Friday, March 15, 2013

Boden Weekly Review Roundup: In Time for St. Patty's Day.

Hey, all!  Hope everyone is doing well.  :)

Since St. Patty's Day is on Sunday, I thought I would throw a green Boden sweater into the mix for today's roundup.  I actually wore this sweater for bowling yesterday because I *knew* the ladies would all be decked out in their Irish finest.

(And they were.  LOL.  Bowling--the world were "theme wear" is a-okay.  Christmas sweaters--worn unironically, they would not understand the "ugly sweater" party.)

Short roundup today, with just two reviews of regular Boden and a small handful of reviews for clearance Boden.

Onto the goods!

Regular Boden:
Off Duty Shorts.  I took these in a size 8 Long, which just fit.  I am *probably* going to return these for a size 10 Long, which will give me a little bit more wiggle room.  (However, I am still on the fence, I have about five pounds left to lose from Angus's pregnancy and those last five pounds are usually shed right after the first birthday, so I still have a little bit to go until then.  I also hate the way saggy bermuda shorts look, which could happen with the next size up combined with an inevitable weight loss.  Hmm.)

I love the long length, it is wonderful to have a printed short in a ten inch inseam length.

Side View.  These shorts have a lot of stretch, especially through the legs, but NOT through the waistband, where the facing (back bit of the waistband) prevents the material from stretching out.  Oddly enough, I found the legs and butt region more than ample for my particularly plump posterior, but the waistband less so, which is not typically where I have issues.  If you carry your weight in your waist or upper hip, be sure to compare the measurement to your measurements (note: waistband sits below the waist a bit--on me by nearly three inches--I am high-waisted, though).

Doubtful there will ever be a St. Patty's day warm enough to get away with this outfit around here, but when there is, I will be sure to celebrate with this look.

Off Duty Shorts
Off Duty Shorts. There is a reason the model's legs look so thin here, those legs are cut very wide, so us girls with "those American thighs" need to celebrate.  LOL.

Colourblock Points
Colourblock Points.  I have been very interested to see what these look like in real life.  Thankfully Lou got them and put them with the exact right outfit.  I can see why these have been so popular!

Clearance Boden:
Cashmere Hoody.  Cannot find this anywhere on the website, so I am providing you with a link to the polyvore image of it, and from there you can gain access to its item page.  Here's the deal, though, if you like it, don't give up on it because this could get returned in the future.  It is very hard to catch it as a popback, but it is good to have access to the "possibility."

I took this in a size 6, which is my normal Boden knitwear size.  

It fits exactly right everywhere, even in length, so I am a very happy camper.

The green is a true Irish green, the color you see when you think of Ireland.  I am planning a trip to Ireland in April, and yes, this cashmere hoody will be joining me on the trip.

The cashmere is not super-soft, but I blame that on the darker color.  I know there is some science to this, but my heathered cashmere colors, especially in the lighter shades, are super soft, whereas my cashmere in a solid, dark color are usually less soft (still soft, just not baby butt soft).

There is a very subtle light blue trim on the kangaroo pocket and the hood itself, but it is barely noticeable, so don't let that dissuade you from purchasing (on popback, of course) if you are not a fan of that element.

Audrey Jumper
Cropped Cashmere Crew Neck Cardigan
Audrey Jumper and Cropped Cashmere Crew Neck Cardigan.  Though the hoody may be sold out, the color "sapling" is available in a handful of items, including the lovely Audrey Jumper (above in orange) and the versatile crew neck cardigan (model is wearing the sapling shade).  The cashmere cardigan is going to physically emulate the hoody the most, since it is made from the same fabric, but a hoody is very different from a cardigan, which is why I included the Audrey jumper as an alternative.

Raw Edge Hotchpotch Top.  This one is likely to linger in the clearance for a really long time, but I wanted to make sure and get the review out early so if you had interest in it, you could decide for yourself if this top is for you, since it is a lot of look.

I took a size 4 in this one *because* I read the on-line reviews.  I normally would size to a 6, but so many people said to size down that I did.  I think I made the right choice, especially through the bosom, waist, and shoulders, but the top is a touch too small  in the hips (you can sort of tell from this photo above).

To counter the smaller hip line (until I can alter it on the sewing machine), I flipped the hem under and wore it like that.  Because the printed part of the top is made from a thick rayon, the flipped hem stayed like that, which I was surprised to see (but happy to see, of course).

The upper bodice portion is made from a woven cotton fabric, so it has very little stretch.  The 4 was the right size for my shoulders, but if you carry any weight up there, I highly recommend comparing the measurements on-line (garment not body) to make sure your shoulders will fit.

The print and colors are lovely, and this is the only shade of brown I can wear without looking horrible (it has a touch of green which helps).  Brown is typically not my friend, lol.

Raw Edge Hotchpotch Top
Raw Edge Hotchpotch Top.  Its original price was so expensive.  For what you receive, the clearance price is far far better.

I don't care for the other two shades, but like the silhouette of the top.  I have a butterick pattern that I have since purchased that I think has a similar look, and can be made to have a hotchpotch element, or be made with a single fabric (I may try a cotton eyelet).

mini Boden/Johnnie b.:
I must have been under a rock earlier this week since I just figured out that a good bit of Mini Boden is on sale.  If you are interested in anything for your kids (or yourself, if you can wear Johnnie b.) then this may be the time to grab that item.  I may pick up one or two items since I have a ten dollar coupon (sent to my "secondary" e-mail address).

Rex, CW, and Angus have not gotten much from the spring line, but from what they have received, there is a lot to love.  I especially heart how well Angus's baby clothing is made, since he is literally a mover and shaker and really really hard on his clothing.  CW's clothing could be made from angel dust and it would be fine, but my boys, oh, no, they need good fabric stitched together really really well.

A Sale for Little Stars: Up to 35% off selected Mini, Baby & Johnnie B at BodenUSA.com!

Tassel Loafers
Tassel Loafers
Tassel Loafers.  See them on Lou in an adorable, colorful outfit.  :)

Okay, that's it for this week!  If you have any picks from the mini Boden sale spectacular, do leave a comment!

Here is a quick link to the current Boden coupon: