Real stories · One piece, cool all day, and it has pockets

The soft off-shoulder jumpsuit that's one piece, keeps me cool and has pockets — my whole summer outfit in a single go

A soft, loose jumpsuit that was one piece and done, kept me cool through a warm afternoon and had proper pockets — that's what I'd been looking for all summer without much luck. I'm 67, and warm days had become a small daily battle. Anything fitted clung and stuck by lunchtime; anything sleeveless showed the tops of my arms, which I'd rather it didn't; and anything loose enough to be comfortable made me look as though I'd come out in my nightclothes. And I was forever hunting for somewhere to put my glasses and my keys.

What I wanted was one thing I could step into that looked like an outfit, felt like nothing, and gave me somewhere to put my hands.

Then I found the Althea from a British label called York Boutique — an off-shoulder tie-waist jumpsuit, and I chose the white, which felt very brave and turned out to be exactly right.

It's quietly become my favourite thing to wear. The neckline is a soft elasticated one that sits across the tops of your arms, so it goes on without a single button or zip, and it stays modest — the sleeves are relaxed and gathered, so the tops of my arms are covered. The waist is a drawstring you tie exactly where you like, which is why nothing digs in and it doesn't matter what I've had for lunch. Below that it's cut loose and easy all the way down, gathered softly at the ankle so it's neat with a flat sandal. The fabric is soft and breathable, so it doesn't stick to me on a hot day. And there are pockets — deep ones. My glasses live in the left one now.

Step in, pull it up, tie the waist. It's loose where I want it loose, the sleeves cover my arms, and there are pockets. I stopped looking for anything else.

A jumpsuit this easy, I assumed, would be seventy pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so it was £34.95 in the summer sale. I'll be honest, I paused at that for a moment. Then I thought about how many warm days it would sort out in one go, and that rather settled it.

I wore it to a lunch on my friend's terrace and three people asked where it was from, and one of them didn't believe me when I said it was one piece. I'd checked before ordering that I could send it back if the white didn't suit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — so there was nothing lost by trying. It comes in eight colours and in sizes UK 8/10 to 18/20.

If warm days have become a small daily battle for you too, do treat yourself to a look. The Althea is rated 4.6 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.