Real stories · Dressed in one go, and nothing digs in

The soft two-piece set that got me dressed in one go — and finally stopped the waistband digging in

A soft, loose top and trousers that already went together, so I could be dressed in one go with nothing digging into my middle — that's what I'd been quietly wishing for every morning. I'm 67, and I've noticed the mornings have got harder in a way I didn't expect. Not the getting up — the getting dressed. Standing at the wardrobe trying to make a top go with a pair of trousers, and then whatever I chose had a waistband that sat exactly where I didn't want it, so by mid-morning there'd be a red line across my tummy and I'd be quietly undoing a button under the table. Some days I gave up and stayed in the same soft trousers I'd had on the day before.

What I wanted was one outfit that was already decided for me: soft, loose, cool, and comfortable enough to sit in all afternoon — but that still looked like I'd made an effort.

Then I found the Apolline set from a British label called York Boutique — a relaxed short-sleeved top with matching trousers, and I chose the soft lilac.

It's become what I reach for first. The top is a simple round neck with easy short sleeves that cover the tops of my arms, cut loose so it skims rather than sits on me. The trousers are the clever part: the waist is a soft drawstring you tie exactly where you like it, which is why nothing digs in — there's no stiff band, no button, no zip, just a gentle gathered waist that moves with you when you sit down for lunch. They fall to the ankle, so they're neat with a flat sandal. The fabric is light and breathable, so I don't get that clammy feeling on a warm afternoon. Two pieces, no thinking, and I look put-together. My daughter said, 'Mum, you look nice,' before I'd even said good morning.

Top on, trousers on, done. It looks like I've thought about it, and there is nothing anywhere that pinches. That's the whole story, really.

A set this easy, I assumed, would be seventy pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so it was £34.95 in the summer sale for both pieces. I'll be honest, I paused at that for a moment. Then I worked out it's two things, not one, and it would replace half a drawer of clothes I never wear together anyway, and that rather settled it.

I've worn it to the garden centre, to my sister's for lunch, and round the house on a Sunday, and it works for all three. I'd checked before ordering that I could send it back if it didn't suit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — so there was nothing lost by trying. It comes in seven colours and in sizes UK 8 to 22.

If your mornings have quietly become a battle with the wardrobe and the waistband too, do treat yourself to a look. The Apolline set is rated 4.5 out of 5 by more than 300 women, it's £34.95 in the summer sale instead of £70 — half price for the pair — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.