Real stories · Cool, easy, nothing digs

The cotton-linen trousers that ended my war with jeans this summer

Trousers that stay cool and don't dig in at the waist — after a summer of tugging at my jeans, that's truly all I wanted. I'm 67, and jeans and I have had a good long run. But this summer the truce broke: the waistband dug in every time I sat down, the denim clung in the heat, and by mid-afternoon I'd be counting the hours until I could change into something soft.

What I wanted was a proper pair of trousers — smart enough for the shops or lunch — that felt as easy as the comfies I only wear at home.

Then I found the Hester trousers from a British label called York Boutique — relaxed everyday trousers in a cotton-linen blend, and I chose the beige, which goes with every top I own.

They've quietly retired my jeans. The fabric is an airy cotton-linen weave that lets the air move through, which is why they stay cool on days when denim would be cooking me. The waist is soft and elasticated with a drawstring, so nothing digs however long lunch runs on, and the relaxed leg falls straight and neat — they read as smart trousers, not joggers. There are proper pockets, too. Real ones, that hold things.

Cool where jeans cook you, soft where jeans dig. I've worn them four days out of five since they arrived.

Trousers this useful, I assumed, would be fifty pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so they were £24.95 in the summer sale. I've already been back for the blue.

My daughter borrowed the blue pair within a week, which tells you everything. I'll admit I checked before ordering that I could send them back if the size wasn't right — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — which made trying them no risk at all. They come in five colours and in sizes UK 8 to 18.

If your jeans have become a daily negotiation like mine had, do treat yourself to a look. The Hester is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 300 women, it's £24.95 in the summer sale instead of £50 — half price — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.