Boden - has it finally lost its way?

[TheLadyofShallots]

I've been with them since they started. I have knitwear , trousers and a wool coat that have served me well.
They were supposed to be getting back on track last year but all I can see now are drab dresses and jeans at £100 a pair. Seriously?

I might buy some things at 50% off - I work from home and my clothes for out of work mode are casual - but the prices are crazy.

‘Tories on holiday’ made me laugh - that’s exactly what it was. Grilled prawns on the beach at St Ives with your labrador/gastropub in Bourton on the Water. (I wore plenty myself - it was an attractive aesthetic!) Now all those people are in LuluLemon and trainers. I miss the bright colours. Nobody did clashing brights like Boden.

I bought a coat from Boden a couple of months ago and really love it i must say. It's plain and not any of those bonkers colours and patterns that they seem so keen on though

Tories on holiday is spot on 😂
I used to like some of their t shirts and tops, I had a beautiful linen-silk mix grey top from there which was perfect and I wore to death. Recently all their tops are puff sleeved which really doesn’t suit me (broad shouldered) so I haven’t bought anything there for ages.

I mainly shop from Cos, Uniqlo, M&S, a bit of Me and Em and jaeger, Whistles, Toast now.

I did not put that M&S link in - does that happen automatically now?

Yes, "Tories on holiday" absolutely nails it 😀. With a red trousered husband in tow, preferably, in North Norfolk.
I only buy old second hand Boden now, their winter skirts were great. The new stuff is poor quality and fit. The swimwear is awful, ordered a lot last year and sent it all back. Primark is better fit and quality.

Tories on holiday is exactly right. Also Tories going to Barnaby and Phoebe’s for Christmas drinks and canapés and Tories at a stupid fucking garden party with Pimms.

I stopped buying from them altogether when I read that they give money to the Tory party. Even if they were cheap and brilliant, they wouldn’t get a penny from me.

I sold/donated a lot of my old Boden stuff because my life and body changed. I regret that decision so much. I had beautiful tweed jackets and mini skirts, lovely shirts and cashmere etc. I wince at the money lost.

I’m back how I was body wise so am slowly repurchasing (mostly from vinted) the stuff that suits my life now (shirts and jumpers, little skirts not so much 😂).

However, I did just get a parka and some jeans in the sale. I think both are pretty good but a sweatshirt went straight back unfortunately.

I find vinted is the way to go to get the quality items, I’m always asking for measurements and extra photos!

In response to pp, I’m struggling on where to buy. Marks is full of polyester and looks shit after one wear (other than jeans which are always OOS), Hush is oversized and expensive for what is it is. I can’t get near a Cos to try and everything is too long and dreary and I used to love Jigsaw but even that seems to have lost its way a bit. I did buy Toast in the sale but that is way out of my price range now. A shopaholic who scours on vinted seems to be my MO…

I bought a lot of work stuff from them when I was more office based. This year I have bought one jumper (that is nice and wearing well).

I think Jigsaw is better quality and a bit more stylish.

I used to buy a lot of Boden. Probably my main go-to is now Mint Velvet.

It's a shame because they're one of the few companies that does tall sizing. Their bikinis are good but the last time I bought anything else new and kept it was a dress for a wedding in 2018.

It's a shame no one can target a fashion brand to mumsnet demands. We all say we want quality fabrics, classic shapes, bit of interest rather than being shapeless and drab. We all have "6 figure salaries" and prepared to pay for quality.

I'm wearing a very old boden dress today. DS is 15 and for about the first 7 years of his life I lived in Boden and Joules.

Now I shop at M And S mainly and sainsbury's. I used to love hush but it's gone very expensive and sizing is a crapshoot. I tend to buy cheaper clothes keeping me looking current.

I used to live in Jigsaw 20 years ago but then it lost its quirky feel and the sizing is very large for me. it's made for very tall women. Dresses especially are very long.

I miss old Fat Face. I've some great puffer coats/gilets still going strong and looking like new that are well over 10 years old. Same with knitwear.

Selling out to Next did it for them.

I miss the Boden of old. I remember back in 2004 being on mat leave with no money and splurging all of around £80 in a sale for a massive box of stuff, basically a whole new wardrobe, and all of it excellent quality that lasted years!

I went on there recently and my eyes nearly popped out at the prices… they’re taking the proverbial to think they can charge that much for a lot of acrylic and polyester.

Nowadays I shop at Me+Em - sale only, again their full prices are an absolute piss take especially as so much of it is man made materials, but I do love the cut of their clothes and they always flatter me, and I also love H&M’s Premium Quality range. They are pretty much my only go-tos these days.

The quality of a good number of shops are awful now and Ive had to stop buying from them. I don't know what's going on.

Tories on holiday 😆 The quality of Boden clothes is how abysmal, not just for the price, but for any price. It’s such a shame.

And they really need to stop sending me the Mini catalogue as my youngest is now a 14 year old rugby player.

I now shop at Wrap, Poetry, Me and Em. I have loads of activewear from Swety Betty and nice Fat Face jeans. A bit kore expensive but quality infinitely superior.

I don’t like much swimwear, but I really like Biden swimwear-it fits me well and is decent quality. I also like their clothes for young children, but that’s about it. I ordered a pair of gold flat sandals last year and they were so narrow it was funny.

I used to love Boden but I don’t think the quality, particularly of the women’s wear, justifies the price.

The styles are just so “not me” lately too!

My Highgate trousers have split on crotch seam and bobbled so not great