Real stories · Malcolm's day-out jacket

Every retired couple has a uniform for days out — Malcolm's finally got an upgrade

Malcolm's uniform for a day out has finally been upgraded — and I did it while he wasn't looking. I'm 67, Malcolm is 68, and our retirement runs on days out: a drive, a garden, a viewpoint, a National Trust scone. For all of it he wore the same tired old zip-up thing, because it was 'comfortable', pronounced like a legal defence.

What I wanted was something exactly as comfortable that didn't look like surrender.

Then I found the Tharvencio from a British label called York Boutique — a soft zip-up men's jacket in warm tan with folk-patterned panels along the sleeves and shoulders, a smart brown collar and a cosy pale lining. I chose the tan; there are seven colours, including a rather handsome sky blue.

It works because it's built for exactly his sort of day. The soft, breathable fabric is light enough to drive in and warm enough for a blowy viewpoint — which is why it goes on at nine and doesn't come off till we're home — the zip does up one-handed with a coffee in the other, and the pockets take tickets, glasses and the boiled sweets he thinks I don't know about. And those patterned sleeves have character: the man on the next bench asked where it was from. Twice.

Light enough for the car, warm enough for a blowy viewpoint, pockets for the tickets and the glasses — and those patterned sleeves get him compliments from complete strangers.

I'll be honest: £59.95 gave me pause. Then I counted our days out — most weeks have two — and half the usual £120 spread across an entire season of scones became, frankly, nothing. A fortnight to send it back and free delivery took care of the rest.

It has since done a reservoir walk, two garden centres and one blustery viewpoint with takeaway coffees, and Malcolm — unprompted, historic — said it was 'a good jacket'. Four words is a rave from him. The old zip-up thing has not been mentioned since. It knows.

If the man in your house also has a 'comfortable' defence, do have a look. The Tharvencio is rated 4.6 out of 5 by more than 210 customers, it comes in seven colours, in sizes S to 5XL — and at half price the tan goes first.