BODEN new season- got your catalogue?

[pinkfrocks]

As always I am a bit disappointed. Too many patterns. stripes and dotty-circles. The only thing that grabs me is possibly the weekend casual dress but the summer version which I have is quite low necked.

my catalogue gives 10% off but an email gives me 15%
would love a 20%

OK I love this skirt! I do like a bright pattern but avoid the most "Bodeny" ones, but I like the vintage look of this, and also thank you Boden, it's not a pencil or slim A-line skirt for once

Also really love this colour for the cardies here

And have to get these pjs I usually get a pair of these every autumn and I love this colour. (My mum will have a fit, she hates my predilection for pinky purple)

As I was browsing I thought ooh i do like that skirt, and I love that freesia colour for a cardie, shame they don't go together as an outfit.

Then lo and behold I noticed that yes, Boden do think they go together :)

Do they keep making items in a previous season's styles, just in different fabrics?

Some of the items look lovely, but I know from bitter previous experience that they won't necessarily look lovely on me as they would be styled with clothes pegs and whatnot. I'm off to the post office to return last week's delivery as it looks like a sack

I often alter the boxy or sack-like knitwear by just sewing a new, curved/fitted seam up both sides to take account of the fact that I have a waist :)

Turn inside out, put on and pin while wearing so you get a good idea of how fitted to make it. Then take off, neaten up the pins, and sew by hand. Takes 20 mins.

It might take you 20 minutes because you're obviously a brilliant dressmaker, but I can barely sew a button on, so, when I get sack-like things - which I also hate - I have to go to a specialist alterations tailor. Sometimes that costs as much as the garment!

I don't have a waist, TheFirma, I'm a rectangle with tits at the moment I would alter it if it wasn't too small length ways. It looks like a sack and isn't long enough so not really worth the cost.

I'm pear-shaped and long-waisted so I realise things are made boxy for people with less extreme waist-arse proportions - it would be worse the other way round, if everything was made for my shape it wouldn't fit anyone else! Also, yes sometimes it is too boxy, too short and just isn't going to work so I have been known to send things back too.

Sorry I didn't mention that after sewing, you then need to cut off the excess, which can be scary with knitted fabric. If your sewed line is good and strong and you leave a good 1cm seam allowance, it should be fine. But if you're worried, you can also cut it, then oversew along the edge to hold in the cut edge and stop it from fraying.

I do it happily now but I admit I didn't start off doing it on £99 Boden cashmere sweaters. Start on something cheap or an ebay bargain.

Their sizes are out, so watch out. According to my measurements I'm a size 14 (12 elsewhere. I'm on a diet). The 14 was massive though, even if I am a rectangle with tits

The catherine coat is nice. I would like the ice blue one. Saying that, im actually not that keen on it when i see it on the model. It looks short.

Does anyone buy the Johnnie B clothing for themselves, and if so how is the sizing? I will need a new coat this winter (can hardly bring myself to think of winter clothing now) and their duffel coat looks quite good.

I used to get Johnnie B tops as they are longer (teen fashion means longer apparently, while grown women want their muffin top hanging out ) - however Johnnie cottoned on to what I was up to and made the biggest Johnnie B size smaller, so they no longer fit me. However I'm a tall 14. If you are shorter/smaller then Johnnie B should fit.

Their sizes are mad. I have two Boden jumpers that are a size 12 and still generous, dresses that fit in a 14, and a cardie that is a 16 and a bit tight. But I've got to know most of their quirks. And that, for example, any dress they make with a waist, even in "long", will not fit because the "waist" will be almost round my neck.

Tbh I'm totally flat chested and a lot of it would look awful

I find their skirt sit very high up and i find that quite annoying. An ounce of weight for me sitting on my waist means a size 12 is tight :( I dont really get on with their sizes. They are such a hit and miss. I bought last seasons jeans and i had to order up! ...but then everyone was complaining that they were too tight. I dont tend to send a lot of stuff back but am reluctant ordering from boden as i find it hard to judge.

grewngarden you are absolutely right. The skirts sit too high on me too making me look tubbyier

"And that, for example, any dress they make with a waist, even in "long", will not fit because the "waist" will be almost round my neck."

Totally - but sometimes a dress without a waist will be a good fit on me (stripy maxi from last year for example - perfect).

Don't diss the perry though! I love checking out "Claire's" outfits and recently they have gone in some fab new directions here though admittedly I don't want to look like your pic.

Their sizes and cut just vary wildly. I've only just now in clearance found one style of dress from the spring collection which looks good on me ( it's the Seville dress and I'm a large, tall hourglass), so goodness knows how many of the autumn styles I'll need to try before finding one that works, if any do.

It's not easy to tell from pics or even measurements, though reviews can be helpful when the writers actually go into detail on the pros and cons of the item instead of just saying 'lovely dress' or ' I'll be wearing it on holiday', which is no help at all.

Oh, I'm loving those legs

I'd rather try things on before buying them, so need a shop really. There's a Joules and a Fat Face here so I buy more from there. Boden's measurements are way off I bought the Kate dress at Christmas but I feel a little frumpy in it. It looks great with a shawl, but the waist is a little too high. I've just boxed up a brown flowershow

Oh I did wonder about the flowershow dress. What was the matter with it?

The waist's too high, the skirt's too short (it was petite though but I'm 5"1) and the sizing's off. According to their measurements online I'm a 14 (news to me, I thought I was a 10-12). I tried it on and there's sooo much spare fabric it just hangs a sack with very little shape

Oh dear doesn't sound good.

I got my catalogue yesterday and was going to start a "let.'a point and laugh" thread then, but well, got overtaken by life with 2 small dc at home.