Mumsy no more! How Boden turned trendy

It’s so safe and middle-class — but suddenly fashionistas are talking up Boden. CLARE GOLDWIN sees if the hype’s justified

WHO can resist Boden’s bright knits and floral prints? I, for one, most certainly can’t. Well, not when it comes to my seven-year-old, Ella, anyway.

For years, I’ve happily forked out on pricey but irresistibly cute items for her from Mini Boden. But when it comes to buying clothes from Boden for myself, I’ve always steered clear.

Their traditional and instantly recognisable staples of cotton shifts and ‘mumsy’ jersey dresses, not to mention ‘jaunty’ prints in eyecatching colours, have always been a big no-no for me.

Who wants to be labelled a Boden ‘yummy mummy’ at 50 paces, and bump into countless other mothers in identical uniforms on the school-run?

For many years, Boden — which launched in 1991 — made a success of its appeal to the ‘Sloane’ market. But recently, the company has experienced more challenging times.

Profits plummeted in 2011 and, while they rose again in 2012, they remained flat for 2013.

NOW, however, Boden seems to have finally cracked it, and the fashion world is raving about their latest collections. Glossy magazines have praised their spring/summer shoe range for its nods to designer brands. And they’ve even seduced the notoriously difficult U.S. market, where sales are soaring.

Experts are putting the success down to the use of luxury fabrics, with more cashmere and silk mixes, plus more limited- edition pieces — so there’s less chance of bumping into someone wearing the same outfit.

They’re also attracting customers by toning down their colour palette, so the look is not so ‘sweet shop’, and making many of the prints more sophisticated and subtle.

So, can this latest collection keep its core, middle- class customers happy, while appealing to the more fashionable woman?

With the mid- season sale now on, I tried a selection of their latest outfits to see whether this Boden sceptic could be persuaded . . .