At 62, I promised myself I'd never iron again. Then I realised every nice top I owned needed it. This is a letter about the one that doesn't
Six things this boho top gets right that forty years of crisp cotton blouses never did, from a Perth woman who spent half her life at the ironing board and decided retirement meant the end of it.
Maggie Whitfield · 62 · Perth, WA · 5 min read
I'm 62, and I worked out once that I've spent roughly two thousand Sunday evenings at the ironing board. Ray's work shirts, the children's school uniforms, my own blouses for the practice, tea towels, for reasons I can no longer explain. When I retired, I made myself one promise: no more ironing. Ever. The trouble was that every nice top in my wardrobe was crisp cotton or linen that came out of the wash looking like it had been slept in. So I ended up either breaking my promise or living in T-shirts. So this is not a review. It's a woman who finally kept her promise, telling you how.
The top I'm writing about is the Jael, from Perth Boutique, a small Australian boutique that dresses women our age. It's a relaxed, flowing top with a lovely boho print, and it comes out of the washing machine ready to wear. My friend Lorraine, who never lets me get away with anything, found it, sent it to me and wrote: "No iron, Mags. I've washed mine six times. Go on." She was right, as usual. When Perth Boutique later asked if they could share my letter, I said yes, on the condition I could be completely honest in it.
Here's what forty years of ironing taught me. The tops that look the nicest are almost always the ones that punish you afterwards. Crisp blouses, linen shirts, anything with a bit of structure. They look lovely for one wear and then it's back to the board. And the easy-care ones, the ones you can just wash and wear, so often look cheap, clingy or shapeless. So you choose between looking nice and having your Sunday evening back.
Retirement was supposed to mean my weekends were my own. The ironing board hadn't been told.
The Jael is the first nice top I've owned that I've never once ironed, and having worn and washed it for a month, to lunches, to the shops, to a friend's birthday and on a weekend away down south, I can tell you it comes down to six things.
Machine wash, no ironing, ever
This is the whole reason I bought it. The Jael is machine washable and wrinkle-resistant, and it needs no ironing at all. I wash it, peg it on the line, and it's ready to wear the minute it's dry. In a Perth summer, that's about forty minutes. I've washed mine a dozen times now and the ironing board has stayed folded behind the laundry door.
Washed Sunday morning, dry by eleven, wore it to lunch at twelve. The iron didn't come out once. Small victory, enormous satisfaction.
A relaxed cut that skims the tummy and hips
The cut is relaxed and flowy, and it skims gently over the tummy and hips, giving you shape without bulk. It drapes rather than clings, and it moves with you instead of pulling. Most easy-care tops I've tried were either tight jersey that showed everything or a boxy shape that added a dress size. This is neither.
Caught myself side-on in the café window. Didn't suck anything in. Didn't need to.
A boho print that looks like art
The print is artistic and nature-led, with a lovely bohemian, almost patchwork feel to it, the kind of thing you'd find in a little boutique in Margaret River for a lot more money. And a busy, beautiful print has a hidden bonus: even if the fabric did crease, nobody would ever see it.
Lunch in Subiaco. A woman at the next table asked if it was from a gallery shop. Lorraine answered for me, as usual.
Three-quarter sleeves, the perfect length
The sleeves are three-quarter length, which I've come to believe is the most flattering sleeve there is for women our age. They cover the upper arm, they stop just below the elbow so they stay out of the washing up, and they show off a bracelet or a watch. They're cool enough for summer and they still work under a cardigan in winter.
Weekend down in Busselton. Packed two Jaels, rolled up in the bag. Took them out, shook them, wore them. Ray: "Didn't you iron those?" Never again, Ray.
A soft round neck and a hip-length cut
The neckline is a soft round neck, comfortable and easy to dress up with a necklace. And it's hip length, so it sits nicely over jeans, linen trousers or a skirt, and covers what most of us would like covered without being long enough to look like a nightie. It's light and airy, so it's lovely on a hot day.
White jeans, the Jael, gold earrings, to Lorraine's birthday. She said I looked "effortless." She has no idea how much effort I used to put in on a Sunday night.
Sizes 8 to 24, and an honest word on fit
The Jael comes in sizes S (8) all the way up to 5XL (24), and in four colourways. Because the cut is relaxed, I ordered my usual size and it fitted. I'll be honest, because I promised I would: there isn't a measurement chart on the product page yet, so if you're between sizes, ask Perth Boutique's team before you order. They're happy to help.
The ironing board has gone to the op shop. Ray says I'll regret it. I won't.
This top, against the blouses that needed the iron
Most of us didn't choose to spend our Sundays ironing. We just bought the tops that looked nice, and the ironing came with them. Here's the difference, laid out plainly.
Creased the minute they're washed
Sunday evenings at the ironing board
Fitted, so they pull and gape
Crumpled after a day in a suitcase
Lovely for one wear, then back to the board
Machine wash, no ironing at all
Wrinkle-resistant, straight off the line
Relaxed cut that skims the tummy and hips
Packs in a bag and comes out ready
Lovely every wear, finally
About the price
The Jael is $84.95 at the moment. The website says it's usually $199. I won't pretend I know what a top like this ought to cost, but I can tell you I've spent more than that on linen blouses that took twenty minutes to iron every single time.
Perth Boutique also take a bit off if you buy more than one: 10% for two, 15% for three and 20% for four, and it comes off automatically at the checkout. That's how a second colour ended up in my order. You can split it with Afterpay too, which works out at about $21.25 a fortnight.
Shipping was free with Australia Post, tracked and insured, and there's a 30-day money-back guarantee if it isn't right. After forty years of ironing, that's what got me to press the button.
of ironing
flowy fit
Australia-wide
If you're 55, or 62, or 70, and you've given enough Sunday evenings to the ironing board, this is the top I'd hand you myself, while your size is still there. Wash it, hang it, wear it. That's it. That's the whole thing.
Maggie
Jael · Elegant Harmony Top
Buy 2 save 10% · Buy 3 save 15% · Afterpay available
- Machine washable, no ironing required
- Wrinkle-resistant, soft and breathable
- Relaxed, flowy cut that skims the tummy and hips
- Artistic, nature-led boho print
- Three-quarter sleeves and a soft round neck
- Hip length · sizes S (8) to 5XL (24)
- FREE shipping Australia-wide & 30-day money-back guarantee
Spring sale on now, while stocks last.
About the writer. Maggie Whitfield is 62 and lives in Perth with her husband Ray, a lemon tree that produces more than they can eat, and a standing Thursday coffee with Lorraine. She worked as a dental receptionist for twenty-six years and is now, in her own words, "saying yes to things."
This page is an advertisement for Perth Boutique. Individual experiences may vary. Perth Boutique · Free shipping Australia-wide · 30-day money-back guarantee.