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Original poster

Does your town/city have a "Boden belt"?

116 replies

SmiggyBalls · 06/06/2023 10:14

My friend just made me laugh, describing how she's accidentally moved to her town's "Boden belt", and school runs are full of mums in their 40s all really skinny, toned, and with the image/style of those Boden models (slouchy trousers, etc., on skinny frames). Is this a thing? I have to say, most of the mums in their 40s everywhere I've lived are similar to me - probably a bit mumsy and filling out - and I've lived in a number of pretty middle class areas. Has everyone else heard of "Boden belts" where all the mums look like that?!

OP posts:
Skinnermarink · 06/06/2023 23:17

Frugi- jolly clothes in prints with puffins on or turquoise corduroys. Girls in rainbow tights, wellies and a bright orange pinafore, probably also cord. That sort of look. Maybe a woollen sweater vest in winter, depicting a badger or a seagull. They might holiday in St Ives.

DiscoBeat · 06/06/2023 23:18

Mostly gym clothes here for after-school run sessions!

gogohmm · 06/06/2023 23:22

@Moonandstarz

Dryrobes or helly Hansen jackets are the brands of choice here. As far as clothes seasalt is very popular as there's only 4 clothes stores in town and one is a reseller of seasalt (one is a boutique, 2 are fashion chains)

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gogohmm · 06/06/2023 23:30

And many people wear life jackets as well, those small ones - it's just to point out they have a yacht I swear, why not take it off in the pub, lidl etc!!!

MaudGonneOutForChips · 06/06/2023 23:42

Everyone’s just wearing work clothes on our school run. Today I dropped DS off at the same time as an architect who always wears extremely closely-cut suits, a forensics cop, a cleaner and a medic at the nearby hospital in near identical ‘scrubs’ outfits, a dad in paint-spattered overalls and me in my ‘academic-dragged-through-hedge to the exam boards’ look. The one to look out for is the circus skills trainer guy who sometimes arrives on a unicycle.

ChocChipHandbag · 06/06/2023 23:42

Hhhffr · 06/06/2023 21:07

There is definitely the sweaty betty belt around here - South London. For the life of me, why does anyone need to wear a dry robe in Crouch end

We have a Lido!

Gough20 · 06/06/2023 23:52

gogohmm · 06/06/2023 23:30

And many people wear life jackets as well, those small ones - it's just to point out they have a yacht I swear, why not take it off in the pub, lidl etc!!!

No, just no. It depends how they’ve come ashore though. If in a tender they will need it. But…..

Don’t wear it in pub, supermarket etc. Their argument would be ‘where do I put it?’.

Tricky one.

Is this ‘life belt’ then?

Throughabushbackwards · 06/06/2023 23:57

Our street is a BHS belt. I know they closed down years ago, that's the point really.

goodkidsmaadhouse · 06/06/2023 23:59

Life jackets on the school run? I’ve heard it all now. I can die happy.

Blueypartymummy · 07/06/2023 00:03

I visited a kids attraction 30 mins drive from our (poor) city and me and DH both noted how everyone was dressed differently than at home. Mini Boden and Bobux everywhere...and all the mums were similarly dressed and had expensive looking hair.

FrillyGoatFluff · 07/06/2023 08:47

We're in a 'knitted with organic yoghurt' belt.

Very VERY hippy, lots of recharging through dance, and getting in touch with the forest bollocks.

Beezknees · 07/06/2023 09:05

Dunno. Not in my town for sure. My nearest city is Nottingham. If there is a boden belt I've never been to it!

Newname47 · 07/06/2023 12:11

Skinnermarink · 06/06/2023 23:17

Frugi- jolly clothes in prints with puffins on or turquoise corduroys. Girls in rainbow tights, wellies and a bright orange pinafore, probably also cord. That sort of look. Maybe a woollen sweater vest in winter, depicting a badger or a seagull. They might holiday in St Ives.

You've just described my village, joules is also allowed. No judgement, I love it.

MissBridgetJones · 07/06/2023 12:32

uncomfortablydumb53 · 06/06/2023 15:23

Boden belt is funny and I instantly knew what you meant!
I'm in Wilts and there's a dry robe feel/ badminton set but not as upmarket if that makes sense
Used to live in Bath and definitely a Boden belt.. up on the hills it's more Finisterre

I live in Bath and concur entirely!

Twattergy · 07/06/2023 12:40

It's a mix of Boden, gym kit and dog walking rags round here (fairly affluent SE village). Pretty casual and no need for make up/hair etc. Very conventional though.

Crikeyalmighty · 07/06/2023 12:40

@MissBridgetJones I live in Bath too and up on the hills- I'm more M&S with a bit of Fat Face!

NotMeNoNo · 07/06/2023 12:42

Beezknees · 07/06/2023 09:05

Dunno. Not in my town for sure. My nearest city is Nottingham. If there is a boden belt I've never been to it!

West Bodenford

MissBridgetJones · 07/06/2023 12:43

@Crikeyalmighty

I'm on the hills too! Moved from Bathwick last year and definitely less Boden/Sweaty Betty up here! I think Bear Flat might be the boundary!!!! Smile

ChristmasJumpers · 07/06/2023 12:47

Where I am is much more young mums in dressing gown. So dressing gown belt? 🤣

daffodilandtulip · 07/06/2023 12:48

I've never heard of it before but a local area sprung to mind immediately!

Can't afford to live there though 🤣

MenoRageisReal · 07/06/2023 12:51

It's M&S mum jeans, fleeces and north face jackets here, but I'm in rural north Scotland and its fucking freezing 11 months out of 12. Plus quite a few folk still work on family farms so a hint of manure and visible collie hair are not unusual.

It's funny when we do get a warm day and you see everyone in the same shorts and dresses they've worn for the last 10 years because they are still going strong as only used for 3 weeks a year. One week here and 2 weeks abroad Grin

RenoDakota · 07/06/2023 12:56

FrillyGoatFluff · 07/06/2023 08:47

We're in a 'knitted with organic yoghurt' belt.

Very VERY hippy, lots of recharging through dance, and getting in touch with the forest bollocks.

Same here. Wonder if we all live in the same 'quirky, alternative' West Yorkshire town.

uncomfortablydumb53 · 07/06/2023 13:30

@MissBridgetJones
I was up on the hills too!.. CD village

FrillyGoatFluff · 07/06/2023 13:51

@RenoDakota I'm down in East Sussex, but I'm sure there's pilgrimages between the two 😂

Sagittariusrising · 07/06/2023 13:59

@WhiteFire So do I. I've seen more than one in our shopping centre in the centre of town 😀