Real stories · The jacket that gave me my handbag back

For years my handbag was Malcolm's second wardrobe — then I bought him a jacket with proper pockets

The jacket that gave me my handbag back — that's what this is, and I mean it literally. I'm 67, Malcolm is 68, and for as long as we've walked anywhere together my handbag has been his second wardrobe: 'hold my glasses', 'have you got the keys', 'put these mints somewhere'. I have carried that man's belongings across most of Yorkshire.

What I wanted was a jacket that made Malcolm self-sufficient.

Then I found the Corvandar from a British label called York Boutique — a sturdy men's field jacket in army green with a whole administration of proper flap pockets, a warm dark lining, a stand collar and a solid zip with a button placket over it. I chose the green; there's khaki and black as well.

The pockets are the revolution. There are enough of them, and they're deep and proper with flaps — which is why the keys, the glasses, the mints and Winnie's bags now all live on Malcolm instead of on me. And the jacket around the pockets earns its place: the warm lining makes it a genuine cold-weather coat, the adjustable waist means it sits well instead of hanging like a sack, and the zip-plus-buttons front keeps the wind exactly where it belongs.

Keys, glasses, mints, dog bags, the parking ticket — all filed into his own pockets now, in a jacket that's warm-lined, sturdily built and rather handsome about it.

I'll be honest: at £69.95 this was the most I'd spent in these sales, even at half the usual £140. Then I priced it against the years of service my handbag has given — and the fact that he'll wear it daily from now until April — and paid without further ceremony. A fortnight to send it back and free delivery, in any case.

It has since done a week of park walks, two market mornings and the tip run, and on Saturday, when I asked if he had the keys, Malcolm patted pocket number three like a man presenting a reference. My handbag now contains my things. Just mine. I keep checking.

If you also function as a walking cloakroom, do have a look. The Corvandar is rated 4.6 out of 5 by more than 190 customers, it comes in green, khaki and black, in sizes M to 4XL — and at half price, the green goes first.