Boden catalogue - a feminist critique

Fantastic thread - thank you OP!

I couldnt agree more. I was reading the latest catalogue earlier while sitting on the floor with small children - they like looking at the patterns on the dresses and like you I like getting wound up reading the Q&A with the models.

I am fascinated by Simone's answer to "What winds you up most about other people's husbands?" "Disrespect". Because she is a model? Because she is an egoist? I can't think of any of my friends husbands who obviously disrespect me..

Laura winds me up the most. Bambi eyes, cheerleader hair and a spotty top my 5 year old daughter would dismiss as too girly. "Who would you least like as a mother in law?". "I haven't got one yet, so I'm still wondering". ie "I must get married and soon".

I detest Johnny Boden.

I'm loving the Ladies' boiler suit

Unfortunately I have not yet become sufficiently integrated in yurt valley to wear homemade felt without shame. Nor those Conker shoes. No doubt in a few years time I'll manage it.

Damn, was looking at your profile, Fennel, to see if there were any pics of you clad in home-made felt . . . can we have some?

It offends both my feminist and my lefty sensibilities (their Eisenhower trousers are awesome, though, pretty much indestructible IME, and a million pockets, so I almost forgive them)

I'm pondering where a proper feminist should buy her clothes. People Tree + rummaging around Afflecks Palace/Quiggins/Camden market etc, I would say. For that "stuck in the 80s" feminist look.

Round here the feminist mix in Earth Mother circles which leads to a lot of handmade felt, but I'm not really recommending that.

Basically, you're stuffed.

Even if you want a boilers suit, you get directed to 'Ladies' Workwear'

Actually, to be fair, I suspect someone has given in to the temptation to ring up & scream down the phone I AM NOT A FUCKING LADY as Dickies have now retitled the link to said 'ladies boilersuit' as 'Women'

They even sent my parcel to Mr Takver

well you know, even feminists have to wear something.
(disclaimer - I am wearing Monsoon. Is that ok? what are preferred feminist labels? Remember we can't wear White Stuff cos of Smack My Witch Up or M&S cos of Hooters )

I don't have any Boden myself so far, but I do sometimes buy it for the dc, is that ok

But really, what self-respecting feminist would be wearing Boden anyway? (sits back and waits for flaming by full-floral-skirted-and-twinsetted feminists)

Oh yeah, I still think it's completely shit and kind of depressing.

I just meant, I don't know that there is any point in hoping for some better, snappier answers from the models, cos I'm sure they have absolutely no say in what "answers" are printed beside them.

They do it for the kids too I think, don't they? Pretty shocking if they don't do it for the men as well. (Have only recently begun getting their catalogue, the current one has not reached me yet so I've only ever seen last season's)

I don't think you need to read the Boden catalogue to critique it from a faminist pov. every picture screams at me one massive subtext: that women should be good-looking clean-living married sahms. Occasionally they're allowed to glam up a bit for parties but only for the purposes of making their dh look good

Anne Flore
'How do you know when a man is serious'
'When he lets you choose his clothes'
Really, a man who cannot choose his own clothes!
[jawdrop]

There was something else about MILs as well, they came in for it as well.

Alternative answers to the

"Gabriella, what do you hide from your boyfriend?" question:

My vibrator
My other boyfriend
My girlfriend
My feminist views
My escape fund

toast --
www.guardian.co.uk/theobserver/2007/sep/02/features.magazine117
pmsl at 'no I do not fancy a chinese' - spot on

Archaeologists? Can you explain further misskeith?

DH loves the Toast catalogue. He calls it the "pissed off women book" and amuses himself by writing Boden style text pieces next to the moody shots:

"You forgot to put the bins out again."

"No I do not fancy a Chinese."

Toast was originally designed by archaeologists?

bet not many archaeologists can afford to wear it.

See this is why Toast is better, because it is (or was originally) designed by archaeologists. Though I concede their shoots are equally nuts in a different way.

Only if washed down with a fruit shoot.

Yes, it's the perfect fusion thread.
Next week- Are ~Greggs sausage rolls the ideal food for breastfeeding mothers?

that should be vigorous (Simone can spell despite being a Boden model)