Real stories · Warm under the coat, without the bulk

In my thick jumpers I couldn't lift my arms in my coat — in thin ones I froze

Warm under my coat, without the bulk — that's all I was after, and it took me years to find. I'm 67, and every winter morning was the same choice: a thick jumper, and my coat went tight across the shoulders, the sleeves bunched at the elbows and I couldn't reach up to the bus rail without a struggle — or a thin top, and I was cold to the bone by the end of the road.

What I wanted was a jumper that kept me warm and still let my coat do up and my arms move.

Then I found the Buttonelle from a British label called York Boutique — a soft jumper with a neat collar and a short row of little buttons at the neck. I chose the red for Christmas; there's light blue, camel and white too.

It's made to keep you comfortably warm without feeling bulky, which is why my coat buttons up over it without pulling across the shoulders and the sleeves slide on without bunching at the elbows. I can reach up, turn round to reverse the car and carry the shopping — and I'm still warm when I get there.

Warm without the bulk — which is why my coat does up over it, my arms move freely, and I'm still cosy at the bus stop.

At £29.95 — half the usual £60 — it's a good deal cheaper than the bigger coat I nearly bought to fit over my old jumpers.

It has done frosty dog walks, a long wait at the bus stop and a whole Saturday in town, and Sandra watched me hang the bird feeder in it and said I moved 'like I'd shed a layer'. I did check before ordering that I could send it back if it didn't suit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free.

If your winter layers also leave you either bulky or cold, do have a look. The Buttonelle is rated 4.6 out of 5 by more than 230 women, it comes in four colours, in UK sizes 8/10 to 22/24 — and at half price the red goes quickly before Christmas.