I don't mean to upset anyone (honest!) but why is everyone on MN so crazy about Boden?

[beforesunrise]

I mean they have some nice stuff, but it's quite pricey for what it is and the quality not outstanding. also a lot of the styles are quite "distinctive"- you can spot a Boden wearer a mile away.

I occasionally buy one or two things for myself and a few bits for the dds on the sale- but there's so many other places to buy things which are cheaper and essentially the same or better quality. Of course it's a question of style which is individual but it seems to be almost the MN uniform.

perhaps I am not the MN type after all :-)

i buy it for the kids. i find their cord baggies very hardwearing, and they are currently being worn by dd3 at nursery and still no holes in most of them. some have got holes in them as dd2 is clumsey and falls a lot, but others are ok.

I got some nice tops for the dc's in the sale, only £4.

The adult stuff is poorly made indeed though

Not me I'm more of a Primark gal

am not a huge fan
like some of it
havent bought any for a long time
i am not a MN 'type' either
prefer New Look an Peacocks myself!

womens stuff is frumpy imo, kids great but expensive even with 20%+ discounts. still, wears well and sells well on ebay when you're done

I don't like it, but I can see why people do, especially the childrens clothes. I've had boden dresses passed to me for DD from friends on their third run and still look as new.

Its quite literally The Emperor's New Clothes.

The smugness of the catalogue makes me dry heave. I can't understand why sooo many women aspire to be Bodenites.

I would not in a million years buy it for myself or dh.
But I love it for the children. I find their quality much better than say next, primark or any of the supermarket brands. The clothes just don't seem to shrink/fade/distort. Which means I can sell some of it on eBay after my children have worn it to pieces. I also love their patterns. Very few Boden items have 'princess' or similar slapped across the chest or bottom. Only few of the Boden girls clothes sport sequins. And at Boden I can buy colours other than khaki, pink, lilac for dd.

I however will only buy Boden in the sale. I cannot afford to pay full price for it. But Boden do a very good sale (50% off for example) so suddenly a good quality, unique print coruroy pinafore dress becomes £13. Out of the supermarkets or primark something for that price is flimsier, and at Next you pay more....

I have never bought anything for myself from there as I don't like their womens (or mens) clothes. Have bought a few bits in the sale for my boys but their boys clothes aren't that outstanding either - I prefer Aztec for DS2 as the styles are much more eye catching.

errr, I can't sell it on eBay when my children have worn it to pieces What I meant was once the children have outgrown it I can sell some of it on eBay as it does not get worn to pieces because it washes/wears so well.

Argh, too much wine with dinner

Never bought anything from Boden in my life - and have been an MNer for about the past five years (with various names). I DID see a coat recently that I quite liked, however it was marked at £150 so I went off it rapidly . Too pricey - like their children's stuff at times - especially their girl's clothes.

i agree completely that boden on sale for children is v good. i buy stuff for the following year if sizes are out of stock.

but i made the mistake of ordering a few bits for me and they looked awful after wearing them twice, esp the knits- i am so regretting i kept them now, esp at the price.

I have never bought anything from Boden. Pricey, and I'm not convinced of the need for great quality when kids grow out of things so quickly anyway. Unless you've got 10 and pass them down the lot, of course

... and thank you for the tip Pinkchampagne - am in despair over the lack of choice in boys clothes - Aztec eh! Will check them out.

Basement, not so much the hardwearing part (although my two are very tough on clothes) it is more that I find cheap clothes (think primark) so flimsy adn so badly shaped. They just don't hang right (does that make sense?)
I also find some of them just look so cheap...
Although I loved primark when ds was little, but am unable to get excited about their stuff for dd, it all seems so tacky somehow....

The boys' clothing is very good quality and hard wearing and the sales are good. Why do I buy it? It's on-line and the customer service works. And the tops don't say "little monster". There are plenty of other good on-line shops but I think people talk about Boden more because they market so intensively you can't ignore it.

The other reason I buy children's clothes online is that I don't have big supermarkets in my town, we lost mothercare and adams before the recession and now we've lost woolies too. That leaves me BHS, M&S and some delightful little boutiques with simply charming price tags.

Basement cat - not all children grow quickly! My DS1 wears the same tops for two years before they get handed down.

just got some children's sale stuff through today - love it...also love the care they take wrapping and posting, with all the tissue paper

got some lovely tops for £3-4, trousers for about £10 - I also love the non sequin-ness of it for girls and think it's good quality

a question - how often are there sales?

Oh I know what you mean hippi! DD's got a couple of things from Primark and you really do have to go through the whole rack to get one that's right sometimes (that's why she's not got much of it). I tend to get her things from La Redoute - well, I did last year when I had a windfall; otherwise pretty well everything she has comes from charity shops.

The hardwearing part is prob more necessary for jeans (which dd hardly ever wears), but she has got a pair (dh got them from charity shop) which went through at the crotch almost immediately. I think I'll have a look at Boden now actually!

Good point ThingOne. I only buy online. We no longer have a Woolies, no Adams, our Mothercare closed years ago. We do have a next but it is a small shop.

So on-line, during the sale when it is very competitively prices, and nice colourful clothes without naff logos

I don't buy into the whole 'Boden lifestyle' thing though. Take it with a huge pinch of salt. I buy the clothes because I like the look of them. Not because I am aspiring for my dd to be like 'Jemima age 5, worst food broccoli, wants to be a unicorn when she grows up'

Bother, ain't that typical! The one time I look at Boden and the only jeans they have are cropped - dd would hate them!

I only buy things for me from Boden which aren't recognisable as being from there iyswim. The cashmere mix hoodies, sweater dresses and l/s t shirts are really nice and good wardrobe basics. There's always a good offer on so I've never paid full price for anything.
Wouldn't touch anything called a Fun Skirt or made from velvet with a bargepole.

The childrens clothes are very good quality and last ages - definitely worth the money imo (with offer discount obviously)

can't stand the adult clothing at all but the children's clothes are v good quality and nice too. some of the clothes I have are on the 5th child now.

I don't know any people in rl who wear boden either.