OP here. I was shopping for some workwear and wandered over to Boden for kicks and was once again reminded of the nonsense they now sell and this thread. Glad to have such solidarity! Boden of the late 2010s, come back!

They use the puffy shoulder wayyyy too often. Like 90% of their shirts have a puff shoulder or sleeve. But I like some of their things, although I lean towards neutrals not the rainbow stuff

I really like their linen dresses. They are cool and comfortable in the summer.

They ruined this brand. Plus, they changed the sizing. It used to be that I could order a 4 in a dress or top and it would fit me 100% of the time. Lately that hasn’t been the case!!

100% agree, OP. I used to love all the sweaters with the chunky, knit buttons and ribbon embellishments.

I wonder if most people stopped going to the office during the pandemic so they stopped with the work outfits? That’s what got from them too. Too much thin jersey now.

Boden dresses were my work uniform for a while (about 10 years ago). Linen dresses. Lined dresses and skirts. Everything has held up well for me although most are sitting in my closet because I no longer work.

The current “circus” collection is a big miss, but I still find decent things from Boden. The workwear stuff is not usually featured but there are things. I’ve gotten some good blazers and jackets in particular.

Anonymous wrote:Thanks for the recommendation. I love this dress. Wish I could wear that neckline!

https://www.hobbs.com/us/product/harriet-dress/0125-5347-1144L00-BRIGHT-PINK.html#cgid=occasion-clothing-dresses&is=true&sz=60&start=0&isSecondPage=false&pid=0125-5347-1144L00-BRIGHT-PINK&pos=56

I like Hobbes but I think that waistline would make the majority of women look pregnant. I also don’t like the extra tier on the dress. I’m so sick of those tiers.

I like Boden still. I don’t get the flowy floral stuff and I felt like the 60s style color block stuff was getting old. I feel like they are better made than the Banana Republjc stuff but have a lot of wash and wear business professional stuff. I am definitely a mummy mid level person! I just want comfortable clothes I can wear to work that I don’t have to dry clean. Also I like that they actually sell flattering colors instead of the awful neutrals that so many American companies sell (where a shirt comes in ivory, taupe, griege and maybe, I just want to cry.) What I got from them in the last year is — a high quality t shirt in a pretty color that I can wear with jeans or under a blazer for work; a Breton shirt that I wear a lot on weekends; and a very flattering jersey shirt dress that I can wear of work or for casual social outings—it looks great with boots and a suede jacket. My daughter just got a blazer from them in ponte to wear to a work type thing where it was not worth buying a $500 blazer from someplace like Theory.

I really appreciate the niche they fill in the market. I like Hobbes too but it’s a higher price point and not as much wash and wear easy. I do miss some of the old Boden standards like the jersey knit button down which was so easy to wear, and that machine washable shell that they made in a zillion colors and patterns that looked like silk — that was perfect under suits and didn’t wrinkle in a suit case.

I like Boden. Machine washable, simple dresses that are comfortable.

I missed getting this during the 25% off sale, but I'm going to grab it next time.

Anonymous wrote:I wear Boden dresses all the time, but I'm a stay at home mom so casual works for me.

The jersey dresses are wash and hang dry and the prints hide crumbs and any wrinkles. I like that they are form fitting at the waist and feminine. It's a nice way to look reasonably polished while wearing something as comfortable as athleisure.

https://poshmark.com/listing/Boden-Maisie-Jersey-Blue-Floral-Dress-Size-4P-67ae3b34ac1f765aedfec3e9
https://us.boden.com/products/samantha-scoop-jersey-dress-cerulean-blue-painterly-posy

THat's what Boden is. Mid level clothing for the mumsy set.

--Brit

Miss the old Boden where it was classic yet slightly quirky … now it’s just all boldly bold

https://us.boden.com/products/bella-puff-sleeve-maxi-dress-multi-ornamental-floral

Who wears this? When? Where?

Some of the Leslie Evers dresses remind me of old school boden

https://lesleyevers.com/collections/dresses

Anonymous wrote:I agree. I have some great workwear from Boden from around 2017-18, but I don’t even bother looking anymore, I know I’ll be disappointed.

Same, quality really dropped.

Same happened to Banana Republic but they bounced back and have had a few outstanding seasons.

So here’s hoping for my structured ottoman dresses from Boden making a comeback!