A letter from Siobhán

At 64, I put on dungarees again. I did not expect to feel this good.

I have never written anything like this before, and I nearly did not. But I have said it to enough friends now that it seemed easier to write it down.

Somewhere along the way, getting dressed had become a negotiation. Jeans that dug in at the waist the moment I sat down. Trousers that were comfortable but made me look like I had given up. I would put an outfit together, look in the hall mirror, and change back into the same old thing.

You do not stop wanting to look nice at our age. You just stop finding things that are comfortable and make you feel like yourself.

And in Ireland you need clothes that can do a full day. Sun in the morning, a shower by lunch, a cold wind by the evening. You want something you can layer, walk in and sit in without thinking about it.

Then my sister turned up in a pair

I would not have chosen dungarees myself. I thought they were for twenty-year-olds and painters. But she arrived for a Sunday walk in a soft, relaxed denim pair, a striped top underneath and a cardigan over her shoulders, and she looked easy and stylish, not like she was trying too hard.

They were the Christiane, from Lily Dublin. Soft denim that moves with you instead of fighting you, and no tight waistband pressing in all day. I ordered the light blue that evening.

What happened at the market

The first Saturday I wore them, I went to the market with a blouse underneath and my loafers on.

Two women asked me where they were from before I had even reached the coffee stand. Then my neighbour Eileen, who has never once commented on anything I have worn, told me I looked ten years younger. I have decided to take that as a compliment.

They have barely left the wardrobe since. With a tee and trainers for the grandchildren. With a blouse and a cardigan for lunch out. With a warm knit when the evenings turn.

Three things I have learned since

One. No waistband digging in. This is the part I did not expect. There is nothing pressing on your middle when you sit down, bend down or have a second slice of cake. I had forgotten clothes could feel like that.

Two. The denim is soft, not stiff. It is not the heavy, rigid denim I remember. It moves with your body, so you can walk all day, get in and out of the car, and still feel comfortable by the evening.

Three. They dress up more than you would think. Swap a tee for a blouse, add a cardigan and good shoes, and suddenly you are dressed for lunch. One piece, lots of outfits, very little thinking.

About the price

I will be honest, the price made me suspicious more than anything.

The Christiane is €69,95. It was €139,99.

My first thought was that there had to be a catch, because denim this soft that keeps its shape usually costs a great deal more.

So I read the reviews first, the way I imagine you are doing now. Over a hundred of them, sitting at 4.2 stars. Not the suspiciously perfect five you see on some sites, which if anything made me trust them more.

“[Paste a real customer review from the Christiane product page here]” — [Customer name], verified buyer

What I would tell you if we were friends

If we were sitting down over a cup of tea and you asked me, this is what I would say.

If your wardrobe is full of things you only wear because they are comfortable, and none of them make you feel like yourself, it is worth ten minutes of an evening to have a look.

Not because a pair of dungarees changes your life. It does not. But getting dressed and feeling comfortable and good about it is a small thing I had stopped expecting, and I would rather you did not stop expecting it either.

The sale is on now, they come in three colours and sizes S to 3XL, and if you add a cardigan or a pair of loafers you get an extra discount on top.

I have not gone back to my old jeans since. I do not think I will.

Siobhán