My wardrobe 'must have' is my trusty dressing gown/ Reporter Sue Plunkett

It’s been with me through so many life events… I know that sounds a bit dramatic, but it’s true. I saw a post on social media extolling the virtues of a dressing gown, that item of clothing we turn to in so many different circumstances, from being upset or feeling frumpy to being poorly or your life falling apart. And I could totally identify with it and I’m sure there are many other ladies out there who feel the same.

My love of a good dressing gown began with a tartan one I received as a birthday present when I was 18. I wore it almost constantly in my first year at university in the halls of residence. I was extremely homesick for the first couple of months and also had my heart broken by the boy who I believed was the love of my life. My friends knew if the tartan dressing gown came out they needed to be there with tea and sympathy!

Wrapping my dressing gown around me in the evening signifies the end of the working day and time to flop onto the settee and watch the latest reality TV show, (You can judge me on that on another occasion) But that’s just one of the roles of the humble dressing gown. And since the advent of spiralling heating bills a good dressing gown is worth its weight in gold.

Over the years I have acquired a number of different dressing gowns and I am loathe to part with any of them. I even have one that my daughter Jenny gifted me when she left home! It’s a bit tatty and tired but I still wear it on occasion. I have to say my favourite one must be at least a decade old. It’s white and pink animal print and, although not as soft as it once was, it is still the best comfort blanket ever and after a spin in the washer it comes out like new every time.

It was the one I instantly pulled on the night the phone rang at 3am to say my father in law had died suddenly during the night 10 years ago. And it’s the one I always turn to whenever I catch a rotten cold and want to lay on the sofa sipping Lemsip. And there is something lovely about receiving a new dressing gown as a Christmas present. I am actually wearing my newest dressing gown as I write this now!

My collection of dressing gowns all have their place and a different role to play depending how I feel. And although I do have a couple of the modern version, the so called ‘oodie’ nothing will ever replace the good old fashioned dressing gown for me.