What’s going on with Boden?

[Farawayfromhere]

HUUUUGE sale that has gone on for weeks and weeks. Very little new stock. Reminds me of recent events at Joules… Does anyone know what’s happening?

Same here, since even before DC, I used to live in Boden clothes. Workwear and casual. The quality was excellent and the sizing absolutely reliable. They were one of the pioneers of putting pockets on dresses. I still have (and wear) some of my oldest things from them.

Over the past maybe 5 years, I noticed their range increasing yet there was less and less that appealed to me. I thought it was just me getting older, but I also noticed that the quality of the items I did buy was getting worse. I didn't entirely mind the brighter colours because they often suit my SEAsian skin. However, there is now always too much of that garish stuff and not enough classic colours (it's always navy or nothing) - just because I'm an ethnic minority doesn't mean I want to be zinging around like a fiesta all the time, sometimes I just want to trudge to work looking smartish or go for a coffee in the park.

This past year I bought nothing from them until I succumbed last week to their sale+extra discount email and went for a browse on their website. I just can't be doing with the big puffy sleeves and long ruffled tiered skirts, WTF.

Eventually I ordered a few of the less fussy dresses to try. All but one were a big NOPE: I look like a child trying on her mum's clothes, but with a middle-aged wizened face poking out of the ruffles. The one dress I've kept is the classic jersey pocket dress that I used to buy every year - even that is disappointing because the fabric is really thin compared to past version.

They are making redundancies.

I have plenty of their stuff from a few years ago but they went frilly & psychedelic. No wonder it's all in the sale.

They used to do great work dresses in decent fabrics, nice jackets, they were the only place I could find decent quality jeans that fit me, but I had a browse through their sale and couldn't even find jeans I would wear.
Hopefully this will persuade them to reduce their lines and move back upmarket a bit.

I have bought a few boden bits in the past year and have been dissapointed in the wools they use for their knitwear. They are very acrylicy and itchy even when the jumper has cost 80-100 pounds.
the dresses have tended to be made from nylon too. Not the good quality I used to think of them as.
refunds also take an age if they go through at all. Never again!

I wish I had know you could send stuff back after wearing / washing. I bought a couple of jersey dresses at full price which were ok enough for me to keep although I didn’t love them. Washed them once though and the colour faded and bobbled so badly that they looked like I’d been wearing them for ten years. Never bought anything since and won’t again as can’t trust. The dresses went to charity shop after two wears.

The last few seasons have been dreadful.

I think the new season is launching next week, Hopefully, judging by some of these instagram comments, we will see some improvement, but I'm not holding my breath!

I have loads of Boden in my wardrobe still, but it’s all basics from years ago. Good quality cotton tee shirts, jersey/cotton summer dresses, cashmere crew necks, jeans, cords, shorts and swimwear. None of it is polyester, no frills, no ditsy dresses… which is basically all they have on sale these days and doesn’t appeal at all.

The last piece of knitwear I bought from Boden dissolved into a mass of mis-shapen bobbling within a matter of weeks. I did order some party wear to try on this Christmas too but when it arrived the quality was so disappointing.

I’ve kept buying the children’s clothes as they remain reliable, but once my DC outgrow the Mini range, I can’t imagine buying from Boden again. Sad to say, as I used to really love it back in its heyday!

I don’t get all the bright, bright pinks, yellow and turquoises. It never used to be like this.

One of my favorite Boden dresses is from years and years ago - a floor length maxi dress in a simple, fitted flattering shape and colors that don’t make me look like a traffic light. I keep going back to the Boden site thinking I might be able to find something similar, but all the maxi dresses are either shaped like tents, covered in weird frills and square yokes like Little House on the Prairie, or are in really bright colors. So I guess I’ll just have to keep mending my old dress!? It’s ten years old and I’ve redone the hem twice and discreetly patched up a few little holes….

The Per Una comment struck me as 100% correct. I look through their website with absolute horror, most of the clothes look dreadful on the models so we normal people don’t stand a chance.

They also seem to want to appeal to a younger crowd-
all those cut off tops last session- just madness and only suitable for 20 year olds.

To be honest I don't think it is just Boden. Have had issues with clothes from all of them in recent months... Joules, Sea Salt, Fat Face, Boden, Reiss, Jigsaw and Mint Velvet etc etc.

Used to be my go to's for work and play and have noticed a huge drop off in quality and style. Have ended up sending a lot back.

They seem to have a huge range and drops every two weeks combined with a worsening quality and finishes.

Not sure I like this.

Agree, I wouldn’t bother ordering online from any of these brands anymore either

Why do they want us all to dress like 1970’s wallpaper. I haven’t looked at them for ages - it’s all awful.

They closed all their stores which means they are like a online catalogue only now.
their fits are terrible - all cardigans are too short on me and the quality is poor. Knits are overpriced and itchy.
shame as they used to do really good staples.
kids stuff is nice enough but expensive for what it is

Yes agree. I used to hanker after Boden...but now I can afford to buy it there's nothing doing. Polyester and garish prints. Like the previous poster said, ruffles and puffy sleeves...fucking horrible. Sweaty dresses for £££. NOPE.

Fat Face quality has really dipped as well. Tried on a dress before Christmas...it was, I think, £85. Was like putting on a basics range bin bag...crumpled, plasticky, light as air, no hang or flow.
See also Oliver Bonas...would have thought it was H&M but for the useless aspirational tat and snooty staff.

Would not surprise me if they go under.

Like many PP, I also used to buy a good selection throughout the year.

I've not made a Boden purchase for at least 4 years now. I refuse to pay £££ for shitty cheap fabric.

I occasionally pop on their website and bloody hell it's terrible. If the models look shit in their clothes I will definitely look shit.

Although I don't think crap fabrics at high prices is limited to Boden. It's becoming a struggle to find good quality clothes in cotton, linen, wool or cashmere. Takes a lot of effort and searching. Also I don't mind a bit of viscose here and there but so much of the viscose now is the scratchy horrid stuff.

All rather depressing I think.

Boden used to be rock solid reliable for quality merino wool knitwear in nice colours - a mix of sensible work shades and seasonal brights. I also loved their tailored work skirts, smart dresses and bought the occasional jacket. The quality has gone downhill and prices through the roof. I agree with previous posters about shopping elsewhere.

For merino fans, M&S have had decemt quality round neck sweaters and cardigans in their Autograph range for the last 2 winters - basic work colours plus a couple of new season colours each year.

My Biden stuff has not lasted well at all. Mega wash fade, pilling, fabrics bubbling. I stopped buying there. I shop at Thought in the sales for lovely quality fabric, but the designs are so weird. I'm going to try Community Clothing next.

I think they’ve lost their way a bit. They used to have some “Boden Mum” stuff (like macs in mental prints) but also a good range of well made, reasonably current designs.

I think they want to move away from the Boden mum to something more stylish but aren’t sure where - I get the feeling they are chasing Sezane style vibes but not quite hitting the mark.

I hope they survive - I have some amazing stuff from them that has lasted well,and their children’s coats in particular are amazing.

Also, as it’s the kids stuff that I mostly buy, I have noticed that so much for it is either now similar to things you can get at Next for a third of the price or really garish- huge pictures stuck on.

And as with the adults stuff, you used to be able to get a really perfect hoodie or onesie or leggings, and there are now so many odd things- fluffy sleeves, horrible prints, cheap fabrics.

The kids stuff has also gone downhill hugely.

I used to have to use all my self control not to buy so much from their new season, but these days I have trawled through the 60% off thinking I must want something, and I don’t!

I used to have to use all my self control not to buy so much from their new season, but these days I have trawled through the 60% off thinking I must want something, and I don’t!

This exactly!

I thought it was me just getting older. Put a large order in before Christmas, kept a dress that was really a panic purchase for a ‘do’, everything else made me look like I was wrapped as a disturbing Christmas fairy but with no colour sense.

im fair and red headed, there’s nothing apart from navy on the site for me.

Interesting about how the colours have changed.

Grey doesn’t exist at Boden and hadn’t for years.

That ‘Thought’ website in interesting.

But so much is Modal or Tencel. Just posh viscose.