Boden: Summer 2015 Preview Picks!

Hey, all!  Happy Black Friday.  :-)  Just in case you didn't see it, Boden started their Black Friday deal yesterday.  I wrote more about it here at this post.

Also, my blog friend, Katie, is a representative for Stella & Dot, and they are having a Black Friday sale.  I love helping out my blog friends, so if you need to get some gorgeous jewelry, definitely check her shop out.  There is a 25% off all sale items going on right now, and last year when this type of deal was going on, I scored some gorgeous pieces for my wardrobe.

Okay, now onto the Preview picks.  Remember, the code for 20% off with free ship and returns is W8L5.  That code is set to expire tonight (really, Boden, give us a few more days, pretty please!).

Before I do that, I want to copy a paragraph I wrote on the preview in yesterday's post:

Okay, before I leave you, a quick warning to those of you who ordered in the spring 2015 preview.  CC and Lou both left comments on yesterday's post that Boden is shipping out the preview orders IN DECEMBER instead of the January we all saw when we ordered during the preview.  Obviously, with the festive season coming up, most people budget for gifting for others in December and not for spring clothing that was supposed to ship nearly a month later.  I was already a bit concerned that the promised date of delivery was January 5 (or some early date), but now that the shipping will be in early to mid-December, I am, like others in the same situation, very pissed.  None of us want the items now, I want them in January as promised.  In an ideal world, I would prefer they ship the items later, like in February, like they used to WAY back when.  Anyhow, if you don't want to get these items shipped to you in December, call and cancel your order.  It is the only way that Boden will learn that we are NOT okay with early shipping.  They did this in the fall, too, but circumstances of fall stuff coming in early August seems more reasonable than spring stuff coming in December.  Are you all with me?  LOL.

I am still very bothered by this, and my hope is that Boden is reading these comments and thoughts, and listening to all the canceling of orders over the phone, and that in the future, they *won't* send things out WELL before the promised delivery date.

Dresses:

Rosalyn Dress.  This beauty is one of my favorite kind of dresses, the type that look like a skirt/top combo.  I am so in love with this type of dress, I made one from a vintage pattern for one of my entries for the Fabric Mart Fashion Challenge.

Sandra Sundress.  The spaghetti straps are the wrong choice for a lot of women, but if you can get away with teeny straps, how pretty would this frock be on some lovely beach somewhere in the middle of a summer's night?

Verity Dress.  This dress is such a stunning mix of bright colors, big florals, and a nice simple silhouette.  To make life even better, this dress is $88, much less than other Boden dresses, so if you are on a budget but can get one piece, this may be the right one for you.

Vintage Bow Dress.  Swoon.  If this one makes it to the end of the season next summer and is 40% off, I am 100% going to buy it.  But since I have a lot of pretty dresses in my wardrobe now, I can't justify buying this one so early.  ;-)

Amille Maxi Dress.  A switch-up from the usual maxi style Boden offers, this one is still made from the nice, heavy jersey, but in a solid and with a less fitted bodice.  The color is to die for, as well.  I want to go swimming in an ocean that color.

Annie Dress.  The fabric, the shape, and the length are very office appropriate without being super stuffy.  This would be an awesome choice for a teacher.

Francine Dress.  This is a bit iffy.  While I applaud Boden for going for it since this color combo and print is definitely not for everyone, I am more than slightly concerned about how BADLY the skirt's fabric was placed.  As a sewer, I am starting to notice when fabric is poorly cut and sewn, here it is at the waistband and it is throwing off the entire design.  The only part that appears okay is the middle orange portion.  Now, I recognize that the waist is curved a bit, which is why it is biting into the skirt's print, but if this has happened, I think that possibly they made the wrong choice for this dress design.  An allover print would have been far less distracting and noticeable.

Knitwear and Tops:

Alexandra Top.  Though I am not choosing this one for myself, I just love the grey chambray with the pretty white embroidered bib.  I think so many of you would look amazing in this design.

Cecile Top.  The effect of multiple embroidered flowers becoming just a few at the hemline is attractive to my eye.  I love that it is also on a cap-sleeved dotted blouse.  So pretty and feminine.

Elegant Shimmer Sweater.  The subtle sparkle of this silver sweater is sublime.  LOL.  :-) 

Anyhow, what a great layering piece for winter*, and a perfect "it is a touch cold at night" coverup.

*And haha, if Boden sends this out well before it is supposed to be shipped, we can actually wear it in season.  

Knitted Kaftan.  I know there are other printed sweaters out there, but this one is so different and unique, and those colors, wow!  I think this one should sell well simply because it is bound to work for so many women and be a standout piece without being difficult to wear.

Mariella Top.  I just gave away my yellow/tan Summer Amelie dress to my sister-in-law because I didn't love the summer version of the Amelie on me as much as I love the winter version, but I did LOVE the yellow/tan.  Well, lo and behold, there is an exact copy of those colors in this blouse, *which* is a style I can wear!  Yeah! 

Sun Top.  I used to wear tops like this all the time.  J. Crew made a gazillion of these in the mid-2000s.  I still have a few floating in my closet.  If you missed out on this style back then, this is a fine way to start your own mini-collection.

Skirts, Pants, and Swimwear:

Chino Skirt.  I feel like my preview picks are always an excuse for me to go CRAZY and pick items with bright colors or over the top prints.  Here I prove I can pick practical!  Okay, so it is in purple, but the length!  The fabric!  The pockets!  So practical!  Also available in a ton of other shades!

Florence Skirt.  Clearly I can't stay away from impractical too long.  ;-)  This photographic print is reminiscent of last year's beachy print from the Nancy dress.  Of course I want this one.

Olivia Pant.  I admit to wearing wide-legged palazzo pants in the 90s.  In England.  So I have to suggest you all get a pair from the Great British purveyor of all things clothing.  Oh, those pants.  I wore them constantly.  Not so sure my butt looked that great in them, but whatever, right?

Rash Vest.  I love my rash guards and wear them a lot, but I coach swimming.  That said, if you are a fair skinned lady, the spf protection you get from these is awesome.  And this print?  Amazing, sure to stand up any of the bikinis that are sure to be ubiquitous at your pool this summer.

Summer Pencil.  This design and color seem to shine from within, it is positively popping off my computer screen.  Apparently this is a jacquard fabric, but I can't really see the texture, but I bet it will be very obvious in real life.

Okay, that's it from me!  Do you have any choices of your own from the summer collection?  Thoughts on Boden sending out the spring stuff in December?

If you need the coupon for Boden's Black Friday sale, it is below.

Boden: Black Friday for Four Days! 30% Off Everything!

Happy Thanksgiving!  (If you aren't in the United States, Happy Thursday!)

Like everyone other retailer out there, Boden decided to start their Black Friday sale today and are letting it run until Monday.  The deal is that you will receive 30% off everything, excluding clearance items (as per usual).

Since Cyber Monday is set to start after this promo ends, and I know that some items will get a greater discount that day, I have a few suggestions for you all if you want to enjoy the promos properly.

I personally only ordered items this morning that I figured would NOT be further reduced on Monday, including a coat for CW and a dress for myself.  Both items are selling well in many of the colors and sizes, so even though I chose the less popular colors for the two of us, the fact that the others are selling well made me suspect that Boden will continue to keep these items at the higher price, even on Monday.

I also was VERY tempted to order the Isla Dress (here) in my size in the popback color I wanted, but I have the Amy Dress (same shape but in a lighter fabric) AND I know in my heart I can buy some beautiful plaid wool fabric from B & J Fabrics (or for even less, use this "interesting" plaid from Mood) for less money and make it myself, so I resigned myself to taking the less expensive, more labor intensive route since the color I like that Boden made is probably not the best shade for me.  :-)  However, this popback thing is a joy to behold if you can get the really awesome universal promo percentage off, so go, look, find that popback you have wanted and buy when it will be at its lowest price this season.

Now, here is what not to get today.  If you love an item like the Amy Dress (here) or the Great British Puffer (here), there is a good chance those will get nicely reduced on Monday since they are not selling especially well (or they are, but there is a lot of those in stock).  I am not guaranteeing that those will go to 40% off or more, but the past years indicate that these are the kind of items that get reduced quite nicely during the Cyber Monday sales.

Also, if you like to see items on others, make sure to check out the review roundups, since they hold quite a few reviews of items from this collection.

Okay, before I leave you, a quick warning to those of you who ordered in the spring 2015 preview.  CC and Lou both left comments on yesterday's Boden Weekly Review Roundup that Boden is shipping out the preview orders IN DECEMBER instead of the January we all saw when we ordered during the preview.  Obviously, with the festive season coming up, most people budget for gifting for others in December and not for spring clothing that was supposed to ship nearly a month later.  I was already a bit concerned that the promised date of delivery was January 5 (or some early date), but now that the shipping will be in early to mid-December, I am, like others in the same situation, very pissed.  None of us want the items now, I want them in January as promised.  In an ideal world, I would prefer they ship the items later, like in February, like they used to WAY back when.  Anyhow, if you don't want to get these items shipped to you in December, call and cancel your order.  It is the only way that Boden will learn that we are NOT okay with early shipping.  They did this in the fall, too, but circumstances of fall stuff coming in early August seems more reasonable than spring stuff coming in December.  Are you all with me?  LOL. 

Okay, so now that I have let off steam about the idiocy of sending spring preview items in the middle of the holiday gifting season, let's look at something JUST stunning.  This is from the "new in" festive wear shop, and is called the Wow Sequin Dress (here).  Yes, it is certainly "wow" and if I had an extra $350 lying around, I would just buy it and swish around it in the house.  But I don't, so I will just love it from afar. 

You all have a great Thanksgiving (or Thursday)!  Talk with you all soon!

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: Amy. Ready for Winter!

Hey, all!  Happy Wednesday!

Before I start this bloated, late BWRR, I have a few reminders.

1. The Black Friday sale is starting tomorrow for Boden and will last until Sunday.  From what I can see, it is for 30% off everything, which is 5% off more than what the current coupon code is in the sidebar of this blog.  I can't link to the sale just yet (though I have the links in my affiliate directory), but I will make sure to get them in there so they are ready to go tomorrow morning.

2. The Cyber Monday deal seems more vague, but the promise is that certain items will be up to 40% off.  I am betting those items in the 40% off will be of the "out since August" variety, with maybe a few less popular items from winter thrown in for good measure.  I am nearly 100% positive that the Amy Dress (which is my review of the "roundup") will be 40% off.  That is a decent price for a dress that works well through multiple seasons, but only if it will work for your frame, which I know it doesn't work for all. 

Once I find out more about the Cyber Monday deal, I'll let you all know.

3. The Boden Summer 2015 Preview is set to expire on the 28th.  I will do the picks post tomorrow since I know time is of the essence.  My hope is that they will extend the shopping period for the preview, but that only happens every once in a while, so I can't bet on it happening this time.  I never got around to officially publishing the preview 20% off with free ship and returns code, but it is W8L5.

Lou did write up here favorites, and I see a few I definitely agree with, so I think our lists will be slightly similar!  :-)

Okay, onto the roundup!

Amy Dress. Size 6 L.  I did a review of this dress way back when the temperatures around here were hot and muggy, and the dress was perfect for then.  I was a bit skeptical that this dress would work for me in the winter (even though it isn't even winter yet, technically, Virginia didn't get the memo), but with the right additions from my wardrobe, the dress worked VERY well for the colder temperatures.

The tights and the wool cardigan were great at keeping me warm and toasty while leading parents through the school on the open house tours.  The only issue I slightly had was that the front of the skirt got caught on the tights while walking outside with my coat buttoned up.  I suspect that was an issue of static cling, and will need to pull out some of my favorite Static Guard to better prep my clothing for the lack of humidity.
 

Heehee.  I look so stiff here.  LOL.

Anyhow, the sizing is still spot on, but the dress may even fit me better now than it did in the original review post.  I lost a few pounds and the weight really fell off from waist to upper hip, so the dress falls even a touch better through the lower torso, so it looks better overall.  But it is nice to know that if I gain the weight back, I can still wear the dress.

I also want to point out that this dress was washed and hung to dry before wearing it this second time.  It was a touch wrinkly, but nothing that a quick ironing job couldn't fix.  So it's also practical.  :-)


Amy Dress.  Healthy stocks in nearly all colors.  Unfortunately no size 4L in two of the shades.  That appears to be the only size people are buying.

Milano Dress.  Size 6 L.  I am so sorry for these really crappy phone photos of this dress.  I only had like four seconds to get the photos before I left for my day of subbing and the phone was the only camera I had handy.  You can still see how it fits, though, so if you needed to see how it looked on me before deciding on it for you, here you go.  :-)

The fabric is very forgiving, and the 6L feels great on, definitely not tight at all, but because of the stretchy knit material, it still hugs my curves.  I love the waistband detail, really very flattering and great at creating shape.  I personally need those black bands on the sides of the skirt, though, wow, it makes me look slimmer through my bottom half because of the illusion it creates.

I don't love the other colorways, even though I love color, I feel like the colors are odd together, so for once I went with a neutral.  I paired the dress with a scarf to keep me warm, but ideally I would have preferred a single pendant necklace (with a larger pendant for presence).

I did write up another review of this dress here, btw.


Milano Dress.  The stocks for the color I chose are fine, with only one single size sold out.  The other colors are very low stock, though, especially the beautiful glittery shades of gold and navy.


Rainy Day Mac.  I have worn this a ton already this season, but have only captured its awesomeness a couple of times. The review with those photos is here.  :-)  Definitely a great fall weather coat for Virginia, very cozy, warm, but not too heavy.  Highly recommended if you live in an area with temperature variance in the winter/fall season.


Chepstow Top.  I wore this out to run errands one day in late October.  Unfortunately this top is pretty much sold out barring two colors with one or two smaller sizes available.  I guess we have yet another winning Chepstow top from this fall.  (Last year's sold out, too!)


Alexa Blouse.  Lou wrote up a review on this top here.








Jewelled Flats, Block Heel Slipper, Fashion Pointed Pump, Brogued Chelsea Boot, Fun Scarf, Fun Hat, and Ankle Socks.  Lou was at a Boden party recently and was able to see and touch and caress all these lovely items in real life for us.  :-)






Everyday Sweater, Embellished Sweater, Textured Stitch Sweater, Mohair Mix Sweater, and Fancy French Knot Sweater.  Lou's attendance at the Boden party was fruitful to say the least!  She also did a post on her favorite pieces from the knitwear line.  (I agree with the Everyday sweater choice, I did a review on that one here, btw.)

















Festive Fun Sweater, Arabella Party Blazer, Flocked Spot Ponte Dress, Hartland Dress, Annabel Blazer, Embellished Collar Sweater, Perfect Party Top, Ella Skirt, Sequin Cardigan, Alicia Dress, Beatrice Dress, Embellished Spot Dress, Furry Shopper, Slouchy Leather Bag, High Jinks Sweater, and Sophia Skirt.  Okay, Lou wins the prize for most amazing photographer and reviewer of Fall/Winter 2015.  I love it!  These items above are all in this massive post of hers from the Boden party she attended.  (She had to split it into three parts, woah!)



Pattern Sweater, and the Hartland Dress.  A Pear to Remember created two darling outfits featuring these two Boden pieces.




Hartland Dress, Highgate Dress, and Ponte Skater Dress.  A Pear to Remember did her official reviews of these dresses here.


Soho Blouse.  Avril looks perfectly put together in an outfit featuring this darling spotted blouse.  

Okay, all, that's it for today.  LOL.  I am sure that's enough for you all.  :-)

Be back tomorrow with some summer picks!

The coupon below goes live on Thursday, November 27, 2014, so if it is still November 26, it probably won't work!