A letter from a reader

At 62, the blouse under my jumper never stayed where I put it

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 crisp white collar peeping out of a jumper. It is smart without trying too hard. But wearing it was another matter. By the time I had got to the shops one collar point had crept under the neckline and the other was sticking up. The cuffs bunched up inside my sleeves. And the minute I sat down the shirt came untucked at the back. I spent the whole day tugging and straightening, and catching sight of myself in shop windows looking like I had dressed in the dark.

I could have the smart layered look and fiddle with it all day, or give up and wear a plain jumper. I did not think there was another way.

So the blouses went to the back of the wardrobe, and I settled for plain.

Then I saw one on my neighbour Margaret

Margaret came round for coffee looking so neat. A black jumper with a white collar, white cuffs and a white shirt hem, all perfectly in place. I asked how on earth she kept it all straight, and she laughed and said it is all one piece. The collar, the cuffs and the hem are sewn into the jumper, so there is no blouse underneath at all. 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 Theodora. I ordered mine that evening.

What happened at the bridge club lunch

I wore it to our bridge club autumn lunch with my dark jeans. I sat down, stood up, reached across the table for the milk, and every time I glanced down the collar was still lying flat and the cuffs were still folded neatly at my wrists. Three different women asked me about it before the soup, and my friend Sue told me I looked like I had made an effort, which I have decided to take as a compliment.

I had not realised how much of my day I spent fiddling with my clothes until I stopped.

Three things I have learned since

One. One piece means nothing moves. The white collar, cuffs and shirt hem are sewn in, so there is nothing to creep, bunch or come untucked. I pull it on and that is me dressed.

Two. No blouse to iron. There is no separate shirt to buy, iron, tuck in or straighten.

Three. It is easy to wear. A soft ribbed knit with dropped shoulders and a comfortable, regular shape. Black goes with everything, and the white details make jeans or tailored trousers look properly put together.

About the price

I had expected the clever ones to cost a good deal more.

The Theodora is £32.95. It was £66.

There is no catch. They have their autumn sale on and delivery is free. It comes in black with the white shirt details, from a UK 8 up to a UK 18.

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 worn it all day and not once had to straighten my collar. I did not know how much I needed that." 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 love the shirt and jumper look but you are tired of fighting with it, you do not have to give it up. You just need the version that cannot go wrong.

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