Real stories · Smart, but I can breathe in it

The tailored dress that looks smart without squeezing me — my new go-to for anything that matters

A smart dress that gave me a bit of shape without squeezing the life out of me — I'd honestly stopped believing the two could go together. I'm 67, and 'smart' has always seemed to mean 'stiff': fitted dresses that looked lovely for the first hour and then dug in at the waist all through lunch, so I'd be discreetly shifting in my chair while everyone else was enjoying pudding. So for anything that mattered I'd been falling back on the same loose navy thing, and feeling a bit frumpy in it.

What I wanted was a dress that looked properly put-together — something for the christening, the lunch, the anniversary do — but felt as easy as my Sunday clothes.

Then I found the Leonora dress from a British label called York Boutique — a tailored V-neck dress, and I chose the navy, which I can wear anywhere.

It's quietly become the smartest, and the most comfortable, dress I own. The waistband is softly pleated and sits gently, which is why it gives me a waist without gripping one — I can sit through a three-course lunch and forget it's there. The crossover V neckline is elegant without being low, the little cuffed sleeves cover the tops of my arms, and the skirt falls to mid-calf and moves beautifully. The fabric is a soft, light, breathable blend, so it's cool even under a jacket. It looks tailored; it feels like a nightie. I mean that as the highest compliment.

It gives me a waist without gripping one. Smart enough for anything, soft enough for all day — I'd stopped believing that was possible.

A dress this well cut, I assumed, would be seventy pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so it was £34.95 in the summer sale. I'll be honest, I paused at that for a moment. Then I thought about how many occasions it would cover, and that rather settled it.

At my friend's ruby anniversary lunch, two women asked where it was from before the starters — one wanted to know if it was uncomfortable, and I could honestly say no. 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 comes in five colours and in sizes UK 8 to 18.

If 'smart' has come to mean 'squeezed' for you too, do treat yourself to a look. The Leonora is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 300 women, it's £34.95 in the summer sale instead of £70 — half price — and the middle sizes always seem to go first.