How Boden’s made new dresses from old
They’re easy breezy linen and fashioned from fabric offcuts that would have gone to waste
Iwouldn’t say I’d never be seen dead in the same outfit as my five- year- old daughter, lyra, but the truth is, she would never be seen dead in the same clothes as me.
we seem to be in a minority, though, because ‘mini-me’ clothing is big business for brands such as
Gucci, Balenciaga and Givenchy this season.
Boden has sold these designs for a while, but what makes its new collection stand out — forcing lyra and me to reconsider our stand on
mother-daughter matching — is the eco - factor. Sustainability is a buzz-word for fashion brands. And it’s not always easy to discern whether a label is truly committed to making a difference or simply ‘ greenwashing’ — plastering the same old harmful practices in saintly-sounding jargon.
Boden has worked hard to earn its eco stripes, however. In 2021, it banished glitter and sequins (the latter is cut from a square, so a third of the plastic is wasted, plus they take thousands of years to break down and they leave microplastics in the water supply). Last year, the brand introduced its Care: Repair: Rewear service to fix or tailor existing Boden garments. While its Pass It On scheme sees older items donated to charity instead of dumped in landfill.
And yesterday, it launched Remix, a mini-me collection made from the offcuts of some of Boden ’s most popular lines, dramatically reducing fabric waste. Every dress is made from 100 per cent linen, which is biodegradable. And the flax plant, from which linen is made, does not require the use of fertilisers or pesticides.
So how does the range shape up in style terms? The women’s dress is in a flattering cut that will work for several body shapes: V-neck, nipped-in waist, full skirt, long sleeves — and pockets! You’ll be wearing it
for many summers to come. Having examined the fabric and cut, I can confirm
it’s built to last. Meanwhile, the children’s version got the seal of approval from Lyra, for whom comfort is key.
My children live almost entirely in hand-me-downs. Now finally they can have
something to hand down when the time comes, too.