SHEILA | Loose lace blouse

I was waiting for it to itch across the back. It never did.

Lace is one of those things you admire on the hanger and then put back, because the last lace top you owned scratched at the shoulders and had to be hand washed in the sink. So the nice occasions get the same plain top again, and the lace stays something other women wear. Sheila is the one that goes in the machine.

The lace sits on a loose cut rather than a fitted one, so it falls away from the body instead of pressing the pattern into your skin. The fabric underneath is light and breathable, which is what keeps a decorative top wearable through a long afternoon. And it is machine washable and holds its shape and color through repeated washes, which is the difference between a blouse for good and a blouse you wear.

Why women our age keep coming back to it

• Lace that does not sit against you. The loose cut holds the fabric off the skin, so there is no pattern pressing into the shoulders after an hour.
• It washes at home. Machine washable and it keeps its shape and its color, so it does not become a once-a-year top.
• Light enough for a warm room. The breathable fabric means the detail does not come with extra heat, which matters at an afternoon event.
• Five colors, including three that are not neutral. Blue, pink, orange, white and red, so it can be the piece that carries an outfit rather than the quiet part of it.

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

Sheila is a relaxed fit and true to size, in S through 2XL. If you are between two sizes, take the larger one, because lace shows strain more plainly than a plain weave does and the looser size keeps the pattern reading properly across the front. The size chart lists chest, length and sleeve in inches, measured flat.

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

Wore the white to my anniversary dinner and washed it two days later. Still fine.
Wilma J., Naples

I am 70 and I thought lace would be too much at my age. It is not, because the shape is simple.
Esther B., 70

The red is a proper red, not orange-leaning. That is hard to find.
Lorna K., Savannah