Has Boden got any better- which is what JB promised?

[Makemineadecaff]

I'll admit it- a lot of my wardrobe used to be Boden, for almost 30 years. I'm middle aged, fairly 'staid' and wear mostly smart-casual.

I liked Boden as they did petite sizing, easy of buying, returns etc and I could always find the occasional dress that I'd wear.

However.....desperately looking at summer dresses on the Boden website and they are mostly ghastly. Dreadful patterns in huge prints (don't work when you're 5ft 2"), too much pink and black (who wants black for summer), silly prices and just....well not nice.

I work in marketing so I understand branding and positioning and how to differentiate. But no I don’t work for Boden or even in fashion. I just understand business.

The "Hemline Index" is actually a bit of a myth. It's based on the idea that hemlines went up in the '20s, but they actually didn't. Most people weren't flappers, and most flappers didn't wear skirts above the knee. It would be like future historians looking at the bdeazzled hot pants Taylor Swift wears on stage and assuming everyone dressed that way in the 2020s.

I bought a nice (plain-ish) jacket this season but most of their blouses have strange puff sleeves or big elasicated cuffs which look ridiculous on me, as well as being completely over-priced.

I've been a Boden customer for about 25 years but don't think I'll be buying any more from them after the fox hunting news. I think you've shot yourself in the foot there Johnny.

I have had some nice Boden bits in the last 6 months, but would like to see more tall options and more plain basics. I tried to find a midi length black dress for a work do recently and they had nothing.

I do so agree. Some of the garments are a joke. I cannot imagine any woman wanting to spend money on dresses with enormous, colour-clashing, ugly patterns.