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Tell us about Boden

Chris987

Veteran

I really like what I'm seeing at Boden, including some of the items from today's roundup. They carry a lot of petite dresses which are intriguing me. For those of you who have worn boden items, what do you like about them? How is the quality and fit? My sense is that fits for boden are similar to jcrew, a somewhat slim fit overal, is that right?

Shopping

40 replies

Latest reply was from Elizabeth P

LaPed

Veteran

Boden's sizing is somewhat unique, but if you follow their sizing charts, which provide garment measurements, you should be fine. I find their cuts to be waaay more functional and flattering than J Crew's -- I am a slim/athletic hourglass bordering on petite, and I have had absolutely no luck with J Crew for many years because apparently hips and thighs are non-existent in J Crew's fit models. I've had much better luck, with both pants and shirts, from Boden -- most things I've tried fit me off the rack, no tailoring necessary. The quality is quite consistent; I feel their pricing is fair, plus they have an excellent returns policy (and you can almost always find a good discount + free shipping/returns coupon code). Design-wise, they remind me of where J Crew was at a decade ago -- providing midrange work-appropriate attire in fun colors and prints, reasonably contemporary, at a reasonable price for the quality. Somewhere along the line, J Crew's quality went off the rails (at least IME), and I found myself turning to Boden for the things I used to buy at J Crew.

Below are Finds for the Boden items I've purchased and kept in the past year. I also have the tweed skirt to match the blazer, but no Find for it.

Elizabeth British Tweed Blazer

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3

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Cavendish Girlfriend Jeans

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Richmond 7/8 Pants

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elpgal

Veteran

LaP has good advice on sizing. Definitely check the charts before you order.

Pros: reasonable selection of natural fibers. Good holiday wear, jackets and dressed. Covered sleeve options. Good quality for price. Some styles are offered year after year.

Cons: some necklines are low. Too many prints.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Elpgal, that's only a con if you don't like prints - which others might. *smiling*

LP, I'm surprised J.Crew doesn't fit. You look much straighter than you are describing. Straighter than me, and I do well with J.Crew. I agree that Boden's size charts are very accurate, and the customer service is very good. Shipping over $50 is free, which is not hard to get to.

Chris, you can always count on Boden for colour (like J.Crew). Their quality is very good. Jackets and coats are impeccable. Prices reasonable. They run a size small. Their smallest size is a 2, which fits like a 0 at BR and J.Crew, a 00 at the Loft and WHBM. Sometimes though I take a 00 at J.Crew and it's the same size as a Boden item in a 2. Their packaging is beautiful.

Vibe wise: Preppy Modern Classic with a nod to the most popular trends.

I LIKE BODEN. Always worth a look. I LOVE that they go up to a size US18. Bless them.

My current Boden items.

Tresco Stripe Sweater

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Tresco Stripe Jumper

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Flower Organza Skirt

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Suz

(website)

Veteran

And I'm excited because they now ship to Canada at last! I think I would still have to pay for returns but this is an improvement.

LaP, I'm surprised J Crew doesn't work for you, also! You look slimmer and straighter than me in your photos and J. Crew works for me really well.

But I'm also delighted to hear that Boden works well for you -- if so, it might also work for me, and I have had my eye on their styles for a while!

Christina F.

Veteran

I have almost always found Boden items worth the money, and they have a variety of cuts, including ones that fit my curvy frame well. Usually a good selection of petite items, including button down tops - which is the only way I can wear button downs.

As for the prints, they can be cutsey, and I think my taste has shifted away from some of them. YMMV. They do some good conversational prints, which I do still like (that beach print dress below is my favorite dress).

Favourite Crew Neck Cropped Cardigan

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Rachel Wide Crop Chino Pant

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Supersoft Swing Tee

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Tresco Stripe Sweater

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Georgia Jersey Dress

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by Christina F.

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delurked

Veteran

I have found Boden to be of good quality, but inconsistent sizing on me. Search online for a promo code that includes free returns to mitigate risk with your purchase. I like that they carry longs, and got two dresses from them this year.

Clio Broderie Jersey Dress

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Coralie Jersey Dress

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UmmLila (Lisa)

Veteran

I like a lot of their stuff, but the jackets and some dresses I find to be better suited to people who are big of boob and narrow of shoulder (i.e. not me).

Liz A.

Veteran

In conjunction with what delurked and UmmLila said above (I know they are both ITs), I find I predictably take one of my two normal sizes at Boden. I'm an hourglass with a strong shoulder line leaning to broad and a round behind (shoulders measure slightly more than behind). Anyways, I can normally take my smaller size in sleeveless items and my larger size in anything with sleeves, but ALWAYS have to take in the waist, and sometimes the rear as well.

I love that Boden sleeves are long enough for my long arms and that I can get tall dresses to accommodate my long torso, but I do wish they would adjust the waist placement on their talls rather than just the length.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

UmmLila, Boden's jaclets and coats fit me really well. Narrow shoulders and small of boob.

Chris987

Veteran

Thanks all great info to digest.

LaPed

Veteran

Ha, Angie and Suz -- I think the slimness of my hips is an optical illusion. Narrow from the front, but ridiculous glutes -- junk in the trunk as they say. Mostly a 25/36, but sometimes a 25/37 waist/hip ratio. A lot of manufacturers add width to hips by adding fabric side-to-side, rather than front-to-back, which doesn't work well for me. I'm always looking for a substantially higher back rise, and darts/shaping at the waist. Boden does both quite well, plus more room in the thighs and calves, which I absolutely need. In many of J Crew's slimmer pants styles I simply can't even get them over my calves, even when I size up. The hips factor into their shirts and blouses too: if I find one that fits everywhere else and doesn't overwhelm me, it bunches at the hips.

(Sorry to derail your thread, Chris!)

Lynette

Is Boden sold on-line only or is it also a store? I love J Crew so might enjoy Boden as well.

JAileen

Veteran

The only thing I've bought from Boden was a wool poncho. So I don't know anything about sizing, but the quality is wonderful. It's beautiful and soft.

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Christina F.

Veteran

Lynette it's online only in North America, at least.

Joha

I've actually never seen a Boden store in real life. Not in the U.K. And also not in Germany or anywhere else in Europe afaik. So I guess they really are an online only store.

I second the others regarding the inconsistent fit. But I often found the online reviews quite helpful in deciding which size to get. And, since I'm quite finicky about fit and dont have access to a good tailor at the moment I've resorted to ordering two sizes when I'm not sure which will fit best.

Another thing I noticed- they do have similar things (like the striped shirts) in summer and winter. But they do often change the fabric depending on the season.

And then - The quality is really good. I have a striped longsleeve which is at least five years old and in heavy rotation (>100 wears?). Only recently has it started to fade and show signs of wear....

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

My experience, at the higher end of the size range, has not been that Boden runs small. I've found it TTS, bordering on large. I can't wear J.Crew at all, so it makes me wonder if Boden might do some adjustment of fit models as they move up and down the size chart.

I'm including Finds for the Boden pieces currently in my wardrobe. They've all been reliable staples for me. I have the Ravello blouse in both white and black, and I'm wearing the denim skirt today. It's been in my wardrobe for at least five years.

Richmond 7/8 Pants

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Textured V-neck Sweater

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Easy Merino Silk Cardigan

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Denim Pocket Pencil Skirt

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Christina F.

Veteran

I think Boden has one store in some remote part of London :p

Greenjeans

Veteran

Curvy hourglass here and I love Boden wrap dresses but have had less luck with tops (due to button-gap) and pants. Their fabrics are hit or miss for me. I adore their knit wrap dresses when there's a percentage of cotton in them (beautiful weight and drape). Bought a 100% viscose top that turned out disastrously in the wash.

Laura G

Veteran

LaP -- your build sounds like mine! Hourglass on paper, but most of the hip "width" is actually around back. Back rise = front rise + 5". Good to know Boden is a possibility for me, at least in skirts/pants.

Lynette

Thanks Christina! I just looked at it online and like it a lot! Glad to know about it.

Angie

(website)

Fashion Stylist

Jenn, YES. I think you're right. Their larger sizes run more TTS. Inge found the same thing, and wears a US14/16.

LP, my measurements are similar to yours, and I also have a round bottom. But my rise in relatively short, which might account for the difference. TRUE that J.Crew is cut very straight - yet a lot of their bottoms work for me.

Anonymous

Agree with Liz A. that the Long size range in dresses often have enough total length but seem short-waisted. It is perhaps telling that Boden calls them Long rather than Tall. I am interested in her comment that sleeves are long enough...I had avoided anything long-sleeved fearing that the short-waist meant short arms.
The Phoebe jersey dress does however have a waist in the right place for me ( a tall pear). I now have two : dots on grey / white swans on blue . It is a nearly perfect summer dress. Hope it is one of the cuts they carry for several years.
http://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/.....rsey-dress

delurked

Veteran

Merewether - I have almost ordered that dress before, but feared the waist would be too high. Did you find it fit TTS? I'm not a pear, and have a very strong shoulder line. Any hints for fit overall? You may see above the only dresses I ordered were shift dresses to avoid the issue, as they're a much safer choice for me.

I agree with your distinction between long and tall. Generally for pants, I prefer a long over a tall because of where the waist hits. Most of my length in my middle is above my waist.

Beth

Veteran

I really like Boden, and would love them even more if they carried more solid colors. I'm a short-waisted hourglass (no JCrew bottoms for me) and find that their dresses fit short waists very well.

The quality is great and they add fun details, for example, I have a jacket that has the cutest London print on the inside (a watercolor sketch of red telephone boxes, Parliament, and Beefeaters) with contrasting stitching on the buttonholes. My robin's egg blue tweed skirt has a purple lining with a red banded inner waistband!

Sizing is one size small in my size range (4-6R) and usually (but not always) consistent. I do find their size charts to be the most accurate I've ever seen and they include body measurements as well as clothing measurements which is so helpful.

Watch out for coupon codes and free shipping/returns, which occurs regularly.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

Not to derail, Chris -- but LaP, I'm a similar shape/ measurements to you right down to long rise and more heft in bottom than hips, and yet J. Crew bottoms do work for me! Curious! Our measurements differ only by about an inch (my waist is bigger, my hips a bit smaller). Mind you, I do size up a size in J. Crew bottoms. And not every style will work -- I never liked their Matchstick jean, for example. And I guess an inch is still an inch.

Have enjoyed all these Boden reports.

Style Fan

Veteran

This is very helpful. I am glad you asked this Chris. Also interesting to hear what works for others. J Crew works for my top half (no shoulders is probably why) but forget the bottom half.

Mainelady

Veteran

Chris, thank you for starting this thread. I was going to ask the same questions, as Boden is not a brand I am familiar with. I so appreciate all the information and finds posters are sharing. I will be exploring Boden styles. It looks like many would work well as I return to the classroom. My summer vacation wear is soon to be a fond memory.

anchie

Veteran

Curious thing about sizing. I wear Boden size 8 and find it TTS. If size 6 runs small does it mean that size 6 is 2 sizes smaller then size 8?

Scarlet

Veteran

I agree with what many others already said--at the small end of the size range they run small, but the size chart has worked well for me. Customer Service is excellent. I was really disappointed last year that a sweater shrunk even though I followed the washing directions, and they gave me a full refund. It's the only time I ever had a quality issue. I order for myself and my kids from Boden. The quality is outstanding. Little kids put their clothes through their paces! I think the cuts are more generous than J.Crew. The people on the phone are always super pleasant and helpful.

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