Is Johnny Boden a plonker?

[JeopardyMoose]

Has anyone else had this postcard from Boden apologising? I did used to buy loads of Boden a few years back but I’ve not found anything I liked recently - and the prices seem so high. Interesting that they seem to be listening…

I stopped buying it ages ago and I'm off to check my inbox! 😂 who calls themself a plonker though? It just makes me think of Only Fools and Horses - not really something that inspires thoughts of good quality!

I’ve looked at the website. It looks better… less mad and less for 22 year olds. Is there hope?

Absolutely nothing against gamine 22 year olds but I’m very much not one!

Just found myself under a previous name on that Classics thread - laughed at my own joke before I realised it was me (twat)

Yes I thought this too..I'm an academic so perhaps boden is finally back to hitting the smart but not in a corporate scary way sweet spot. Now to work on phase eight so they claw their way back from mother of the groom monstrosities.

Only item of Boden I have ever bought is the blue Abercorn cardigan that has garnered many a compliment, and I definitely don't look anywhere near as good as Kate in it!

@BadlydoneHelen

That has just made me laugh very loudly in an empty house. Minus the wine.

I’ve just had the most gloriously scathing response from phase eight on an online chat about some crap trousers whose elastic broke on the first wear. Perhaps they’re going to relaunch as the aggressive, fighty shop while Jonny blunders around like plonker

They've always had really naff advertising with Johnny and the family wheeled out in ditsy prints every so often.

As a small child DD was head to foot Boden and I'd sit up till midnight when the sale started. I bought kids' clothes from eBay, DD had her wear out of them then I resold them. That's how good the quality of the kids' stuff used to be (DD is 20 this year)

The women's stuff has always been hit and miss. T shirt quality generally no better than H&M for 4x the price. Dresses ditto. Trousers always been good but I got a spendy jumpsuit thing for a wedding and both fucking legs unravelled during the day. (I sent a black wool dress back for the same reason)

I still love my Hampshire bootcuts more than my husband though.

Looks like he's having his "Ratner Moment".

Knew none of this!!

I don’t mind Boden for the more simple separates and it’s lovely for kids’ gifts but the more I read about this fella the less I feel inclined to shop, so it’s a bit of a risky strategy. Before summer I also spent £90 on a jersey dress - which tbf fits perfectly and I do absolutely love - but which I noticed on the last wear has now got a fair sized hole right in the middle of the neckline. Maybe there’s a point in all these threads about quality, it’s a bit hit and miss.

Oh please, yes. That would be brilliant. And also Hobbes.

I mostly miss Fenn Wright Manson.

Interesting Boden are doing this, just at the same time as Joules, who are gearing themselves up for re fresher comeback!

The battle of boden vs joules will live on!
Also it's like we've gone back to 2015!

Boden lost me in the run up to the Brexit referendum when the catalogue had a load of models in Union Jacks with the tagline "It's better outside"

Used to buy a fair bit from them but support for Brexit = catalogue in bin

Haven't missed them

MN of old- how I miss it.

From that interview he sounded like a remainer or is he a Brexiteer full of regret ....

I haven't received this post card yet. Their recent sales have certainly run and run with the extra 20 percent off being offered over and over again. I love their clothes but noticed they had nothing suitable for me to wear to a summer wedding and that seemed unusual for them.Off to look at their new catalogue.

I got one too. Yes, he's a plonker. I still won't buy anything from Boden now. They used to make great clothes, nice designs for work and good quality - made in the UK, then made in Czech Republic and now in China.

Overpriced, bad quality, designed by a lunatic in a paint factory.

I've asked them to take me off their list; have they buggery.

I didn't get a postcard, but I did buy a pair of trousers recently which were surprisingly nice. I'd actually given up on Boden and wad t looking for Boden, but Google threw them up. I looked at the rest of their autumn stuff, and it's very much back to "old" Boden styling - stripey knitwear, moleskin coats, fair isle sweaters etc. Obvs can't comment on quality.

I got one of these too, I thought it might have included a discount code, when I saw it didn’t I put it in the recycle bin.

Do the 'plonker' questionnaire and say what you think! For me, it was 'too expensive'.

Don't feel that look feels right now. Same issue for Joules & Cath Kidston.

I agree. I’ve been willing for the Ottoman dresses etc. to make a comeback. But now they have and it all feels a bit dated.

He looks like Elton John and Craig Revel Horwood have a brother.

I wonder if when times have changed so much, the clothes we wore in the before times just feel incongruous?

That Classics thread was 2012 - pretty different vibe across the UK now.

Yes @calmcoco I think the world is different. A lot of things do seem much lower quality nowadays.