Real stories · The wedding-guest dress that didn't cling

The wedding-guest dress that made me feel elegant without clinging — and there's a whole set of them

A wedding-guest dress that made me feel properly elegant without clinging to every bit of me — I'd honestly started to think that didn't exist any more. I'm 67, and there's a wedding this September — a niece's, and I'm rather fond of her. But every 'occasion' dress I tried was either sleeveless, which I no longer wear, or cut so close it showed everything I'd rather it didn't, or so shapeless I looked like I'd given up. I came home from one trip to town, sat down with a cup of tea, and told my husband I'd just wear the navy dress again. He knew I didn't mean it.

What I wanted was a long, graceful dress with proper sleeves, that skimmed rather than clung, and let me sit through the speeches without tugging at it.

Then I found the Mikaela from a British label called York Boutique — an off-shoulder maxi dress, and I chose the deep green, which is lovely with grey hair.

The moment I put it on, I relaxed. It's a soft chiffon that glides over you instead of sitting on you, which is why it skims rather than clings — it follows your shape without announcing it. The crossover neckline sits nicely at the collarbone, the draped chiffon sleeves cover the tops of my arms while still feeling light, and the waist and hip are gently gathered so there's a bit of shape without any squeezing. Then it flares into a long, floaty skirt that moves beautifully when you walk. It's a proper occasion dress that's actually comfortable, which I hadn't expected.

It skims where everything else clung, the sleeves cover my arms, and I could sit through the speeches without tugging at anything.

A gown like this, I assumed, would be eighty pounds. But York Boutique sells direct, so it was £39.95 in the summer sale. I'll be honest, I paused at that for a moment. Then I thought about how many weddings, christenings and anniversary lunches it would see me through, and that rather settled it.

When I tried it on for my daughter she went quiet, then said, 'Mum, that's the one.' And here's the thing — when I went back to look for a second colour, I found they do a whole set of dresses like this: the same graceful, comfortable sort, all made for the do's where you want to look lovely and still enjoy the pudding. And the second dress came cheaper than the first. So I have the green for the wedding and a floral one for the christening in October, and I don't regret either. I'd checked before ordering that I could send them back if they didn't suit — you can, within a fortnight, and the delivery's free — so there was nothing lost by trying.

If there's an invitation on your mantelpiece and a small knot in your stomach about what to wear, do treat yourself to a look at the whole set — the Mikaela is the one I started with, but there are thirteen of them, all at £39.95 in the summer sale instead of £80, and if you find two you love, the second one's cheaper. The Mikaela is rated 4.6 out of 5 by more than 300 women, and the middle sizes always seem to go first.