At 67, I Found the Easy Dress I Liked So Much I Bought It in Three Colours
A LETTER FROM A READER
AT 67, I FOUND THE EASY DRESS I LIKED SO MUCH I BOUGHT IT IN THREE COLOURS
Margaret PembertonBoston · August 9, 2026
I almost didn't write this, because it's the least fancy dress imaginable. But I've now bought it in three colours, my sister has bought two, and when something's that useful it feels a bit selfish not to say so.
What I wanted was terribly ordinary and somehow impossible to find: one dress I could throw on without a second thought, that was cool in the heat, comfortable to sit and potter in all day, and — this is the important part — didn't cling over the middle. Everything I tried either clung where I didn't want it to, or was so shapeless I felt like I'd given up entirely.
"I just wanted one easy dress I could reach for on any ordinary day and feel comfortable and covered — without a single fiddly thing about it."
HOW IT HAPPENS
Nobody sets out to dread getting dressed on an ordinary morning. But the clingy ones make you self-conscious and the shapeless ones make you feel frumpy, so you end up in the same two safe things on a loop — and "easy and comfortable and still nice" starts to feel like a tall order rather than the bare minimum.
WHAT I HAD WRONG
I'd assumed easy had to mean shapeless. The Courtney proves it doesn't. It's from Bennett Boston, an American label that's been quietly dressing women our age for a good twenty years.
It's a relaxed short-sleeve midi in a soft, breathable fabric that keeps you cool, with a gentle tiered shape that falls from the shoulder and skims straight over the middle instead of clinging. The little flutter sleeve covers the top of the arm, the round neck sits comfortably, and it's a proper midi length. You just pull it on and you're done — no zips, no fuss. And it comes in six colours, which is exactly how I ended up with three: I have the tan, the blue and the green.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH MY SISTER
My sister came for tea, admired it, felt the fabric, and had ordered two before she'd left — the red and the black. Now we ring each other up to report which colour we've worn. It's become a bit of a joke between us, but the truth underneath it is simple: at 67 you just want to feel comfortable and covered and still look like yourself, on an ordinary Tuesday. This does that, every time.
THREE THINGS I'VE LEARNED SINCE
A tiered shape skims. It falls from the shoulder rather than clinging at the waist, so I stopped thinking about my middle.
Throw-on is everything. No zip, no fuss — I pull it on and I'm ready, which is why I actually wear it.
The right colours multiply. Six shades meant I stopped at three; it's that useful.
ABOUT THE PRICE
I'll be honest about why I'm writing this rather than just telling my sister (she already knows). The Courtney is currently $39.95, down from $80 — half off for their season sale — which is rather how one ends up with three. When I checked this week the middle sizes were already going. They cut it from a US 4–6 up to a US 28–30, in brown, red, yellow, green, blue and black.
Courtney | Short Sleeve Midi Dress
- Soft, breathable fabric that keeps you cool on warm days
- Relaxed tiered shape that skims the middle instead of clinging
- Easy throw-on — flutter sleeve, round neck, proper midi length
- Six colours · inclusive fit US 4–6 to US 28–30 · free delivery via USPS
Due to high demand for our season sale, the middle sizes are selling first.
I've got an easy, comfortable dress I reach for on any ordinary day — in three colours, and eyeing a fourth.
Margaret Pemberton lives in Boston with her dog, Biscuit. Bennett Boston has over 20 years of experience delivering timeless fashion rooted in American heritage.
This page is a paid advertisement for Bennett Boston.