JOYCE | Navy everyday shirt

Black up near my face has started to look severe. This does the same job and it does not.

Black was the answer for thirty years. It went with everything, it needed no thought, and then at some point you catch yourself in a mirror under an unkind light and notice that it has begun to look hard rather than sharp. The reflex is to keep wearing it because the alternative is starting over, and nobody wants to rebuild a wardrobe at sixty-five.

Joyce is navy, which behaves exactly like black in every combination but sits softer against the skin, so nothing else in the closet has to change. The weave is fine and even with a quiet finish, no shine to catch the light. The cut is boxy through the body with no pull at the shoulder, and the curved hem keeps the line easy rather than square. Point collar, full tonal button front.

Why women our age keep coming back to it

• It does black's job without the hardness. Navy pairs with the same things black does, but it does not throw a harsh line up against your face.
• No pull at the shoulder. The boxy cut means nothing binds when you reach, which is where most shirts at this price give themselves away.
• A quiet finish, no sheen. The even weave stays matte, so it reads as a good shirt rather than a shiny one.
• Nothing else has to change. White, cream, gray and denim all work under it, so it slots into what you already wear.

Buy more, save more

• Buy 2 and save 10 percent
• Buy 3 and save 15 percent
• Buy 4 and save 20 percent

The discount is applied automatically at checkout.

How it fits

Joyce runs on the small side, so size up rather than ordering straight. It comes in 8 through 22, and these are UK sizes, not US ones, so go by the measurements rather than the number you usually buy. The chart gives bust, waist and hips as body measurements in inches, so measure over a light top with the tape level. Between two sizes, or wanting room through the shoulder, take the larger one.

30 days to change your mind

Send it back within 30 days for a full refund. There is no restocking fee and no questions about why.

A few recent reviews

A proper navy, deep enough to work where I used to wear black.
Lettie H., Sun City

Over a white tee with the sleeves turned back once, exactly as suggested. It is my uniform now.
Zola P., 61

No shine to it at all, which is what I was hoping for and rarely get.
Birdie M., Mesa