THE DRESS I THOUGHT WOULD BE “JUST FOR EVERY DAY” — AND SOMEHOW BECAME THE ONE I WEAR EVERYWHERE

A dress that feels wonderfully easy but doesn’t look like you chose comfort — I’d almost given up on finding one.

At 67, I know exactly which clothes end up being worn and which ones spend their lives looking lovely on a hanger. The latter are usually too fitted, too fussy, or require far too much thought before I’ve even left the bedroom.

What I wanted was one dress I could simply put on and feel good in.

Then I found Dorellias.

And I’ll admit, it was the collar that made me stop scrolling.

It has that lovely old-school polo shape, edged with neat stripes that continue at the cuffs and hem. There’s a little zip at the neck — open it slightly and the whole thing feels relaxed, zip it up and it looks instantly neater.

But it was only when I put it on that I understood why it works so well.

Nothing pulls. Nothing needs tucking in. Nothing needs arranging in front of the mirror. It just falls into that wonderfully easy shape that makes you look as though you’ve made an effort, when in reality you were dressed in about thirty seconds.

And then I put my hands down and discovered the pockets.

Proper ones.

I wore it out for lunch the following week and realised halfway through the afternoon that I hadn’t thought about what I was wearing once.

That sounds like a strange compliment for a dress, but I think women will understand exactly what I mean.

No pulling the hem back into place. No wondering whether something was clinging where it shouldn’t. No regretting my outfit two hours after leaving home.

Just comfortable.

And yet I didn’t look as though I’d dressed for comfort.

That clever striped collar gives the whole dress a slightly smarter, almost preppy look, and the matching detail around the sleeves and hem makes it feel properly finished. With loafers it looked polished; a few days later I wore it with trainers and it became completely casual.

My daughter asked if it was new.

My friend asked where it was from.

That was enough evidence for me.

If your wardrobe has also quietly divided itself into things that look nice and things you actually enjoy wearing, this is the dress that rather wonderfully refuses to choose a side.

It’s relaxed without looking shapeless. Smart without feeling dressy. The long sleeves make it lovely as the weather turns cooler, while the zip at the neck means you can change the feel of it in seconds.

And those pockets have become home to my phone, keys and, on one occasion, two biscuits wrapped in a napkin.

I make no apologies.

It’s usually $200, but Dorellias is currently down to $59.95 in the Final Summer Sale. At that price, I’m not particularly surprised some of the options have already started disappearing.