Boden’s latest catalogue

[boatyardblues]

The new Boden mini catalogue previewing some the autumn range hit my doormat this morning. I can’t decide if they are fighting for survival or trying to shake off unprofitable plebs like me who only buys the odd thing, but the pricing is bonkers. £95 for a merino jumper? £110 for the Eva midi dress (jersey). #nothankyou Johnny.

To be honest anything I've ever bought from Boden makes me look like a box on legs. Even after my recent tummy tuck it still makes me look like a frigging box on legs.

@hopeclearwater you get 25% off with a Blue Light Card (emergency services) also at Joules and Seasalt

Got ds1 (who's now 18 ) some of those woolly tartan trousers. Loved him in them and so cosy and hardwearing. Needless to say they were passed down to his brother 6 years later.

[quote Willowwarble]@hopeclearwater you get 25% off with a Blue Light Card (emergency services) also at Joules and Seasalt[/quote]
I think that's so unfair that some professions get the huge discount.

Discountsforteachers gives codes for 25% off Boden, they even had 50% off Seasalt for a while.

It's so unfair that those of us who also work bloody hard in our careers have to subsidise discounts for those in other professions. It really puts me off supporting those brands.

They're like DFS now. You know there will be constant shifting "sales" so it puts you off buying anything full price as it must surely be overinflated to justify the "sales"

@peaceanddove

To be honest anything I've ever bought from Boden makes me look like a box on legs. Even after my recent tummy tuck it still makes me look like a frigging box on legs.

Same here. If you look at the catalogue, especially with the dresses, the models are often in odd, forced positions, hugging their waists etc in an attempt to create a bit of shape in a sea of frumpy cuts.

Last time I tried to buy a pair of Boden trousers for 6yo DC they were £30 with a waiting time of 9 weeks. WTF? Plain black leggins also had weeks' worth of waiting.

TBH - crazy prints, variable quality, tedious overpricing-then-sales system... I don't know why I bother.

I used to really like Boden 10+ years ago and had lots of lovely things from them. These days the prices are way too high considering I can buy nicer things from more ethical companies for less (for example organic cotton from brands like Seasalt and Thought), and other good quality basics at a fraction of the cost (M&S jeans and trousers for example now suit me better and are rarely over £35 a pair).

@Housewife2010 the discount is for those workers who had to work in key worker roles throughout the Lockdown. ( Drs, paramedics , care workers etc) You begrudge that?

They're in a bit of a Gap spiral imo, overpricing clothes and thereby priming people to await the sales/discount codes.

I find their kids' stuff really hard-wearing but I have to really love it to buy it full price. Adult clothes don't appeal.

I found that Sainsbury’s TU often had similar children’s clothes to Boden - bright colours, appliqué t-shirts etc. The quality was good too. I do remember having a couple of fleece lined hoodies for them from Boden though and they were worth the money. Like other PPS have said - decent re-sale price too.

The adult clothes weren’t me at all though. I have occasionally got bits but I always wished they had the kids stuff - e.g. the aforementioned fleeces in adult sizes but they never did!!

I always used to buy bits in the sale and my ds had some lovely bits years ago which lasted but when the book came this time the prices just put me off. I did look at the sale but again it all felt expensive. I still have a couple of summer dresses which I love and wear every year but I think I certainly will not pay such high prices for very underwhelming quality these days.

Where is similar quality but cheaper? I like some of their stuff but I do find it expensive.

And to be honest, I worked all through lockdown as a non-key worker and I do think it’s a bit of a kick in the teeth not to get a discount of 25%. But then I’m grumpy as fuck over having to work all through and not having it recognised as key work because I’m not health service or a teacher.

There’s a lot of professions that can use blue light card it’s been around years and years I’ve had one a long time. Fatface included, it’s not covid exclusive. I didn’t actually know Boden did it but I got £20 refer a friend code and 15% recently - I think their own discounts are more at times. I wouldn’t pay full price. Had been waiting for a lovely jumper to go in the sale was £90 glad I didn’t buy @ full price as def not worth that even the £30 I paid I’m dubious tbh. But it’ll be cosy when it gets chilly but will need a t shirt under as it’s itchy as hell.

I haven’t bought anything from there for a long time. I didn’t use to mind paying a bit more for food quality but now their prices are beyond my budget

[quote makingmyway10]@Housewife2010 the discount is for those workers who had to work in key worker roles throughout the Lockdown. ( Drs, paramedics , care workers etc) You begrudge that? [/quote]
Many of us were also working very long hours in non key worker roles during the pandemic. Not all non key workers were furloughed. As we we weren't key workers we also didn't have the option to send our children to school either so were juggling home schooling with work Team meetings and deadlines.
I still feel that it is unfair to have such huge discounts for certain professions which the rest of us have to subsidise.

@Housewife2010 I agree.

@Housewife2010 I understand your point, I do but those people furloughed and those juggling working from home with hone schooling were safe at home even though it was not easy. Key workers were putting themselves at risk out there in the field with no option to stay at home to protect their families. I don’t think you can compare a nurse working with the public and facing the real risk of catching Covid daily (with no vaccine available at the time) putting their own families at risk too with the people staying safe at home no matter how hard you may have worked.

I used to buy a lot for work and social but the prices creep up and even with discounts I still think oh I could get similar from …., for less money.
Over £100 for a dress that a couple of years ago would have been £70 is unreasonable.

I stopped buying adult clothes from there years ago as I always found them shapeless on me. I find their kids stuff variable - you can get some really lovely, unusual things, but I’m not so keen on the “fun” appliquéd stuff. Some things are gorgeous and well made; some things are not that good for the price. I bought some lovely stuff for DD when she was a baby, but they did a general price hike about 8 years ago which meant I couldn’t quite justify carrying on buying it unless in the sale. I do buy occasional bits in the sale for DD now, but mostly wait until I see something nice on eBay/Facebook preloved groups for eg. pointelles, special occasion dresses and so on.
Sad to hear they’re doing the price hike thing again with this new season. I agree about the Gap spiral - you never buy full price when another sale/discount code will come along soon, and I find I then just forget about whatever I thought about buying. I can’t see how hiking prices as we come out of the pandemic is the way to go, but maybe I’m mistaken!

[quote makingmyway10]@Housewife2010 I understand your point, I do but those people furloughed and those juggling working from home with hone schooling were safe at home even though it was not easy. Key workers were putting themselves at risk out there in the field with no option to stay at home to protect their families. I don’t think you can compare a nurse working with the public and facing the real risk of catching Covid daily (with no vaccine available at the time) putting their own families at risk too with the people staying safe at home no matter how hard you may have worked.[/quote]
I agree with that, however not all people who get the discount were working amidst the thick of Covid. Some had office jobs and could work safely at home yet are still getting the huge discounts.

I prefer Kite, Frugi and Lighthouse for some things but no one does children's underwear and coats as well.

No one has suggested an alternative that I can see?

Styling and models awful. Plus stupid poses