What's so good about Boden?

[SleepySuzy]

Serious question.

People have talked about the store for years on here and I hadn't heard of it til MN. Seems a bit expensive to me?

[AmeliaGrey]

Oh God you really have opened a can of worms now...
I first ordered from hem about 15 years ago when they did "country type" wear.

First- never pay full price- there are always offers and I never buy with less than 15 % and usually order in the Preview and get 20% , free postage etc etc.

Second- they do some good basics, IMO. I am too old for New Look and Top Shop, and not ready for Country Casuals- and tend to shop at Jigsaw, kew ( not very often at all now) bits and bobs from White Stuff, White Company, Uniqlo.

Boden fills a gap in the market for me- vaguely fashionable but not overly trendy and fabrics can be good quality.

I tend to buy tops and knitwear and sometimes trousers. And the odd short skirt. I did get a good coat from them a couple of years back too.

They also have very good customer service- you can return anything up to 3 months, and they deliver and refund quickly yoo.

[SleepySuzy]

Thank you. Off to browse now...

[Mumbrane]

It is never going to set the world alight for style, but I do find myself returning to Boden again and again. The jersey dresses are really easy to throw on, wash well and come in longer lengths (very hard to find for us lankies!). they do the odd nice top/tunic, too, and the kids stuff is lovely.

I agree, though. I only buy stuff in the sales. It's over priced.

[mamijacacalys]

Agree with Amelia.
With the codes, the prices are similar to M&S etc but the quality is far superior.
Also agree that the kids clothes are great - proper bright girls stuff rather than the trashy mini teen grunge that you get at Next these days. My DD has a cotton nightdress that is 3 years old and still going strong so IME it is far better quality and value than supermarket or Peacocks type stuff that disintegrates in the first wash.
Happy shopping!

[Gillybobs]

Love the jeans as they arent too low cut but still not "mom jeans", love the plain coloured merino knitwear, I have no idea what I would wear in winter without it. Some of the dresses are fantastic, easy to wear and as they arent high fashion they dont date too quickly. The shoes are pricey but generally a dream to wear and really different to whats on the high street. Hate all the patterned "fun" stuff.

Kids stuff is unsurpassed, they are the only items I can always pass from one DS to the next, and yes the kids PJs last forever : )

[Ixia]

Love the kids stuff, because my 6yr old is in the older 7-14 range of most of the high st shops and often the styles just aren't suitable for a 6yr old. Boden makes age appropriate stuff, which washes well and sells well on Ebay when you've finished with it. Never pay full price, there are always offers.

Can't afford the women's clothes, but occasionally buy the plain Ts, which unlike M&S don't go short and wide after the first wash.

[MillyR]

I've missed the preview discount. How long is it before they usually put up another decent discount? There are a couple of items I really want for DD and I don't want to leave it too long or they might sell out.

[SleepySuzy]

Wish I hadn't asked now. Had a good look and I'm skint! The kids clothes DO look good.

[katkitya]

It's basically well over priced which is why there are so many offers on all the time. Kids stuff is good but not as good as it used to be. It's not high fashion for them but, I think it needs to modernize itself for the aged 9-12 market. We bought alot of things in the Summer range but alot of it went back. The dresses were paper thin this year. Good keepers, if they are still in stock, were the costumes, the skorts and the vintage play suits. I haven't bothered looking in the sale because the 15 percent off plus free delivery never makes the sale any cheaper. The womens shoes are over priced and never fit. Except the plimsols which I always get compliments on. The odd plain cardigan is good and the camisol tops last forever, as do the lounge trousers. Other than that, I give it a wide berth. I much prefer Whistles for our age group. Their bags put Bodens to shame.

[daimbardiva]

I agree that it's over-rpiced and never buy anything full-priced either...but as someone said above I find myself returning again and again, and every single thing I've bought from them, I've worn over and over again. I can't stand the really "boden-y" looking stuff - ie over the top prints/applique, but have some great basics e.g. jersey dresses. My top buy from them has to be my cloudspotter mac from a couple of years ago - I really don't know what I did without it. Have some great plimsolls too.

Also I am tall (5'11'') and find their clothes seem to be a good fit for me

[alemci]

I like Boden, mini B and Johnnie B. I think the quality may not be as good as it was though.

I think it fills the gap in the market for women who want to look up to date but not wear teenage fashions. I cringe sometimes when I see mums dressing exactly the same as their daughters.

I have been buying for about 6 years'. I buy coats, knitwear, the odd skirt camisoles and the basic t shirts. The swimwear is also excellent. It is good for my age group and I like the colours. I never pay full price for anything.

Their trousers don't fit me so I don't bother. My son has just got into J B. The customer service is very good.

[ameliagrey]

I think one of the benefits is ease of ordering and free returns if you go for an offer.

Boden fills a gap in the market for me- i am 50+ though look much younger, so I am told, and am a petite size 10.

I can't do Whistles etc as they are too young generally, M&S is dull, and ranges aimed at "my age" are too matronly for me.

I tend to dress smart casual for work , and work from home mostly anyway, so things like velvet jeans, nice cardis, and maybe a smart pair of trousers see me through.

[TantePiste]

Have had great luck with the jersey dresses, tees, cardis and some hits and misses with the shoes. Very happy with the mini boden for dcs. Usuallyvget a few pieces for each dc and then lower priced basics elsewhere. I steer toward solids over prints for me. They offer a lot of choices favorable to my cool summer colouring. Sign up by email and wait for the discounts. I am told the mini boden resale value on ebay is very good.

[EssentialFattyAcid]

They sell non sexy clothes for girls ( and arguably for women)

[katkitya]

I know what you mean about non sexy but, I don't know many 10 year old girls that want to be wearin clothes that start from aged 2?

[MillyR]

Kat, maybe it depends where you live. DD is 10 and she is happy to wear mini boden, but we don't live in a rural area so she's not aware of what is in fashion. It might also be because she didn't wear mini boden when she was very little because I thought it looked a bit too modern for little children. I can see that if your child wore it for years they would be sick of it by age 10. The Johnnie B goes from age 10 - that is what size the XS is, so 10 year olds that didn't want to wear clothes like younger children could wear that instead.

[BitOfFun]

The children's clothes are lovely, but I only ever buy in the sale. I wouldn't touch the adult section.

[katkitya]

Johnie B is aimed at teenagers. Very slim ones. We've tried it for aged 10 but, they don't really have the shape, do they? The playsuits went down well from the miniboden range but that's because playsuits are in fashion. They see teenybop singers wearing them. I like mini boden but, it's expecting too much of a ten year old to wear a cord pinafore that starts from aged 2. Even myself at that age, I wanted Tammy Girl!

[MillyR]

Kat, yes I have found that too. The Johnnie B boys clothes are really baggy, but the girls clothes are very narrow. This is no good for us as DS is much skinnier than DD.

But DD has had the shorts, cardigans and cropped jeans from the sale. She has also had some of the cute animal type things, like the bird skirt, and I can imagine more fashion aware 10 years olds would not wear that. I'm assuming some of the really young looking things are worn by younger kids who are tall for their age.

We've had some older looking clothes from Yumi girls (part of uttam), but the quality is not great and I worry a bit about that they might be made in a sweat shop.

[MillyR]

I meant she has the shorts etc from mini boden, not Johnnie B.

[katkitya]

Yes, the shorts went down very well this year as did the playsuits and swimming costumes. The dress from Johnie B ended up on the 7 year old so, not exactly teenage? The other thing, the jeans how thin does a child need to be to wear them??

[SleepySuzy]

Are all the kids stuff slim fitting? My DD is super skinny so it would be perfect.

[alemci]

my 16 year old is wearing the mini boden playsuit. I think they stuff may come up on the slim side. Both my dd are slender.

[katkitya]

Yes, we always size up. Their girls trousers are a joke