Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Boden Weekly Review Roundup! Featuring, Count 'Em, 16 Items!

Okay, all.  This is gonna be a long one...there are a ton of reviews, which means this roundup thing is heating up!  Yay!

Okay, same as always...if you want to see an item at Boden's website, click on the photo as provided by Boden, once there you will be able to see measurements, size availability, and other colors.  To see an item close up on me or my kids, click on the photo to see it a little larger.  To see the item on a bloggy friend, click on the link that I provided to their blog (or polyvore).

There is the 20% off $150 coupon in my sidebar this week, which looks like a sentence.  There is also the 15% coupon, which is better if you want to buy something for less than $150. 

Okay, onto the reviews!!!
Beach Shirt Dress, from the front.  I was ga-ga for this dress during the summer preview and I am really glad I purchased this dress...it truly is a Hawaiian print shirt, except made for a girl!  :) 

This is a UK 10 Regular or US 6 Regular. 

Okay, this is what happens when people are visiting the house and don't get that when I stand near the water, it means I am a-posing.  LOL.  That's grandpa in the back and CW behind me.  This pic was supposed to show you that there are on seam pockets, but the pic clearly was taken at the wrong time.  Sigh.  :)

Okay, that's better, but there is still CW fussing with my bracelets (J. Crew--in store only from a few years ago).  The shoes, btw, are from Banana Republic in 2004 maybe?  They went perfectly with the fudge vase print...which in reality is a muted brown background with white and aqua tiki vases.

I was a little worried about the pockets and originally it seemed they would ruin the line of the dress, but it turned out it was me stressing over a detail that was more than fine (and the pockets were nice for placing my hands throughout the day). 

From the side.  I like the length, too.  :)

My grandpa was trying to make me laugh when I was taking this photo, and it totally worked.  That said, I need to figure out a time to take photos when my family is around, way too distracting!

From the back.  It has more waist definition than I expected...

Beach Shirt Dress
Beach Shirt Dress (I wore the Fudge Vases but it has a groovy print in other colors).

Some great reviews from other bloggers and from friends:

DRESSES:
Pleat Neck Dress
Pleat Neck Dress. Polly models the yellow dress, both loose and belted! :)

Tropical Maxi Dress
Tropical Maxi Dress. Remember the first review that Lauren PhD did for us on the black version? Well, she received the marine banana leaf version and has this to say: I just wanted to let you know that I finally received the marine banana leaf print version of the Boden maxi dress (their exchange process takes a really long time, but at least it was free). I LOVE this dress. The print is interesting, yet subtle. And for some reason the print version fits better than the black, which was a tad larger even though I bought the 6R in both. The print version is a couple of inches above my ankle bone, while the black brushed the tops of my feet (I'm 5'4", if that helps). {It does, THANKS!!!}

LIMITED EDITION:
Shimmering Broderie Skirt
Shimmering Broderie Skirt.
Gorgeous Cashmere Cardigan
Gorgeous Cashmere Cardigan.
Kit's Mommy made a polyvore reviewing this and said this about this very pretty limited edition skirt and cardigan: I fell in love with both of these pieces when this line debuted back in February. In the past, I have liked many Boden items in their pictures, but have been let down with fit or color, so I was hesitant to purchase these. The high price tag also factored in. Last Thursday, I caved and yesterday these two pieces were on my doorstep.

Both items are superb. The sweater was expensive at $228, but honestly, it looks like a $228 sweater. The cashmere is thick without being overly fluffy and the beaded detail is very well made. I will be using it with jeans, partywear and office clothing. The fabric in the skirt is much more beautiful in person.

I am usually a 2-4 in J Crew and Ann Taylor. I ordered a 6 in both pieces as Boden runs a little bit small in my experience. I am 5'4" and 124# and was pleased with the fit on both pieces. I prefer a relaxed fit on my sweaters and this is relaxed without being baggy. I could have sized down, but then I don't think the sweater would have hung as well due to the cropped length and band around the bottom. Several reviewers complained about the cropped nature of the sweater, but it hits me just below my waist. It is definitely not skimpy. The skirt is a tad bit big in the waist, but I could not size down in the hip (I have a 26.5 inch waist and 38 hip so this is a common issue for me).

Overall, I would highly recommend these pieces.

SKIRTS:
Swishy Viscose Skirt
Swishy Viscose Skirt. Egyptomaniac shows us how lovely the pinky-purple and grey version looks, especially when paired with the exact right cardi, tee, and accessories.

Santorini Skirt
Santorini Skirt. Fiona wore the yellow version on Easter, and her outfit truly is exactly like Easter is...colorful and happy! Love it!

JACKETS:
Fringed Tweed Jacket
Fringed Tweed Jacket. Lisa paired hers with a red shorts, and I have to say, I am sold. Thanks for sharing with us this amazing combo!

TOPS:
Forget-me-not Top
Forget-me-not Top. Suburban Mom once again shows us how perfectly she makes this top a winner. Love this outfit she wore recently. I am now done, I must have this top!

Gypsy Top
Gypsy Top. Fiona paired this to in pink with the yellow santorini skirt on Easter, very pretty!

CARDIGANS:
Favourite Crew Neck Cardigan
Favourite Crew Neck Cardigan. The green version looks beautiful on Suburban Mom, and although she would have preferred to wear the Notch Neck Shift on Easter, I think her Plan B was perfection!

ACCESSORIES:
Union Jack Scarf
Union Jack Scarf. I have this scarf and plan to wear it on Friday (yay, Kate and Will) regardless of the DC hot weather, and it seems that shopwithm has similar plans, as well. I guess you can call us both big time Anglophiles. LOL. :)

Slingback Clogs
Slingback Clogs. Fiona also wore these with her Easter outfit, and I love the mix of animal print with florals. Awesome!

Casual Satchel
Casual Satchel. Polly shows us that with a little bit of fixing and moving, this versatile bag can be the only bag you may ever need (well, except for the fact that we are all girls and love our bags!).

On Rex:
Only way I can get Rex to pose now is to tell him to do something.  He is here "typing on the computer."  :)

He is a big boy, and though 4 barely, is wearing size 5-6 here.  It runs tts, which means Rex is the same size as a kindergartener.  Scary!

Big Print T-shirt
Big Print T-Shirt. Rex has on the blue octopus.

On CW: 
CW is wearing the blue chambray birds version, in a size 3-4.  I sized up for her so she could wear it next summer, too.  The skirt is very well made, with very pretty embroidery and a cotton lining.

Embroidery is all over the skirt, not just the front.  :)

Tucked in, you can see the elasticized waistband, which while unnecessary and kind of lame for adult females (outside of pregnancy, of course), is 100% important in little girl's clothing.  :)

 
Embroidered Summer Skirt
Embroidered Summer Skirt.

Alright, you all have a great night.  I am tired now.  LOL.  :)