Real stories · The coat that answers 'is that smart enough?'

I always felt like the scruffy one in an anorak — this vintage trench finally fixed 'smart without trying'

The coat that answers 'is that smart enough?' — that's what this trench has become. I'm 67, and for years there was a gap in my wardrobe between the anorak (warm, shameful) and the good wool coat (smart, far too much for coffee). So I'd stand in the hallway asking Malcolm 'is this alright?' — and he'd say 'you look fine', which is no help at all.

What I wanted was one coat that made everything underneath it look considered.

Then I found the Veyressa from a British label called York Boutique — a vintage-style trench coat, and I chose the beige, which is the colour a trench is supposed to be.

The tailoring does the work. It's seamed through the waist, which is why it gives you an actual shape instead of hanging like a tent — and the shoulders are gently puffed, which reads vintage rather than office. The lapels sit properly, the cuffs have neat button tabs, and it's knee-length, so it flares over the hips and skirts and dresses stay covered. It's the kind of lightweight that works from now until the proper cold: enough for a breeze, never a burden.

The tailoring does the work: seamed through the waist so it gives you a shape, gently puffed at the shoulder so it reads vintage rather than office, and knee-length so it flares over the hips — smart without a moment's trying.

It has since done coffee in town, a church flower rota, and a birthday lunch where I was, for once, not the scruffy one. My friend Sandra looked me up and down and said 'you've had a sort-out, haven't you' — which from Sandra is a standing ovation. Mostly, I've stopped asking Malcolm if I look alright. I know.

It was £37.95 in the sale — the usual price is £90, so that's nearly 60% off — and I'd checked I could send it back if the fit was wrong, which you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free. It comes in four colours and in sizes UK 6/8 all the way to 18/20.

If your hallway also has a 'is this smart enough?' problem, do treat yourself to a look. The Veyressa is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 270 women, it's £37.95 in the sale instead of £90, and the middle sizes always seem to go first.