A note from Leya · A little sparkle, nothing silly
At 67, I finally found a bit of sparkle that doesn't look like I'm trying too hard
A jacket with a bit of sparkle AND one I'd actually feel comfortable in at my age. I'd started to accept you had to choose. I'm 67, and every invitation that comes through the door sends me to the same navy dress and the same sensible cardigan. The shimmery things in the shops are either made for a hen do or so covered in beads they end up wearing you.
What I wanted was something for my friend Jean's seventieth that said I'd made an effort, without anyone wondering what had come over me.
Then I found the Amy from Susan and Kate London, a British label started by two sisters. It's a short, golden sequin jacket, and it turned out to be far more grown-up than that sounds.
The trick is in the shape. It's cropped, so it sits neatly at the waist rather than swamping you, and the three-quarter sleeves stop just below the elbow, which is flattering and means nothing trails in your dinner. Fine pleated lines run across it, so the sequins catch the light softly from every angle rather than glaring. Over a plain black dress, it's the whole outfit. Over a white shirt and trousers, it turns an ordinary lunch into a bit of an occasion.
Special enough for a seventieth, easy enough to wear to lunch the week after.
It came to Jean's party, then to Sunday lunch at the pub, and it's already earmarked for Christmas. At the party three women asked me where it was from, and Jean's daughter told me I'd outshone the birthday girl. Jean said she'd let it go, just this once.
It was £29.95 in the sale. I assumed anything sparkly at that price would look cheap up close, and it doesn't. Half the usual £60, free delivery, and I'd checked I could send it back within 30 days if the fit was off. It comes in several colours and in sizes UK 8 to 16.
If your wardrobe also splits into 'too much' and 'too safe' with nothing in between, do treat yourself to a look. The Amy is rated 4.7 out of 5 by more than 260 women, it's £29.95 in the sale instead of £60, and the middle sizes always seem to go first.
Amy | Cropped Sequin Jacket
£60.00 £29.95Save 50%
- Soft golden shimmer that catches the light
- Cropped length that sits neatly at the waist
- Fine pleated detail for depth
- Three-quarter sleeves, elegant and practical
- Several colours · UK 8 to 16
Sale — while sizes last.
Leya Whitmore is 67 and lives in Guildford with a labrador. She is not a fashion writer.
Susan and Kate London · Free UK delivery · 30 day returns