We went searching to photograph them (Vietnamese women in their graceful national dress called Ao Dai), but they seemed to have disappeared from the streets of Hanoi ... so I would leave you with this.

Ao Dai consists of a close-fitting tunic with long panels at the front and back, which is worn over loose trousers. During the period of dynasty rule, the colors of the brocade and embroidery indicated the rank of the wearer: gold brocade with embroidered dragons was reserved for the emperor, high-ranking mandarins wore purple, while lower-ranking mandarins wore blue.

The Ao Dai should not be confused with the famous 'black pyjamas' of the Viet Cong, immortalised in numerous Hollywood movies, which are actually a form of rural dress still worn by many people in the countryside today.