At 54, I Got Ready in Five Minutes

A note from a regular Scott and Daughters customer about the two-piece set that did the thinking for me, and the long front panel that falls softly over my middle. I sat through a long family lunch and never once tugged at my top.

The Martina set, in White.

For years, anything dressy meant the same routine. I'd pull out three dresses, try them all on, and end up in the black one again because it was the only one that didn't cling to my middle.

Fitted dresses showed every bump. Loose ones made me feel like I was wearing a tent. And by the time I'd found a top that went with the right trousers, I was running late and already a bit fed up.

I've been buying from Scott and Daughters for years, so when the Martina set came up I ordered it in white. It arrived quickly, and I tried it on before I'd even put the kettle on.

Straight out of the parcel. Mine is the white.

What it is

It's two pieces made to go together. The top is sleeveless with a high, neat neckline, and a long front panel falls from the neck on an angle, longer on one side, so it moves when you walk. Underneath are wide-leg trousers that fall straight to the ankle.

The part that made the difference for me is that panel. It drapes softly over my tummy and hips instead of sitting on them, and from the front it just looks like one clean, elegant line.

Two pieces, one decision, and I looked like I'd planned it for a week.

One set, one week

Sunday was a long family lunch at my sister's. Three hours at the table, up and down with plates, and I never once pulled at my top. The panel just stayed where it fell.

On Wednesday it was my niece's engagement dinner. Normally that's an hour of trying things on. This time I put on the set, added my gold earrings and a pair of sandals, and I was ready in five minutes.

Two people at the table asked me where it was from.

→ Read about the Martina set

What changed in three weeks

Four things I noticed, and I wrote them down because I knew I would want to remember.

1. Cool on a Warm Evening. We had drinks on a friend's deck on one of those warm, still evenings. No sleeves meant I stayed cool, and the high neckline kept it looking dressed up rather than beachy.

I didn't need a cardigan to feel properly put together.

Drinks on a friend's deck, with no cardigan in sight.

2. My Daughter Said I Looked Taller. I'm not tall, and cropped trousers have always cut me in half. These wide legs fall in one long, fluid line from the waist to the ankle.

With the long top over them, it all reads as one tall line. My daughter noticed before I'd said a word.

One long, fluid line from the waist to the ankle.

3. Three Outfits From One Set. The pieces are made to be worn together, but they work just as well apart. I've worn the top with my good jeans for lunch in town, and the trousers with a plain white shirt for the shops.

So it's not a set that waits in the wardrobe for a wedding. I actually wear it.

The top with my good jeans, for lunch in town.

4. Still Neat at the End of the Day. It has a soft but structured feel. It holds its shape, so after a full day out the panel still falls the way it did in the morning.

And it's comfortable enough that I forgot I was wearing something dressy.

The long panel, still falling the way it did in the morning.

Now, about the price

I paid $84.95 AUD. The earlier price was $209.95 AUD.

• Two pieces made to wear together or apart
• Free Shipping with Australia Post
• 30-Day Money-Back Guarantee

It's on sale because Julie, who started Scott and Daughters, is handing the shop over to her daughters Emily and Charlotte. To mark the new chapter they're running a New Chapter Sale, and the Martina set is part of it.

What I'd tell you if we were friends

If you've been dreading the next event because you have nothing to wear, this is the easy answer. It comes in white, black, blue, sage green, navy blue and pink, in sizes S to 3XL.

I went with my usual size. Have a look at the size chart on the product page first, and pick the colour you'll reach for most. Mine is the white, and it has been out of the wardrobe every week since it arrived.

Combining items also means you can get up to 25% extra on the whole store.

— Megan