What's wrong with Boden?

[suzanneb]

I love Boden, but either get labelled a hooray or a middle aged, middle class and boring. Is this a city dweller thing? I don't get it.

been looking at the boden catalogue as I want to look respectable fpr all those new mothers at secondary school parents evening - and now you tell me there's something wrong with it? Waaaaaaaah! Guess its back to Primark then........oh no wasn't there a thread about that? Where can I get any clothes, or do I have to spin them from placentas?

oops much offense inadvertently caused. Apologies all round (she says breezily)

agree with beety - womens clothes horrible, odd colours, strange shapes and lengths without being fashionable. dh and i howled at the skirts last winter - like blankets.

but I do buy bits for the girls and mostly they are very nice

I expect you are deeply alluring buffy

and quite honestly I don't find the children's clothes all that pricey. A bit more costly than high street, but we're not talking exorbitant

actually am pretty gorgeous, yes
you would have to try much harder than that to offend me

ah hmc you underestimate ust how tight I am when it comes to buying dd's clothes...

otto - dont you? I think you do but go on prove me wrong!

I buy a lot of clothes from Boden, the majority of which I do like (for me, ds and dd).
What I find a bit annoying is that they are selling the clothes under the assumption that you are trying to buy into their lifestyle of upper middle class leisure. I would love to swan around the smart bits of London or in the country or our holiday home in the Caribbean but it's not going to happen! And I resent being made to feel slightly inferior every time I open a catalogue! I want that life and they know it and are capitalising on it!

Well I do a real eclectic mix;

some from boden
some from usual high street shops
and some from NCT nearly new sales....

actually yes H and M are cheap and good
also white stuff and fat face sometmies nicer than Boden for 'that' kind of look

Enid - H&M, Sainsburys, Primark, Asda all have a mix of cheap and hideous stuff. You just need to look to find the good stuff. Gap can be expensive but have good sales, Vertbaudet also have good, cheapish stuff. Ds wore a much admired striped shirt in the summer that cost £2.99 in H&M. It also depends on what style of clothes you favour. I don't like the dressed-up look. I much prefer rough and tumble-type clothes on ds as they suit his personality.

Too expensive for me. But then I class high street as expensive. Just bought Dd a pair of baby blue cords (Mothercare sale - £5.60) and a blue/green/white top (Pumpkin Patch sale - £4.99) and thats about as much as I would generally tend to spend. I was sick of her in pink all the time and she has hardly any trousers - mainly wearing skirts she was bought for her birthday in May and hand-me-down pinafore dresses.

I think there is middle class and middle class.

There's High Street and there's High Street; you might pay as much in Gap and Monsoon as you would for Boden, but there's a lot on the High Street far cheaper.

I honestly cannot see the point in spending £27 or £30 (sorry, HMC, horses for courses and all that but I think that is exhorbitant) on a skirt for dd when I can get perfectly nice, perfectly good skirts in H&M for a fiver. They all end up the same way - covered in all kinds of muck and outgrown within a couple of months.

Buffy - yes, it's the same coat. It looks lovely so I hope I'm not disappointed!

Tbh, I find some of the 'high street' stuff too 'highstreet' - it's cheap and nasty. Hooooowever, I have just bought 2 tops from New Look ( first purchase there ever!) and I have to say, both are rather nice!! Worn first one today and had several comments!

WWB - me either - I've only bought tops for the boys which are £12-14 each so not astronomical. I'm not paying £20-30 for jeans or trousers though as they will go through in the knees just like the others, I'm sure of it!

gobbledigook, thats my coat.!
fantastic price isnt it? and i am really happy with the quality of it. never bought from boden before, so it was an experiment. but i will definitly buy again.

Ooh good - I'm excited now!

I have looked on their website (after hearing about it here) and was most disappointed. Just all looks a bit dull to me. Plus, it ain't cheap.

I like H&M, Zara, Topshop and occasionally some of the more expensive high street shops (Jigsaw/Coast etc for a treat.

But they do say 'different strokes...'

weesaidie, i like the shops you mention for their style. but i dont really like their quality. also, i think they are better for slimmer people. and i just a fatgit

I know what you mean re quality, would love to be able to afford some of the more expensive high street shops at times.

Still, they may not last too long but it means I have an excuse to buy new clothes and they aren't too pricy!

never fit me any of it

and i dnt wear cardigans and skirts ont h whle anyway

I'm too impatient for catalogues. I'm also quite curvy and really need to try on clothes to see if they fit, so I'd rather go high street, pay for the item, and walk out w/it in a bag.

Love Boden for the DD's but find most of the womens wear a bit frumpy and middle aged. I'd rather wear a pair of well cut jeans and a sexy top and boots. Have just discovered New Look on the recomendation of a very well off and stylish friend. My fav T-shirt cost a fiver.