Real stories · The shirt that smartens everything I own

The striped shirt I throw over everything — and suddenly I look like I've made a plan

One shirt that would pull my ordinary clothes together — something I could throw over a t-shirt and instantly look put-together instead of thrown-together: that's what my wardrobe was quietly missing. I'm 67, and most days I live in soft basics, which are comfortable and, let's be honest, a bit shapeless. I'd look in the mirror before the shops and think: comfortable, yes; dressed, not quite. But proper 'smart' shirts always seemed to mean stiff collars, tight shoulders and fabric that needed ironing twice.

What I wanted was one easy piece that did the smartening for me — loose enough to be comfortable, crisp enough to look deliberate.

Then I found the Cordienne from a British label called York Boutique — a blue and white striped button shirt, cut relaxed, with a proper collar and two chest pockets.

It's become the hardest-working thing I own. The cut is the clever part: it's roomy through the body and shoulders, which is why it looks crisp without ever feeling stiff — the stripes do the smart work while the loose fit does the comfortable work. Over a white t-shirt with jeans, it says 'I've made an effort'. Worn open like a light jacket on a warm day, it's smarter than a cardigan and cooler too. Sleeves rolled for the garden centre, sleeves down for lunch. The vertical stripes are kind to you, as stripes go, and the collar sits properly instead of curling.

Over a t-shirt, over my shoulders, tucked in, hanging loose — it works every way I've tried it. It's the first thing I pack and the first thing I iron.

I wore it over a plain white top to meet my daughter for coffee and she said, 'Oh, you look nice — where are you off to?' Nowhere, I said. That's rather the point. 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 was £29.95 in the summer sale, half what it usually is, which for the piece I now wear three days out of five is very good going.

If your wardrobe is all comfortable basics that never quite look dressed, do treat yourself to a look. The Cordienne is rated 4.5 out of 5 by more than 300 women, it's £29.95 in the summer sale instead of £60 — half price — and it always seems to sell through quickly when the sale is on.