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Insane urge to buy whole Boden catalogue

62 replies

ItsATIARA · 30/01/2014 17:40

Ocado have just been and included Spring/summer Boden catalogue as usual. I flicked through, as usual, but instead of then dumping it in the recycling, I am seriously considering the Ravello top, the Grace dress, the Chic wool suit, the flower show dress, the casual jersey dress, the t-shirt dress, the floral skirt, the turnup trousers, the full stripy skirt, the bowling bag, the cable knit jumper, and the loafers.

Please come and tell me that a) their prices are ridiculous, even with their transparently fake "15% off" - I could get the same much cheaper on the high street with some canny shopping b) I don't need any of it c) none of their models have any bottoms at all, so a pearshaped person like me would look dreadful d) they're all horrible garments and I only think they're nice because it's so sodding dark and grey outside and I like the sunny colourful pictures.

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MrsCocoa · 31/01/2014 22:56

Oooh - that bag is nice!

Back2Two · 31/01/2014 23:01

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FiscalCliffRocksThisTown · 01/02/2014 08:38

Boden is cut for women who are straight up and down, and suits them.

If you have a waist and hips, it doesn't sit right.

Their tops come up short and can be midriff exposing.

It can look like little girl clothes for grown ups.

HTH

LaurieFairyCake · 01/02/2014 08:42

I am very large and wear their v neck jersey or wrap dresses every day.

I like them but you can never tell which of them will wash without bobbling or fading.

Aelfrith · 01/02/2014 08:47

Don't buy it. The summer stuff will be badly cut from cheap,thin cotton and won't wash well or sit properly on you.

zestypears · 01/02/2014 08:56

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Aelfrith · 01/02/2014 09:04

Charity shops!

I like Olsen...it turns up a lot in my local charity shop. No idea who/where it's made or the cost.

Back2Two · 01/02/2014 09:24

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holycowwhatnow · 01/02/2014 09:51

TulipOHare, just bought those tan loafers- thanks for the link. Was going to buy other ones from Dune for nearly twice the price so hope they are as nice in real life.

FiscalCliffRocksThisTown · 01/02/2014 11:19

how can you "have hips" yet are "not wide" (i.e. straight up and down?)

If I say "I have hips", I mean they are significantly wider than my waist (by about 30 cm. circumference! 62 cm waist, 92 cm hips)

anyway, back2two, I have recently discovered Mint Velvet (through MN) and really like them. It is a bit more on trend and a bit more cool than Boden IMO. (no patterns/garish colours). Idea?

ItsATIARA · 01/02/2014 11:26

You can be both slim and curvy - someone with a 25 inch waist and 35 inch hips would look pretty crap in most Boden stuff I think - their pencil skirts in particular look like they're designed for about a 5 inch waist-hip differential although that's not what their catalogue measurements claim.

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FiscalCliffRocksThisTown · 01/02/2014 13:35

ItsTiara, that is exactly what I mean.

Not many UK clothes are cut for women with big waits-hip differential.

Italian and French clothes often are, but then again are often tiny (damn this tiny curvy women Wink).

Viviennemary · 01/02/2014 13:43

I wish I liked Boden but I don't. I'd love to buy the whole Laura Ashley catalogue though. Fabrics and furniture not clothes so much. And yet lots of people seem to hate LA these days.

zestypears · 01/02/2014 13:56

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ItsATIARA · 01/02/2014 14:11

At that point zesty you just have to find good value decent quality clothes that fit your arse, find a reliable local dry cleaner who does alterations, and get everything taken in several inches at the waist. Or do a short tailoring course and do it yourself.

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Back2Two · 01/02/2014 14:21

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dreamingofsun · 01/02/2014 14:28

i'm fairly straight up and down and i find their stuff - jeans in particular - is for too curvy people. My normal size in jeans fits at the waste and then has sort of pouches of spare material either side of my hips

StatisticallyChallenged · 01/02/2014 15:33

Zestypears, I'd agree with ItsATIARA - I have about a 15-16" hip:waist difference and not much less bust to waist and am gradually realising that altering stuff is the only way. I can make some dresses work thanks to belts but I've recently figured out how to take the waist in on trousers and it helps considerably.

BTW, the next slim and shape high waisted straight leg jeans aren't too bad on me. I have a pair of bold curves which work but they are the harder to find higher rise ones. The modern rise (which most of them are) suck

MrsCocoa · 02/02/2014 12:56

I think their 'fit' may have changed quite significantly over the last couple of years. I'm an apple and previously struggled with their trousers and skirts - too broad at hip and too tight at waist. But found to my surprise that their pencil skirts and bistro crops from recent seasons fit my shape. It is difficult to predict though and sizing does seem fluctuate even within the same style and size. Think, given this, you need to be prepared to experiment, but given postal costs, this does only feel viable when you have a free returns label.

polyhymnia · 02/02/2014 13:13

Agree sizing and fit vary a lot from one item to another. Reviews on their site are quite helpful on this.

DrNick · 02/02/2014 13:15

i love the ravello tops for work

once saw a woman in a restaurant wearing one and it just seemed wrong

Flangeofmingetown · 02/02/2014 13:36

I think that a lot of their items are cut for pair shapes. Things are often tightly fitted across the shoulders and chest and then really huge across the hips/thighs in comparison.

DrNick · 02/02/2014 13:40

pear?

Back2Two · 02/02/2014 16:48

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Flangeofmingetown · 02/02/2014 19:07

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