Boden summer preview order - yikes quality alert!

[bellissima]

I'm really surprised because, whatever we say about Boden styles (general hotchpotch shuddering etc), it is normally of reliable quality. So have just got my summer preview order - only two items. The brown (was it supposed to be beige?) polo is far skimpier round the shoulders/sleeves than the navy one I got last year - held them up together - and that's before washing it. And the buttons have this awful stitching with thread ends hanging out - is this because it's now 'made in (mainland?) China' as opposed to Hong Kong? The printed beach dress is really baggy - and okay that's not a quality issue but there is a sprinkling of threads all over the carpet from when I took it out of the bag. What's going on?

I've shopped with them for 8 years and have seen how the styles, design, sizing and quality has changed over the last few years. It's obvious they are trying to be more competitive but it's really annoying when you order loads of stuff and have to send it all back, and when you live abroad it costs even more! I used to be able to rely on the sizing - now it's all over the bloody place. The clothes are not as well made either. I would prefer to spend more (using the codes obv) and have something that you know will last and last. A word about design too - some of the recent stuff is just awful and I don't know what shape he thinks the British population is - for those of us that are curvy we get unstylish granny loose unflattering styles, and it seems the designs aren't much better for you skinnies! Don't get me wrong, I'm not Boden bashing - I'm just really disappointed cos if you're careful you can get some really nice things that aren't too Bodeny. Got my summer preview order - finally, one skirt to keep after sending EVERYTHING back in the winter and spring; (swishy embroidered, really really nice and like the Boden of several years back), the colour block dress was FAB, but sadly wrong for my shape, and the scoop neck silk t-shirts - rubbish - blah, unstylish, awful. Shame.

I found some wide legged brown cords in the cupboard at the w-e that I ordered in 2005 which I hadn't worn for 3 years and tried them on - am wearing them now. They're great quality and fit perfectly. Made me realise how badly the trousers now fit (haven't bought a pair for 2 years and used to get 2 pairs every season).

I hope they get some new designers in soon and sort out their sizing!

it's all pish.

a uniform for the middle class.

I was disappointed for the first time with the quality of some of the children's stuff. The stripey t-shirt was virtually transparent, and the big flower dress is currently being sold on German ebay (they pay more for Boden second hand than we do new sometimes!) The cotton is that awful cannot-iron-creases-out-ever type.
Big flower t-shirt was a bit thin as well, but dd insisted on keeping it.

thanks, traceybath

I received the Essential Summer dress this morning and I'm shocked at the appalling quality of it. The dress would be useful and pretty if it didn't look as though it cost £5 instead of £45. I hope that this isn't the future for Boden as the one thing that has kept me buying from them is that the clothes are usually excellent quality and worth the money. This dress certainly isn't!

Bucharest - Was the big flower T-shirt you mention the 'Ruffle Appliqué T-shirt? Was thinking of getting that as it's so pretty. Probably won't now.

I just received a stack of stuff for DS1 from the Johnnie B range. It is all excellent quality and fit - as were the jeans & top I ordered for myself from that range. Don't think I have ordered anything from main range for myself this year......

I did 'spot' someone in the Spearmint Tunic Top at the pool yesterday and decided I was glad I hadn't bought it, even though it looked lovely on....instead bought myself the Amalfi dress in blue, but even though am not lacking in the bustage department being a 36DD, my size 16 dress is huge on top and a bit skimpy on the hips. I still love it though and decided to keep it. My mum is taking the shoulders up to make it less gappy over the bust

The other dress I bought was the Crinkle Jersey and despite being ample 16 I have had to get a 14. Wore that to a party with my stripy boyfriend cardi and got lots of compliments tho'.

i'm surprised at this thread tbh. I received my preview and a anormal order yesterday and its all lovely.
the usual board shorts for ds2 who is just 8 but wears an 11-12 as so tall. t-shirts that actually suit an 8 yr old and all excellent thick cotton that i'm sure will wash and last as well as his other boden items form previous years (my friends son was wearing one of ds2's old boden t-shirts that he had when he was 2 and it still looks great)
I ordered far too much for my dd's and usually i would send some back but i'm not sending anything back. fabulous skirts and dresses. the hotchpotch skirt in the green stripe looked so nice on my daughter yesterday and shes wearing the crinkle dress with cardi and bronze glads today. dd2 is kitted out for the summer now after my boden splurge and a trip to gap yesterday.
my leather shopper is fantastic, great quality and good colours.
dresses for me are a good fit, but then i am a curvy and large norked lady.
and even ds1 (12) was impressed with the johnnyb t-shirts i ordered him, so much so hes letting me get him some shorts.

I used to buy quite a bit from Boden and save up for it. Recently though, the styling has gone bonkers, the sizing appears to be copmpletley random and the qulaity is poor. Unofrtunately since I live in the countryside, work on a buisness park and have a 19 month DS that wopn't sit in a pushchair longenough to get to-round-and- back from shops, I am reliant on mail order and am now nearly naked!

And I totally agreed with Oumasrusks about the essential summer dress. Got it on Spring preview, held my breath with great anticipation, and sent it straigh back.

Blood hell, how much did you spend?!!! It must be hit and mis then. My friend was in the shop last week and said the clothes look ten times better in the catalogue. She has a good eye and said the only thing worth buying is the Long Island cardigan and the beach bag which is really beautiful. Tbh, I have the smart knitted dress and the tea dress hanging in my wardrobe and Im looking at them and I know I wont wear them. Im not a granny, I wonder if I could be so cheeky to send them back? I dont think I have any packaging.

EasterEggHunt- no, just the plain ones (children's) with a huge daisy on it, or an apple.

Maybe we should have a thread about super stuff to compensate? I'm very happy with my twisty neck knitted top thingy.

Bucharest - put on the other Boden thread that the kid's white cut offs definitely thinner this year (can see pockets through fabric) - on the other hand I did say that I like my merino top. And that normally I like the fact that the children's stuff lasts long enough to pass on. I just hope that they keep up the (generally) good quality.

i usually spend a fair few hundreds on a big order each season anticipating that most will go back, but the last couple of seasons i have sent hardly anything back so will try and scale my order down next time as don;t want us all to look like the boden family.

lol at bikerunski and the nudy working on a business park (do you need clothes for a business park!?)

however thanks for this thread I've learnt that
a) it's not normal to buy yourself about 2 new items of clothing a year
b) it's not normal to wear tracksuit bottoms that are 10 years old!
c) I'm not cut out for catalogue shopping I thought you got one thing and kept it
d) not buying the Boden coat earlier this year was probably the right thing to do

Oh, no, their tweed coat was fab in the sale. If you are my mothers age, she loves it.

Tweed

I want something funky and pink and swishy and maybe with a purple spotty lining

I think you might be out of season now. All Ive seen in the shops is parkas

Parkas