A letter from a reader

At 62, I had given up on jumpers because every one of them made me itch

I have never written to a shop before, and I did not expect my first letter to be about a jumper.

I have always loved the look of a nice jumper. But my skin has got so sensitive over the years that every one I tried was a misery. Within half an hour I would be scratching at my neck and my wrists, and by the evening there would be a red ring round my throat where the collar had been. I tried wearing a vest underneath, then a long-sleeved T-shirt, then two. In the end I gave up and lived in fleeces, which are soft, but which make me look like I am about to go and walk the dog.

I could look smart in a jumper, or I could be comfortable in my own skin. I had decided that at my age I could not have both.

So the nice jumpers went to the charity shop, and the fleeces came out every October.

Then I saw one on my friend Wendy at the WI coffee morning

Wendy was in the prettiest soft sage green jumper with a neat little high neck, tucked into her jeans. I said I could never wear one like that, it would drive me mad by lunchtime. She took my hand and put it on her sleeve. It was so soft I actually laughed. She told me it was from Nottingham Boutique, a little boutique that has been quietly dressing women our age for a few years now. It is called the Benice. I ordered mine that evening.

What happened at Sunday lunch

I wore it to Sunday lunch at my son's, tucked into my good jeans, and I wore it all afternoon without once reaching for my neck. Three different women asked me about it before the roast was even on the table, and my friend Sue told me I looked like I had made an effort, which I have decided to take as a compliment.

It is a small thing, a jumper. But I had forgotten how nice it is to put one on in the morning and simply forget about it.

Three things I have learned since

One. It is the knit, not your skin. The Benice is a fine, soft knit that feels smooth against you, not hairy or prickly. I wear it with nothing underneath and my neck and wrists are perfectly happy at bedtime.

Two. A high neck does not have to be tight. The little high neck sits neatly and keeps the chill off, but it does not cling or press on your throat the way the old polo necks did.

Three. Tuck the front in. It has a relaxed, straight cut with slightly dropped shoulders, so tuck just the front into your jeans or trousers and it gives you a waist and looks put together. The ribbed neck, cuffs and hem keep it neat wash after wash.

About the price

I had expected a jumper this soft to cost a good deal more.

The Benice is £34.95. It was £70.

There is no catch. They have their autumn sale on and delivery is free. It comes in ten colours, from white, beige, grey and black to pink, yellow, blue, two greens and a bright fuchsia, from a UK 8 up to a UK 22.

I did go and read the reviews before I ordered. Just over three hundred of them, sitting at 4.2 stars. Not the suspiciously perfect five you see on some sites, which if I am honest made me trust it more. One woman had written, "I have very sensitive skin and cannot wear wool at all, but I wore this all day with nothing underneath. I have ordered it in three colours now." That was the one that decided it for me.

What I would tell you if we were friends

If you came round and we sat out on the porch with a cup of tea, this is what I would tell you.

If you have given up on jumpers because they make you itch, it might not be you at all. It might just be the knit. Give a really soft one a try before you settle for another winter in fleeces.

It does not look like it was made for somebody half my age, and it does not look like I have given up either.

Caroline