We call it the Asymmetrical Denim Jacket. It is a relaxed, oversized washed denim jacket, and the detail that sets it apart is the button placket: instead of running straight down the middle, it runs on a diagonal across the front.

She liked that line first. It makes the jacket look designed instead of basic, and it gives the front a long, easy line that looks put together, open or buttoned.

Then the collar. It is a stand collar with a button closure, so it frames her face and adds a little structure at the neckline.

And the way it hangs. The stone-washed denim has a worn-in, lived-in look from the first day, with contrast stitching, a chest pocket with a button flap and dropped shoulders that let the whole jacket drape instead of pinch.

When the last shipment arrived, Mom opened the box on the front porch instead of waiting to carry it inside. She does that with the pieces she cares about.

She lifted the jacket, turned it over to look at the seams and said what she always says about good denim: "You can tell by the stitching."

I have learned to trust that. On this jacket the contrast stitching outlines every seam, and the washed denim already has the faded, worn-in look that most jackets take years to get.

That Sunday she wore it to the outdoor art fair, open over her long navy dress with white sneakers. No cardigan and no scarf, just the jacket.

It was one of those bright, breezy October afternoons. When the wind picked up, she buttoned the collar and kept walking from tent to tent. A young woman at the pottery stand asked where she got her jacket, and Mom has not stopped smiling about it since.

For a woman who thought she was too old for denim, that was the part she talked about all the way home.

A few days later she met two of her oldest friends for lunch at the little bistro near the shop. This time she wore it over a cream turtleneck and black trousers.

Normally she dresses for lunch in a blazer she unbuttons the moment she sits down. This time she kept the jacket on, sat back in her chair, and one of her friends tried it on right there at the table.

What I noticed was that she never once fussed with it. She laughed through the whole lunch and forgot about what she was wearing. That is my favorite thing a piece of clothing can do.

This jacket comes in one wash, a faded vintage blue, so the only question is how to wear it. Here is what Mom does:

Over a dress with white sneakers, for weekends and errands.

Over a cream turtleneck and black trousers, for lunch in town.

Over a soft sweater on cooler mornings, buttoned up to the collar.

It is cut oversized and loose through the body, with dropped shoulders and a straight hem that falls at the hip, so your usual size already gives that relaxed, easy drape.

The Asymmetrical Denim Jacket is part of Mom's Clearance Sale, and that whole collection is marked down while I take over the boutique.

I would rather see the pieces she chose herself go to women who will wear them than sit in a stockroom while the shop changes hands.

If you have been looking for a denim jacket that feels grown-up instead of trendy, this is the one I would start with.

She has worn hers more this fall than almost anything else in her closet. I can't tell you it will suit everyone. I can only tell you what I see when she walks out the door: she looks relaxed, put together and like herself.

The Asymmetrical Denim Jacket is $69.95 right now, down from $233.95. These are Clearance Sale prices for this season, and sizes come and go as the collection sells. If it is calling to you, I wouldn't wait too long to look.