Real stories · The occasion dress that brings its own cover-up

A sleeveless occasion dress I can actually wear at 67 — because the matching stole for the arms comes in the box

A sleeveless occasion dress that comes with its own answer to the arms question — that's what finally ended my longest-running wardrobe argument. I'm 67, and sleeveless dresses are where elegance and I part ways: the dress is lovely, and then I spend an hour hunting for 'something for over it' that never quite matches, and end up in the same old black shrug that matches nothing.

What I wanted was the whole answer in one box: the dress AND the thing for the arms, designed together.

Then I found the Corvalisse from a British label called York Boutique — a flowing printed maxi, and here's the part that sold me: the matching stole is included. Same print family, same cloth, in the box.

The dress itself does the elegant work: floor-length, with a flowing cut that moves beautifully and skims rather than clings, and a rich print that reads as considered rather than loud. But the stole is the genius. Draped over the shoulders it covers exactly the stretch of upper arm most of us keep tugging other sleeves over; around the elbows it's evening-graceful; and because it's cut to match, it looks intentional instead of improvised. One box, whole outfit, arms sorted.

The dress is sleeveless and elegant; the matching stole covers exactly what I want covered and matches perfectly because it's cut from the same cloth. No more hunting for 'something for over it' — it's in the box.

Its first outing was a garden party, where it did four hours of standing, chatting and photographs without a single tug — and its second was an anniversary dinner, where the woman at the next table leaned over to ask where the 'set' was from. The set. That's exactly what it feels like.

It was £39.95 in the sale — dress and stole together — which gave me pause at nearly forty pounds until I priced what a decent wrap alone costs. Half the usual £80, and I'd checked I could send it back if the fit was off — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free. It comes in four colourways and in sizes UK 8/10 to 18/20.

If you also own a lovely sleeveless dress and a drawer full of cover-ups that don't match it, do treat yourself to a look. The Corvalisse is rated 4.6 out of 5 by more than 220 women, it's £39.95 in the sale instead of £80 — half price, stole included — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.