Real stories · Bright and breezy

The cheerful floral dress that lifts my whole day

I'm 67, and somewhere along the way my summer wardrobe had gone rather beige and careful. I wanted a bit of colour and cheer — but the bright things were always either clingy and too warm, or cut for a much younger woman. So I kept reaching for the same safe, dull frocks and feeling a little invisible.

It sounds a small thing, but standing in front of the wardrobe with nothing that felt like me had started to wear on me. I wanted comfortable AND cheerful, and I'd rather given up on having both.

Then I found the Ainsley dress from a British label called York Boutique — a breezy midi in the brightest, happiest floral. I chose the pink, and I'm so glad I did.

The fabric is soft and cool in the heat, the cut is relaxed and skims rather than clings, and there are proper pockets. The round neck and easy short sleeves are just right, and that cheerful print honestly lifts my mood before I've even left the house.

Bright, breezy and so easy. It puts me in a good mood before I'm out the door.

A dress this pretty, I assumed, would be seventy pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so it was £34.95 in the summer sale. I nearly ordered the green as well.

A woman at the bus stop asked me where it was from. It comes in three colours — pink, green and blue — and in sizes right up to a 5XL, which so rarely happens.

If your summer wardrobe has gone a bit dull like mine had, do treat yourself to a look. The Ainsley is rated 4.8 out of 5 by more than 300 women, it's £34.95 in the summer sale instead of £70 — half price — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.