Last week I was invited down to Boden HQ to work with the social media team there for a feature that they will be running on tumblr There was a photographer there for the day so there will be some fantastic images coming up on the Boden page over the next few days.
For the feature (currently, unofficially) entitled "Boden My Way" seven members of staff, all with very different styles, chose an outfit of their own which included a few Boden pieces.
The idea was inspirational. Rarely do we wear a brand head-to-toe, so mixing Boden with pieces from Topshop, Zara, KG, Asos and H&M, together with vintage pieces, showed it off to its best and demonstrated its versatility. Everyone looked fantastic and so very different.
I think that it's fair to say that there are both stereotypical Boden pieces (the words hotch-potch/fun/ditsy) spring to mind and stereotypical Boden customers (40 ish/Mum/likes baking and holidaying in Cornwall). Oh, that would be me then.
However, over the past couple of seasons there has been a shift away from the traditional Boden pieces - or rather an inclusion of more trend led, stylish pieces, which have seen the clothes appeal to a much wider audience. Grazia, Red, Easy Living, InStyle and Marie Claire Magazines have all picked up on this and you will regularly see Boden pieces featured in them. Their simple cashmere pieces and cotton and linen T's are fantastic quality and something that the staff stock up on.
So first up we had Chloe, who is a print designer. Wearing her own outfit of leather shorts, wedge shoes and a statement necklace, she added in a black Boden cashmere jumper and their Canonbury coat. Her black and purple combo, including her hair colour, looked incredible.
It was great to meet Chloe and Jess, below, who is also a print designer. They were due to go to LA the following day to scour markets for vintage prints. They both certainly dispelled the image that I had in my head of the Boden print designers!
This is Jess, who is wearing her own Topshop dress and Aubin and Wills shirt (bought in the closing down sale) which we layered under a Boden jumper, effectively turning the dress into a skirt. Her cute block fringe together with the Peter Pan collar on her shirt gave Jess' outfit a real 60's/vintage/Edie Sedgwick kind of feel. She totally rocked the Boden brogues.
For the shoot Jess also used this electric blue Boden tote, which is due to be released later on in the season.
For her next outfit, we swapped the brogues for Jess' own Topshop shoes and the Boden Leather Folded Clutch to give it a slightly dressier look. Those Topshop shoes were amazing - but sadly no longer available.
Vikki was up next. A Production Controller, I thought that she had a little bit of an Angelina Jolie look about her. For her first outfit she wore Topshop jeans, a Zara vest, a Tiffany bracelet, a bright yellow Boden tote (also available later in the season) and a fantastic Metal Disc Necklace (£29) (sort of visible here but best to click through for a closer look) which looked great layered over the simple vest.
Vikki also wore the Boden pointed slingbacks which worked really well with her jeans. All the neutral colours allowed her bag and bright lips to be the main focal point of what was a really relaxed laid back summer time outfit.
For her second outfit Vikki was almost head to toe Boden, wearing their navy spotted Bistro crop trousers their Linen slub tee, which is a great texture and has a lovely relaxed fit and the hand crochet jacket, which she wore with her own necklace from Asos, together with KG shoes.
Finally for today's post we had David in a Boden jumper with H&M trousers, Clarks shoes and a Uniqlo shirt. Being in front of the camera like that was really difficult be he relaxed into it, chatting away with the photographer. Being surrounded by women, I think that he appreciated having another male in the room!
Tomorrow I will bring you the remaining three members of staff, all of whom had an equally distinctive style and who definitely wore Boden their way.
So, what did you make of the outfits at last night's BAFTAs? Who did it for you? Marion Cotillard in sunny yellow Dior Couture, Anne Hathaway rocking rock chick in Burberry or Jessica Chastain in cobalt blue Roland Mouret? And what about Helen Mirren's pink hair? I haven't decided whether I like it or not but I just think "good on her." She will have known that she was going to get some stick for it but couldn't give a monkeys. And for that reason, I like her style!
