A letter from a customer: the Kate Set
I stopped deciding what to wear in the mornings.
And nobody has noticed, except me. What a half-zip jumper and matching trousers actually solved, written by a customer, not the shop.
I used to stand in front of my wardrobe most mornings longer than I would ever admit to anyone. Not because I had nothing to wear, I had plenty, but because nothing felt like a decision I wanted to make before my first cup of tea. A matching jumper and trouser set sounded, if I am honest, a little like giving up trying. So I nearly didn't open the link my daughter sent me.
I did not give up trying. I ordered it, and here is what actually happened once it arrived.
The half-zip does all the deciding for me
This is the part I did not expect to matter. Zipped right up, it keeps my neck warm on a sharp morning. Opened a little, it looks almost smart enough for lunch out. I am not choosing between a jumper that is too casual and a roll neck that is too warm any more, I am just adjusting one zip as the day goes on.
I have one set I reach for without thinking now, and that is this one. That alone should tell you something.
The trousers don't cling anywhere they shouldn't
I was wary of an elasticated waist looking shapeless on me. It doesn't. The drawstring sits where I want it, not where the fabric decides, and the leg falls straight from the hip instead of clinging to my thighs the way so many softer trousers do. I wore it to the supermarket and to my sister's for lunch in the same week, and it looked right both times.
One soft knit, and it still looks put together
The jumper and the trousers are cut from the same soft knit, so putting them on together does not feel like throwing on loungewear, it feels like getting dressed properly without the usual thinking involved. My husband, who notices almost nothing I wear, asked if it was new. That happens perhaps twice a year in this house, so I take it seriously when it does.
The stripes are the detail that makes it look expensive
Two fine stripes down the outer leg, the same at the cuffs, and a contrasting trim at the collar and waistband. It is a small amount of detail, but it is the reason the whole set reads as considered rather than like something I grabbed off a shelf on the way out.
The offer made me stop putting it off
The Kate Set is 70% off at the moment. I am wary of a percentage on its own, because a discount only means something if the thing underneath is actually worth having. This one was, so the 70% off simply removed the last excuse I had for hesitating.
It is not the outfit I am saving for best
That is really the point of it. It is warm enough for the school run, smart enough for lunch out, and it has quietly become the thing I reach for before I have properly woken up. For something I almost did not click on, that is the highest compliment I know how to give it.
The Kate Set, against what I used to reach for
I have owned more separates than I can count that never quite matched and never quite worked together. Here is the difference, laid out plainly.
What I used to put together
- A jumper and trousers that never quite matched
- Ten minutes deciding what goes with what
- Trousers that cling or a waistband that digs in
- Kept for best, worn rarely
- Full price
The Kate Set
- Half-zip jumper and wide-leg trousers, cut as one set
- On in under a minute, already matching
- Drawstring waist, straight leg, nothing clinging
- Worn most days, not saved for best
- 70% off, UK sizes 8 to 20
About the price
I will be honest, when something this easy to wear is also 70% off, my instinct is to look for the catch. I looked. The knit is exactly as it is in the photograph, the zip still runs smoothly, and the colour has not faded after washing.
Free UK delivery, and 30 days to send it back if it is not right. If you, like me, have been standing in front of your wardrobe too long some mornings, I would have a proper look at this one before the weather turns.
Anne Whitaker
Kate Co-ord Set
70% OFF- Half-zip jumper with contrast collar, cuff and waistband trim
- Matching wide-leg trousers with double stripe and drawstring waist
- Soft cotton, polyester and vinylon knit
- 5 colours: Purple, Black, White, Red, Yellow
- UK sizes 8 to 20
- Free UK delivery and 30 day returns
About the writer. Anne Whitaker is a customer from West Yorkshire. This page is an advertisement for Abbey Lane ยท Free UK delivery ยท 30 day returns.