Boden Icons, going against the grain here...

[Libertas]

I am not a core Boden customer and would rather have my eyeballs tattooed without anaesthetic than wear a Rainy Day Mac in a goldfish print (okay, I know there isn't actually a goldfish print...yet). Don't get me wrong, Boden looks positively charming..on my ls even-year-old. HOWEVER, I am going to stick my head above the parapet, and run the gamut of flamings, biscuits and sheer derision, to admit, it was me, I bought one of the Hyde Parkas - and I blooming love it!

I live in a remote part of God's Own Country (Yorkshire, for the daft), where we quite often experience four seasons in a single school run. I have been coveting a warm, hooded and stylish coat that will work equally as well in country as in town and withstand the serious weather on the Cathy-and-Heathcliff moors where my daughter goes to school.

Now, I am not the wife of a Russian oligarch, and, yes, the parka is pricey, but I am banking on this coat lasting me for the next 10 years, so I am going on a cost-per-wear basis. In my - obviously freakish - opinion, the parka is practical and stylish and the fabric, design and attention to detail are patently a cut above Johnnie's run-of-the-mill Boden staples.

I think its lovely but blimey, its nearly £400!

Beat me to it Green - really lovely but more than I have ever paid for a coat. Does look gorgeous though. What's the sizing like?

Hi Green and OldPossum, yes, it's very spenny, but I live by the maxims of my lovely grannies, from Yorkshire and Liverpool, respectively, namely 'buy cheap, then buy twice and even thrice' and 'invest in your coat and shoes, because that's what everyone sees first.' I guess that's what I've always done, so £399, while incredibly expensive, didn't seem an obscene amount of money to me, given that I imagine I'll be wearing the coat for the next 10 years, at least, then handing it down to my now seven-year-old. Makes me sound like a big spender, which I'm very definitely not, as I probably buy about three items of clothing per year. I hate fast fashion and love timeless brands like Margaret Howell and Toast, so the Boden Icons collection has been a revelation for me.

My experience of the sizing is that it's over-generous; I ordered the medium, as I'm 5'9ins tall and a size 10-12, and generally like clothes to be slightly roomy rather than just fitting, but the M is too voluminous, so I have ordered an exchange for the small. However, if Boden can't fulfill my new order (bit of confusion about the whole 'limited edition' thang), I love the parka so much, I'll keep the medium and simply pull in the waist toggles extra tight!

By the way, I should probably state for the record that I have absolutely no affiliation to Boden whatsoever, and only felt prompted to post about my positive experience, because I felt a truly iconic British brand - and not one that I necessarily value ordinarily - had come in for a lot of unfair flak on this forum for taking a bit of a risk and doing things differently.

Do you have a link?

I like the mixture of apology and defiance in your verbose confession.

£399 though? Phew! 'Flamin' Nora' as you Yorkshire lot would say.

Another Yorkshire lass here.
£400 is way beyond my budget for a single item but if you like it and have the money the why not!
I think Boden have tried to do something different. I'm not sure who it's aimed at but probably not their typical core customers which might explain why they've come under scrutiny for this range!

It looks like it is made from moss!

Not that that is necessarily a bad thing I guess, if you like moss.

I thought boden was well liked on here. I am clearly behind the times.

Not sure how a woolly, dry clean only coat is going to fare in "serious weather" but good luck