It's time for another crucial question (are you watching Time magazine). Could you please rank in order of poshness - Austin Reed, Boden and Army&Navy (clothing dept)?

[JustineMumsnet]

Txs
(ps a response on this thread is in no way an indication of how middle-class or otherwise you might be )

I just Googled and realised Army & Navy was rebranded House of Fraser several years ago. For those of you who are confusing it with army surplus, it was a department store in Victoria to which the provinical gentry used to repair for dull but servicable clothing and household goods.

I voted Boden as poshest on that a woman who I worked for who was married to "old money" bought her clothes there, and that was ten years ago.
I didnt know A&N was a dept store.
I always think of Austin Reed as a bit blah/boring/high street/similar to C&A or somesuch.

So not remotely subjective then...

Re Ebay prices for Boden.

They must be getting less posh because I got a summer dress for dd for £1.50 and I was the only bidder. Maybe it was Boden knock-off.

Austin Reed
Boden
A&N (do they still exist?)

They are all pretty much the same aren't they? All quite mc.
Prob
A&N
Boden
Austin Reed

Though I have never been in Austin Reed, and only been to Oxford St A&N a long time ago.

If you asked
Primark
Topshop
H&M

Then I would be be better qualified to judge tbh.

I'm shocked at the reaction to Austin Reed - they don't do anything good for women but they have lovely suits for men, v.nice quality and not an inch of polyester to be seen on anything that DH has bought from there.

I don't think any of these are posh, Army and Navy used to be but isn't any longer. They are all v.v.middle class.

Boden
A&N
Austin Reed.

That was easy to decide (not saying I am right, but not as hard as fig rolls/garibaldis). next question?

Does Army & Navy have a department store in London, if so its the one my friends shops at and she is tres posh, works at a charity and has designer face cream and everything. Actually she just hates crowds and shopping so thats why she goes.

I don't know much about Austin Reed except the womens cloths seem to be designed for a different generation, that I'm not sure exists any more.

I think Boden used to be posh, but now they have reductions every other weekend and most of the stuff looks hideously middle aged, so I think it is

Army & Navy
Austin Reed
Boden

Army and Navy, Austin Reed (I like their suit styling, but they are having a laugh with their prices for the quality of the fabric), Boden

Totally confused by this as "The Army & Navy" in my old town used to be the place where you bought waterproof trousers and cagoules that zipped up into their own hoods!

And nothing Boden has ever made is the right shape for me.

Could we redo this with Bon Marche, Primark and Matalan? Or maybe George, Tu and Florence and Fred??

Austin Reed
A&N
Boden

Jinja, we did mean the non-army surplus Army & Navy, but agree it was confusing because the Army & Navy we were thinking of got taken over by House of Fraser (we think).

Thanks everybody for your contributions .

Tomorrow's posh-o-meter will be breeds of dog. No, only joking.

These posh-quizzes are deliciously random.

Tomorrow's should be items of furniture, or garden wildlife.

I think hedgehogs are far posher than frogs, for instance, but squirrels probably sneak into first place.

I live in a wilderness where the nearest thing to a sprawling metropolis is the local Co-op, so I can't offer opinions on A&N or Austin Reed. I think Boden's moderately posh though.

LOL snigger we need a rural one just for us, like, what is poshes, Spar, Happy Shopper or Co-op.

PS i think frogs are quite posh btw.

Army and Navy aren't the slightest bit posh
Austin Reed might be posh but it is intensely dull. I mean, is this really worthy of the term "accessory"?
I don't think Boden is posh either.

I'd go with A&N at the bottom, then Boden then AR.

Yes yes, do the posh dog breeds, I can win that They are the only posh thing about me

Dalmatian and Weimararner in case you were wondering

God, stick to the garden animals, dog breeds will end in carnage.

Boden
A&N
Austin Reed (posh, dull and expensive)

nah, posh types do labs (stinky) and spaniels (even stinkier)
the truly posh have reduced sense of smell doncha know..

It's true about posh people and smelly dogs.

And frogs ARE posh I tell you. Try kissing one. Hmm? Posh.

I miss Army and Navy - where are all the northern branches>? Long gone up here....

Think Austin Reed and Boden are equally expensive. But in terms of menswer, Boden is posher, because it requires men to wear quirky things like Salmon pink cords and flowery shirts, and you have to be seriously posh/upper class to get away with that dontcha know....?