A letter from a reader

At 62, I never thought I could pull off anything with a bit of character

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

All my life I have admired women who dress with a bit of character. You know the sort. They walk into the village hall in something interesting, a bold colour, an unusual shape, and they just look like themselves. I always thought, I could never carry that off. I would look like I was trying too hard, or like I had borrowed my granddaughter's clothes. So I stuck to navy and grey, and plain cardigans that nobody ever noticed, least of all me.

I could play it safe, or I could wear something with a bit of personality. I had decided that at my age the safe option was the only one left.

So I stopped looking at the interesting things in shop windows. They were for other women.

Then I saw one on my friend Pauline at book club

Pauline turned up in the most striking cardigan, big blocks of olive green, mustard and black, with a curved front that buttons across on the diagonal with big black buttons. On a hanger I would have walked straight past it and said it was not for me. On her it looked wonderful, and not one bit like she was trying too hard. She just looked interesting. 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 Welane. I ordered mine that evening.

What happened at the village art show

I wore it to the opening of our village art show, buttoned up over plain black trousers, and I nearly turned round at the door. I am so glad I did not. Three different women asked me about it before I had even found the tea urn, and one of them thought I was one of the artists. My friend Sue told me I looked like I had made an effort, which I have decided to take as a compliment.

I did not feel like I was in fancy dress. I felt like the woman I had always quietly wanted to be.

Three things I have learned since

One. Bold is easier to wear than you think, if the rest is plain. The cardigan does all the talking. Plain black or camel trousers, a simple top underneath, and that is the whole outfit done.

Two. A diagonal line is a friend. The curved front and the row of big buttons run across you on the slant, so your eye follows the line rather than settling on your middle. It is much more flattering than a straight boxy cardigan.

Three. It is still a cardigan. It is a soft, cosy textured knit with ribbed cuffs, so it is warm and comfortable for a whole day out. You can wear it buttoned up or open over a plain top.

About the price

I had expected something this unusual to cost a good deal more.

The Welane is £37.95. It was £76.

There is no catch. They have their autumn sale on and delivery is free. It comes in this olive, mustard and black, from a UK 8 up to a UK 20.

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 never wear anything bold, but this gets more compliments than anything I own and it goes with all my plain trousers." 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 always admired the women who dress with a bit of character and thought it was not for you, it is not too late. You do not need a whole new wardrobe. You need one piece that does the brave bit for you.

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