Real stories · Warm without the weight

My winter coat weighed more than the shopping — this jacket retired it

All the warmth of the big coat, none of the weight — that's what this jacket turned out to be, and my shoulders noticed before I did. I'm 67, and my old winter coat was less a garment than a piece of luggage: heavy on the shoulders by the second errand, arms moving like a knight in armour, and the moment a shop had its heating on, it came off and had to be carried — over the arm that was also holding the basket.

What I wanted was proper warmth that didn't feel like wearing the suitcase.

Then I found the Melvaris from a British label called York Boutique — a floral jacket with a hood, lined from collar to hem in thick, soft teddy fleece, and light enough to shrug on in one motion. Mine is the white floral; there's dark blue and orange as well.

The teddy fleece is doing the clever part. That deep plush pile holds a layer of your own warmth against you, the way a duvet does — which is why one light jacket now does the work of the heavy coat and the jumper underneath it — and because there's no weight to it, my arms swing, my shoulders end the errands unbothered, and off it comes in one motion when a shop is set to tropical.

Thick teddy fleece that holds your warmth like a duvet, in a jacket with no weight to it — which is why the shoulders end the errands unbothered, and the big coat stays on its hook.

It was £39.95, and I'll admit I paused — then remembered the big coat cost twice that and spends half of every outing draped over my arm. Half the usual £80, worn every single day. I did check I could send it back if it didn't suit — a fortnight, free delivery — which settled it.

It has since done three weeks of errand mornings and every one of Winnie's walks, hood up when the drizzle started, and the verdict came from Sandra — who lifted it off the hook expecting winter-coat weight and nearly threw it over her shoulder. 'That can't be warm,' she said. It is. That's the whole trick.

If your winter coat also carries like luggage, do have a look. The Melvaris is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 260 women, it comes in three colourways, in UK sizes 8/10 all the way to 24 — and at half price the florals go first.