Finally, A Pretty Blouse In My Size
Finally, A Pretty Blouse In My Size
York · 9 October 2026
A properly pretty blouse that goes all the way up to a 20/22 — and doesn't turn into a tent on the way there. I didn't believe it either, which is why I'm writing this.
Here is the quiet insult of clothes shopping past a certain size: the pretty things stop at a 16, and everything beyond that is cut like a marquee. As if once you're past a certain number, you're meant to stop wanting a nice neckline and just want covering. My friend Margaret has said as much for years, usually in the changing rooms at the point of giving up.
So when I spotted the Orlisse on York Boutique's site — a British label that sells direct — the first thing I did was check the size list. UK 6/8 all the way to UK 20/22, every colour. The second thing I did was send it to Margaret.
What makes it work is the cut, not luck. It's shaped properly through the shoulders, and the V-neckline with its delicate lace trim draws the eye up towards your face — which is why it reads as dressed-up rather than draped, whatever size you take. The fabric is light with a lovely fine texture to it, and the sleeves are long with a soft gather at the cuff.
Pretty shouldn't stop at a size 16. This one doesn't.
It's listed at £50 and sells for £24.95 — less than half — because there's no shop and no middleman taking their slice. At that price I had the red and Margaret had the light blue, and neither of us had to think very hard about it.
We wore them to our book club Christmas lunch planning do (any excuse), and Margaret — who I have never once heard say this — told the table she finally felt like the blouse fitted her instead of the other way round. I'll admit I did check before ordering that we could send them back if the sizing was off — you can, within a fortnight, and delivery's free — but both fitted true to the chart.
Six colours — white, green, red, orange, light blue and purple — and the red is exactly right for the festive stretch coming up. Fair warning from experience: the middle and larger sizes go first when word gets round, and with this one I suspect it will.
If you've been quietly settling for "it covers me" — don't. This one's pretty, it's your size, and it's £24.95.
Orlisse | Elegant Solid Blouse
£50.00 £24.95
- Flattering V-neck with delicate lace trim
- Every colour in sizes UK 6/8 to UK 20/22
- Light, finely textured fabric — comfortable all day
- Free delivery · 14-day returns
Janet Foster is 67 and lives in York with her husband Malcolm and their dog Winnie. She is not a fashion writer — just a reader who likes to share what actually works.
This page is a paid advertisement for York Boutique.