Help! Stuck in a (Boden) style rut.

[MrsSeanBean]

I need some ideas for daytime smart-casual mummy wear. I am size 12 with a long body and short legs in comparison. Fairly in proportion but tum is on the flabby side

I especially need help with shoes/boots and tops. I often wear skirts, prefer them to trousers, but need the comfort of flats which are sturdy and comfortable enough for walking but which don't look really odd with skirts.

At the moment I am living in Boden everyday denim skirt (appropriately enough), basic long sleeved tees/tops, fun tank tops, diamond opaque tights and Hobbs elastic sided boots.

I would love to glam up a bit with some interesting but still practical and warm tops.

Agree re. Jigsaw- I just don't know where to shop now!

I think I read that they had a new designer on board about 2 yrs ago- and this ties in with the change in style etc.

I now find everything is plain and "officey" whereas I want a "special" dress or skirt and some unusual knitwear etc.

I found I was wearing too much Boden last year,was head to toe some days,and felt drab and mumsy
My tips....
No Boden embellished stuff,I stuck to plain tunic type things this s eason and felt less Bodenly obvious!
Agree re White Stuff.I love thei 'kaftan'things and dresses,also some knitwear.
Fat Face good for less mumsy stuff too.
Try Topshop,New Look etc.I pair New Look long sleeved tees,which tbh are the best I have found this season,with Boden trousers/skirts,under White Stuff dresses,add a waistcoat/sleeveless cardigan ,chunky necklace and transform the look entirely.
Autograph at Marks good for knitwear,wideleg trousers,tunics
Always wear jewellery,I do chunky necklaces with plain tunics.
Little local boutiques great,especially in sale times.Noa Noa is my favourite line,I love their knitwear and skirts/dresses,but head to toe it is a bit too Scandanavian!
Great Plains and Sandwich are good,and Avoca for pricier items.
Agree re Jigsaw.Would not be surprised to see them falter,tbh.Try Kew though for plain knitwear,tops.

I think that if you want an individual look you will need to stop thinking about another brand to buy into instead of Boden and start from scratch by looking at magazines, people in the street, etc etc. and decide which trends and looks you fancy - then ( and this is harder work) assemble it yourself. Sugget you think about some vintage pieces,perhaps knitwear, some interesting shoes (Shoon have loads of lovely ones in the sale on their site)and just re-create yourself. This winter I've had a mixture of cintage, some newish Whistles, a bit of Toast and a sprinking of Matalan (Toast cardi with Matalan snowlflake cami was good) Don't even think about Noa Noa! you need to be able to layer (and afford) at least 6 pieces to get the look - everytime I go in there I come out very bemused and with a headache. Hope this is useful, have fun.

I agree re. Jigsaw, too. I could never afford anything in there, but I did always see things I'd like to be able to afford. Now, all I see is expensive and dull, dull, dull...

I agree topshop is sadly too young for me now

except the occasional dress and coats and the ubiquitous long sleeved tee.

Refuse to go in Miss selfridge now as it is so shoddy and thin and skimpy. And I am too old. (couldn't afford it when I was younger!)

Gap is just so limited in the stuff they sell.

Monsoon has turned into tacksville and still overpriced.

I went in Kew the other day and liked some of their stuff, but was so dear even in the sale. Hobbs likewise.

I have the same dilemma re boots and skirts. All my boots seem to meet my skirts at the hem which just looks silly like I have no knees.

Second hand Boden skirts from ebay are useful. But I can't afford new ones.

Gahhhh

style nightmare. Jeans and jumpers are winning at the moment, tis very sad and boring! Even my jumpers are dull!

Flight,try Topshop knitwear.Brave the shop I am fortunate in having daughters to go in with!
White Stuff and Fat Face knitwear also good.
I find Boden skirts have been awful this year,and Spring's collection no better.
For skirts,try Great Plains,White Stuff,Fat Face.
Agree with Higgle in that a complete 'look' from a single company,ie Boden,looks dull.

Higgle, I wish I could do chunky necklaces. They always look a bit odd on me: I look like I've raided the dressing up box. The long ones also scrunch into a narrow thread between my boobs which looks strange.

Mistral is a lovely shop, tops sometimes short in the body. Skirts are a good length though, I'm 5 foot 9 and a knee length skirt actually sits on my knee rather than mid thigh.

Have you tried Joules? Fat Face? Crew? Crew have a lovely sale on at the mo....

I had a Joules catalogue throygh the post this very morning and am very excited, especially by a lovely green find cord skirt at £27.50! Will try to get a link.

Isn't Kew Jigsaw's marginally cheaper "difusion" line? Did I imagine that?

Yes, but it's really not that cheap anymore.

Yes georgi, Kew is something to do with Jigsaw. I always walk into Kew and out empty handed at the moment though. It was OK to start with but even they seem to have 'lost the way' a bit at the moment as well imo.

Joules skirt mentioned earlier here

Me like that skirt.

If that's your sort of thing (it's mine too)check these out

Some nice things on Crew Georgi, especially the Carly skirt

And the Kyla pleat tee

What's Crew sizing like?

Normal to slightly generous. I'm a 14 top and a big arsed 16 skirt generally and can usually wear a 12 top in Crew, depending on the style. More generous than Joules for example.

I like all the skirts in the sale (except the very short one). I want the wrap dress but they only have the burgundy left in my size and I'm not sure about that colour....

Yes that is a nice wrap dress. The burgundy looks good on the model (but then everything looks good on a model!)

I like it I've just never worn that colour. Would it work on a brunette with green eyes?

Did someone say Crew tops are short? I like loads of stuff on there never heard of them before. Its just online though is it, no shops?

I'm the wrong person to ask for colour analysis! But I don't see why not. What's their returns service like? The only way is to try it.

Think it was Mistral tops which were short usedtobethin.

No Crew tops are fine, it's Mistral tops that sometimes come up a bit short (on me, but then I am tall). The quality of their clothes is absolutely brilliant - far far far better than Boden (I don't work for them honestly!). DH has polo shirts which he has had for 4+ years and they just wash and wash.

Crew do have shops, not very many, about 30 I think mostly in the South. There should be a list on their website.

Kew is the sister co. of Jigsaw- same company but cheaper ranges.

I too have not bought much from them this year- they seem to have phases- a couple of years back it was all flowery skirts and dusky pinks, now it is all murky plains and no real real " dressing up" stuff, imo.

Oh thank you glad it wasn't Crew, couldn't find the post that said it. I looked for a list of shops but it didn't seem to have one I will look again. I am in the South. Mind you I can only afford sale prices anyway.