Drum roll for the dirndl

VIENNA: The Austrian dirndl, the traditional costume for women, is everywhere - from fashion magazines and the windows of upmarket city boutiques to the pages of mail-order catalogues.

While a few years ago wearing the bodice-dress, blouse and apron combination was the domain of rustics and a few social conservatives, with sassy urbanites not wanting to be seen dead in it, the dirndl is present all over the society pages these days, enhancing the curves of Austria's leading fashionistas.

A quick tour through several of Vienna's upmarket folksy boutiques showed a brisk trade, with ladies of all ages busily buying or renting the elaborate "Tracht" or folk costume.