Thanh Loan in order to apologize for her past wrongs and to ask her how to tailor ao dai properly. Thanh Loan responds by giving An Khanh an envelope containing a letter from Thanh Mai along with the traditional ao dai tailoring method.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Saigon
  12. Learning the Family Craft

    An Khanh and Nhu Y practice together on how to make ao dai, guided by Thanh Mai's letter and instructions. Nhu Y dedicates herself to tailoring ao dai following Thanh Nu's traditional way, hoping to help the family tailor house regain its reputation.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Saigon
  13. The Fashion Event

    At the fashion event, model Trang Ngo and many models wear Nhu Y's collection on the catwalk. During the show, Helen attempts to switch the designer credit from Nhu Y to her own name in the script, but Tuan catches her and confronts her, urging her to carefully reconsider her decision.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Fashion event venue, Saigon
  14. Triumph and the Rebirth of Thanh Nu

    The show becomes a great success, with Nhu Y expressing her thoughts on the collection and sending her thanks to Helen. Right after the fashion event, the tailor house Thanh Nu is finally reopened, restoring the family legacy.

    When
    2017
    Where
    Saigon
  15. Return to 1969 and Reconciliation

    Nhu Y wears the ao dai with the piece of jade reattached, and the magical jade sends her back to 1969. She meets her mother again and apologizes to her, saying that she now knows how to make ao dai. Overwhelmed with joy, mother and daughter dance together in a heartfelt reconciliation.

    When
    1969
    Where
    Thanh Nu tailor house, Saigon

Last updated: October 11, 2026 at 16:44

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Timeline questions answered

The Tailor Timeline Explained: Your Questions Answered

When does it happen, and why in that order? The questions people ask about the chronology of The Tailor (2017): time jumps, flashbacks, cause and effect between scenes and the correct order of events, each answered with spoilers.

Q1

Why was Như Ý transported to 2017 when she tried on the ancestral áo dài?

The áo dài crafted by Thanh Mai carries a magical jade embedded in its fabric, which activates the moment Như Ý wears it. Because her own name was embroidered into the garment, the jade reacts as if recognizing her, instantly pulling her forward nearly fifty years from 1969 to 2017. The garment essentially functions as a time-bridging heirloom rather than an ordinary piece of clothing.

  • nhu y
  • jade
  • ancestral ao dai
  • time travel
  • 2017
  • magical
Q2

Why did An Khánh force Thanh Loan out of the Thanh Nu house after Thanh Mai died?

After inheriting the Thanh Nu house, the future Như Ý, now called An Khánh, wanted to abandon the family's traditional craft in favor of Western-style fashion, the same preference she had shown in 1969. Thanh Loan, who had devoted her life to traditional áo dài, represented the opposing vision. An Khánh expelled her so she could freely convert the family estate into a Western tailor shop without internal resistance.

  • an khanh
  • thanh loan
  • thanh nu
  • expel
  • family conflict
Q3

How did future Như Ý end up becoming a suicidal alcoholic?

An Khánh's downfall unfolded in stages after Thanh Mai's death. Expelling Thanh Loan left her without a master tailor in the family, and the Western fashion shop she launched in the emptied Thanh Nu house failed quickly. The collapse of her business, combined with the lasting guilt of betraying her adopted sister and losing her mother's legacy, pushed An Khánh into heavy drinking and isolation, ultimately leading to her suicide attempt when Như Ý arrives in 2017.

  • an khanh
  • alcoholism
  • business failure
  • family betrayal
Q4

Why did Helen try to steal Như Ý's designer credit at the fashion show?

Helen had built her reputation as a renowned fashion designer, and she feared that Như Ý's collection, showcasing techniques rooted in the Thanh Nu tradition she had been taught to despise, would eclipse her own standing. During the runway event, she attempted to switch the script so that her name replaced Như Ý's as the credited designer. Tuấn caught her in the act and confronted her, forcing her to reconsider before the show became a triumph for Như Ý.

  • helen
  • fashion show
  • credit
  • designer
  • thanh nu
Q5

Why did Thanh Loan ultimately forgive An Khánh after being expelled from the family?

Old Thanh Loan chooses forgiveness because she understands that An Khánh's remorse is genuine and because preserving the Thanh Nu craft matters more to her than holding on to a decades-old grudge. Instead of refusing An Khánh's apology, she hands over an envelope containing Thanh Mai's letter, which details the secret áo dài tailoring methods. Her act of reconciliation is what allows An Khánh and Như Ý to finally master the traditional techniques.

  • thanh loan
  • forgiveness
  • an khanh
  • thanh mai
  • letter
Q6

What did Thanh Mai's letter contain, and why was it so important?

The letter left behind by Thanh Mai documents the secret methods of áo dài tailoring that had been refined over nine generations of the Thanh Nu family. Old Thanh Loan had kept it safe for decades and only releases it once An Khánh sincerely repents. The instructions inside are what allow both An Khánh and Như Ý to finally design authentic Thanh Nu áo dài, making the letter the literal key to reviving the family's lost craft.

Foreshadowing: Thanh Mai's earlier insistence that Như Ý master the family's traditional methods hints that she had always intended to pass the secrets down, even if her daughter initially refused.

  • thanh mai
  • letter
  • ao dai
  • secret methods
  • tailoring
Q7

Why was Như Ý's name embroidered on the ancestral áo dài?

Thanh Mai deliberately embroiders Như Ý's name into the dress made from the rare ancestral fabric, suggesting she designed it specifically for her biological daughter. The garment becomes the vessel that carries the magical jade intended to bring Như Ý back to her family's craft. The detail implies Thanh Mai always saw a future for Như Ý within the Thanh Nu legacy, even while her daughter was busy rejecting it.

  • nhu y
  • embroidered
  • ancestral fabric
  • thanh mai
  • jade
Q8

Why was Helen willing to help An Khánh keep the Thanh Nu house despite their painful family history?

The Thanh Nu house is the ancestral seat of Helen's grandfather's family, founded and kept alive across nine generations. Even though her mother Thanh Loan was expelled from it for decades, the home still represents the cultural heart of their lineage. Helen agrees to help An Khánh keep it on the condition that Như Ý works at her company, tying the preservation of the historic house to the modernization of its legacy through contemporary fashion.

  • helen
  • thanh nu house
  • family heritage
  • thanh loan
Q9

How did Như Ý learn to design the áo dài after spending her life rejecting it?

Once trapped in 2017, Như Ý is forced to confront the consequences of her disdain for the craft. She starts as a cleaner at Helen's company, where the firm's need for 1960s-inspired designs draws out her natural talent. Helen then assigns her to the áo dài department, and with An Khánh's guidance, plus Thanh Mai's letter, she practices the traditional Thanh Nu techniques. By the time of the fashion show, she has fully transformed her hostility into devotion.

  • nhu y
  • ao dai
  • transformation
  • thanh nu
  • fashion design
Q10

Why did Tuấn confront Helen when she tried to steal the design credit?

Tuấn is Helen's brother and works inside her company, but he has grown close to Như Ý while helping her adapt to modern life. When he sees Helen editing the script to replace Như Ý's name with her own, he intervenes because he recognizes the work as genuinely Như Ý's and considers the act dishonest. His moral stand during the climactic runway scene forces Helen to abandon the switch before the collection is presented.

  • tuan
  • helen
  • confrontation
  • credit
  • honesty
Q11

Why did future Như Ý, An Khánh, try to kill herself in 2017?

By 2017, An Khánh has lost almost everything that once defined her. The Thanh Nu house she coveted is shut down, her Western fashion venture collapsed, her adopted sister lives estranged as a successful tailor she once expelled, and she has been drowning those failures in alcohol. Strung out and isolated, she climbs to a high point with the intention of jumping, only for the past version of herself, Như Ý, to crash into her and knock the jade loose, abruptly ending the attempt.

  • an khanh
  • suicide
  • alcoholism
  • family
  • collapse
Q12

Why does the jade send Như Ý back to 1969 at the end of the film?

After the triumphant reopening of the Thanh Nu house, Như Ý reattaches the magical jade to the same ancestral áo dài and wears it once more. The jewel reactivates because her journey is now complete: she has mastered the craft she once despised and earned the right to bring that knowledge home. She awakens back in 1969 in time to embrace Thanh Mai, apologize for her stubbornness, and proudly declare that she finally knows how to tailor the áo dài.

  • jade
  • time travel
  • nhu y
  • 1969
  • thanh mai
  • ao dai

Movie threads

More Movies Like The Tailor, by Mood & Story

Curated lists built around what makes The Tailor tick: the same mood, the same kind of story or the same emotional payoff. Each list explains why these movies belong together.

Cultural heritage stories with gentle magic like The Tailor

Films where soft fantasy breathes life into vanishing traditions and timeless crafts. Looking for movies like The Tailor that blend soft magical realism with cultural pride and traditional crafts? These films weave dreamy fantasy touches into nostalgic dramas about heritage, fashion, food, and vanishing ways of life, offering a hopeful, heartwarming tone with steady pacing and medium emotional depth.

  • nostalgic
  • dreamlike
  • culturally rich
  • serene
  • enchanted
  • warm
  • Tone: hopeful, nostalgic, dreamlike
  • Pacing: steady, contemplative
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Films in this thread typically follow a protagonist whose craft, art, or cultural tradition becomes a lens for exploring memory, identity, and belonging. A subtle supernatural element, often tied to an object, place, or inherited skill, allows characters to revisit the past, commune with ancestors, or glimpse an alternative present. Conflicts arise from modernization, generational misunderstanding, or external pressures on the tradition itself, while the narrative resolves with reconciliation, preservation, or graceful acceptance of change. The arc is less about action and more about rediscovering meaning through heritage.

Why they belong together: These films share a reverent, culturally affectionate tone, a dreamy or nostalgic atmosphere, and a willingness to bend reality just enough to make tradition feel alive. Their pacing is measured, their emotional register hopeful, and their intensity moderate. Viewers seeking gentle, culturally rich stories with a touch of enchantment will find a coherent cluster here, anchored by shared moods of warmth, serenity, and quiet wonder rather than genre markers alone.

Generational family reconciliation movies like The Tailor

Stories of estranged families across generations finding their way back to forgiveness. If you loved The Tailor and want similar movies about family estrangement, rivalry, and ultimate reconciliation across generations, this collection is for you. These multi-generational family dramas explore broken bonds, betrayal, and forgiveness with a hopeful ending, steady pacing, and moderate emotional depth that culminates in joyful resolution.

  • reconciliatory
  • family saga
  • generational
  • heartwarming
  • bittersweet
  • forgiveness
  • Tone: bittersweet, hopeful, warm
  • Pacing: steady, character driven
Why these movies?

The story pattern: Stories in this thread typically begin with a family fracture, a rivalry, or a long-held secret that has shaped multiple generations. Protagonists, often returning home or discovering their lineage, must confront past wounds involving parents, siblings, or extended kin. Parallel timelines or inherited heirlooms connect past and present, revealing how misunderstandings, betrayals, or choices by earlier generations echo into current conflicts. Climactic moments force honesty and accountability, and the arc resolves with apologies, reunions, or the rebuilding of trust, ending on a clearly hopeful or joyful note.

Why they belong together: These films share a structural commitment to family as the central emotional arena, with reconciliation and forgiveness as the throughline. Their tone leans hopeful even when the backstory includes heavy themes like alcoholism, estrangement, or betrayal. They tend to balance intimacy with generational sweep, use moderate emotional weight, and resolve with happy or bittersweet endings. The pacing is steady, the complexity moderate, and the overall effect is cathartic rather than tragic.

Every angle

The Tailor (2017) Explained: Plot, Timeline & Characters

Everything about The Tailor in one place: what happens in the plot summary, the timeline in chronological order, the characters and meaning and a spoiler-free summary. What's After the Movie adds the cast, box office and post-credit scenes.

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