Okay, I am completely aware of how ridiculous this is, but I spent the last week only in Boden clothing. While it was not a life changing experience, it was definitely in a “I may have been overthinking this whole fashion thing” way.
It all started because I was procrastinating on a logo design project at 11 PM. I was scrolling through my phone instead of doing the work I should have been doing (like a responsible adult), when I came across an email from Boden announcing a sale. Fifty percent off, free shipping, the whole nine yards. I have to admit something that makes me extremely embarrassed – I have been secretly buying Boden clothing for the last couple of years. I know, I know, the exact same brand my mom has been obsessively purchasing Boden clothing for since I was in middle school. I remember when Boden catalogues used to come to our house and my mom would circle pictures in red ink like she was grading papers. Back in the day, I viewed Boden as literally the least cool thing on earth. Those happy families in cable knits standing on the beach, smiling, and seemingly without a care in the world. I was far too busy being angst-ridden and wearing oversized band tees I purchased at the local thrift store to enjoy anything that seemed too…cheerful.
Around the late twenties I somehow stopped to stare at a Boden cardigan in Nordstrom. The fabric was very soft and the colour was a beautiful dusty blue that would pair with almost everything I already owned. I did not purchase the cardigan because $80 for a cardigan seemed outrageous when I was barely scraping together enough cash to cover my rent. However, I seriously considered the cardigan for the next two weeks. Fast forward to today and I have…more Boden than I would probably tell my 22 year old self. But it has always been blended in with all of my other clothing – my Uniqlo basics, my vintage Levi’s, my random Target finds. I never thought of myself as a “Boden type” because what does that even mean?
So I am sitting there at almost midnight with this sale email and this completely random thought pops into my head. What if I only wore Boden clothing for an entire week? Like, what would actually happen? Would I suddenly begin saying things like “Lovely weather we’re having” and develop opinions about gardening? Would people at work notice that I looked different, or would it just become part of my regular routine?
Before I could convince myself not to do it, and probably because I had had two glasses of wine with dinner, I purchased this order of five new items. The total amount of money I spent made me slightly cringe, even with the discount, however I told myself it was for research. Professional development. To understand one of the largest British fashion brands from the inside, you know?
My rules were pretty straightforward. Seven days of only Boden clothing. Shoes and handbags could be from wherever I liked, because let’s face it – I am not made of money, and Boden shoes always seem…sensible. But every piece of clothing that was not shoes or a handbag had to be from Boden.
On Monday morning, I laid out my first outfit. This burgundy corduroy jumper dress over a striped long-sleeved tee, with black tights and my standard ankle boots. I looked in the mirror in my bathroom and felt…fine? Good. The dress fit perfectly and the colour looked fantastic with the grey Portland morning. Maybe this wouldn’t be as weird as I originally thought.
However, the real test was our Monday morning team meeting. I walked into the conference room feeling slightly anxious, like everyone would see right away that I was dressed differently. Was I exuding major suburban mom energy? Would someone comment on whether I was off to Whole Foods to buy organic kale after work?
But no one said anything. We ran through the typical Monday morning chaos of deadlines and client updates and the weird passive-aggressive email someone sent over the weekend. It wasn’t until we were wrapping up the meeting that my coworker Emma stopped by my chair.
“New dress? That colour looks amazing on you!”
Not “super mom core”, or ” channeling your inner suburbanite”. Just a regular compliment. Interesting.
By Wednesday I had worn wide leg pants with a silk blouse, a knit midi dress, and I was currently wearing this pleated skirt with a merino sweater. Of course, all Boden. And to be honest, I was starting to enjoy it. The fact that I had such consistent clothing options made getting dressed a lot simpler. Also, I received a number of compliments I hadn’t received previously.
“You’ve been looking very put together recently,” my desk neighbour Jake mentioned during our afternoon coffee run. “What’s changed?”
“Just trying some new stuff,” I replied vaguely, thinking to myself that I was essentially conducting an undercover fashion experiment.
Thursday was the true test. There was this event for local creatives at one of the trendy Pearl District restaurants with exposed brick and $15 craft cocktails. The crowd would consist of all the other designers and creatives who would actually take note of what you are wearing, unlike my mostly clueless coworkers.
I chose the most expensive item from the order – this dark green floral silk dress that cost more than I normally spend, but less than anything similar from a brand like Reformation or whatever. I added my black high heeled shoes and a vintage clutch I purchased at Buffalo Exchange, along with some red lipstick because I was afraid of looking too…wholesome.
As I entered the restaurant, I felt that familiar twinge of imposter syndrome. Everyone else was wearing black or interesting silhouettes or pieces I recognised from Instagram. And here I was in my Boden dress, which is roughly equivalent to shopping at New Seasons rather than the farmer’s market. Nice, but not exactly cutting edge.
I walked directly to the bar and ordered a gin and tonic.
“I love your dress,” someone said next to me. I turned to see this woman I recognised from various local fashion events. She runs social media for one of the larger agencies downtown and always appears to be extremely cool. “Great print. Where is it from?”
I hesitated for like .5 seconds. “It is actually from Boden.”
She raised an eyebrow slightly. “Really? It is stunning. I have not looked at their stuff in ages.”
In that instant, my anxiety about wearing Boden to a hipster event completely dissipated. The rest of the evening was normal networking, chatting about projects, whining about clients, etc. No one else commented on my dress either way.
By Friday I was genuinely sorry that the week was over. There is something liberating about having boundaries around your wardrobe choices. Rather than standing in front of my closet for ten minutes every morning going “I have nothing to wear” while staring at a fully stocked shelf of clothing, I knew it would be Boden. I simply had to pick which ones to wear.
To conclude the week, I went all-in on the Boden stereotype. Striped dress, bright cardigan, flat shoes, the works. I leaned all the way into whatever Boden represents. As I waited for my latte in our office kitchen, Sarah from the creative department (who only wears the most incredible architectural black pieces, and always looks like she emerged from a minimalist design blog) looked me up and down.
“You know,” she said, stirring her tea, “You’ve been looking really great all week. Really…colorful.”
This coming from her was essentially like being featured in Vogue.
So what did I ultimately learn from my week-long stint as a walking Boden billboard? Several things that I was completely surprised to discover, to be honest.
First, clothing from one brand can look radically different based on how you choose to style it. The same cardigan I wore with jeans while working from home on Tuesday looked entirely different over a dress on Friday when I was at the office.
Second, most people have no idea or care what brands you are wearing as long as you appear somewhat presentable. I developed this entire narrative in my mind regarding Boden and its particular “look” that would be instantly recognizable, but it seems that most busy people are too preoccupied with their own lives to scrutinize your outfit choices.
Third, there is something fundamentally pleasing about clothing that simply…works. It fits well, washes nicely, and doesn’t need specialized bras or body tape, like some of the trendier pieces. For the last several years I have been in a sea of boxy minimalist everything, and it was pleasant to wear clothing that actually had shape and fit my body properly.
Fourth – and this one is the one that made me realise that I had a slightly uncomfortable realization – I felt prettier that week than I typically do. Not cooler or more fashionable, but prettier in a conventional and accessible way. The cuts flattered, the colours made my skin look nice, and the patterns made me smile when I caught a glimpse of myself in the mirror. I suppose there is likely something to explore about why I find it bothersome to be referred to as “prettier” as opposed to “edgier” or “interesting”, but that is therapist fodder for another day.
As Saturday arrived and I could once again wear whatever I wanted, I stood in front of my closet feeling surprisingly hesitant to break the streak. I ended up wearing jeans from one brand, a tee from another, and a jacket from somewhere else entirely. It felt like returning to reality after a short stay in some alternate universe where everything coordinated, and people likely have golden retrievers and create elaborate weekend brunch plans.
Will I ever be a full Boden brand devotee? Most likely not. I still love my odd thrift finds and sporadic splurge pieces too much. Fashion has always been about experimentation and expressing different aspects of my personality, not finding a uniform to adhere to forever.
However, I will certainly continue to wear the pieces I purchased. They will add colour and pattern to all the black and grey I typically lean towards. And each time I wear them, I will think about my mom, finally figuring out what she appreciated about those Boden catalogues all those years ago.
Perhaps that is what Boden truly is – clothing that your mother would approve of, but in the best possible way. Not groundbreaking or Instagram-worthy, but well-made, cheerful, and created to make you feel good as opposed to just looking stylish. In a fashion world that often feels both overwhelming in terms of trends and prohibitively expensive, there is something quite appealing about that.
Uh oh. I just compared something to “appealing” in relation to Boden. My transformation is complete. Someone needs to stage an intervention before I begin shopping for practical flats and developing opinions on throw pillows.
