This British Brand You've Never Heard Of Is Making Our Ideal Warm-Weather Wardrobe
Image from Boden
by The Candidly Team
Do you remember the Golden Age of 90s shopping when we all had that one store we loved more than any other? THE store we visited at the mall for pretty much anything “cute.” First it was Wet Seal. Then The Limited. It makes us mildly ill to admit it but even Bébé had a moment. Bébé guys.
The point is, nowadays, when we need clothes, we have to go trudging through the internet where we simultaneously feel overwhelmed with choices, AND we keep seeing the same disappointing things over and over. In short, we’re bored…and tired.
Which is why when we stumbled upon this British brand, our interest piqued. It’s called Boden.
Though new to us, Boden has been a staple in the U.K. since the 90s (sort of akin to our J. Crew). It’s known for creating classic designs with pretty details, often in unexpected, bright colors or thoroughly British prints. It’s not really considered posh or trendy, but a reliable source of well-made pieces worn by the likes of Kate Middleton along with millions of women across the nation.
And while, admittedly, we found some of the things on the brimming BodenUSA website to be a miss, we were happy to discover a loooong list of gorgeous knits, perfect tops, smart coats, and lovely dresses that we could see ourselves feeling excited to wear any chilly day of the year. Add to that its inclusive sizing, flattering cuts, and the fact that almost everything on their site is seemingly on sale right now, and we were ready to pour ourselves a cup of tea and start shopping.
And here’s what our cart looks like:
1. The Tee That Makes You Instantly Chic
What is it about a subtle little stripe that makes everything instantly better? More styled. More nuanced. More British? Beyond that, we have to call out how this shirt, with its super subtle ruffle details, takes the whole classic Breton tee to new heights, making it all the more chic. Tuck it into a wide-leg jean or a long drapey pant and poof, you’re the best dressed person in the room.
Price: $40
2. The Effortless Spring Dress
We do love a perfect-length, breezy dress we can wear in spring! It doesn’t matter how puffy or lazy we’re feeling, we can slip this dress on and whoosh, we look our best. Also, notice how the sleeves are short but long enough to cover most of your upper arm (ideal for those of us who aren’t thrilled about sleeveless season). The waistband is also wide, so it’s ultra flattering around the tum. And everything else is just light, easy, and spacious. Just how we like it.
Price: $150
3. The Ideal Everyday Skirt
A very easy way to make us look like we took actual time to put ourselves together and style our clothes is by owning an incredibly comfortable printed skirt that looks reeeally good on our curvy bottom halves. We love a classic stripe like this because it’s eternally chic. Pair it with a feathery white tee, a ribbed tank, or a tied-up button-down, and you are done my friends. We do however recommend adding THESE, the prettiest, most comfortable sandals we’ve strapped onto our tired feet.
Price: $130
4. The Best-Fitting Ponte Pants We’ve Ever Worn
Isn’t the dream always to find a pair of pants that has the right amount of stretch but still looks expensive and tailored and like they were molded to flatter our exact body? Well, we had to dip a toe across the pond, but we do believe we found the pants. And these are them. And though they may scream Kate Middleton, they’re particulary stunning on curves, sizing up to 22.
Price: $98
5. The Prettiest Sweater You’ll Wear All Year
Spring is prime sweater weather, and this sweater is just unspeakably special. We feel chicer just looking at it. Picture this with the above pants or actually any old pair of jeans and a slip-on ballet flat. Kind of foolproof, no?
Price: $120
6. The Wildly Flattering Weekend Dress
Smocking is our best friend in spring. It lets us wear things like this that feel like light pajamas but then also give us a gorj hourglass. We wear this lovely dress with THIS because the arm holes are plenty spacious and THIS, because it carries our seasonal essentials, and finally slip on THESE because comfy-chic is the only fashion term we feel seen by.
Price: $198
7. The Perfect-Fitting, Warm-Weather Trouser
We’re pants people. And we admit, we spend an embarrassing amount of time sourcing the most perfect, curve-complementing pants on our planet. We’ll happily do black trousers and chic denim til the end of our days, so when it gets warmer, rather than reach for shorts, we turn to lighter materials like linen. This pair fits so well and look soooo good with a tucked button-down or a soft jumper. The perfect spring pant to own in more than one color. And they come in a SEA of colors.
Price: $140
8. The Fitted Button Down With A Twist
If you can’t stand the pouch that puffs out around your waistline every time you try to tuck in a button-down, this fitted version from Boden is a godsend. It’s made of a stretchy cotton that perfectly nips the waist. We’re a sucker for the polka dots as an easy way to liven things up while still being classic, but it’s also a staple we'‘ll turn to a million times over in white.
Price: $85
9. The Favorite Throw-on-and-Go Dress
If ever you were in the market for a blissfully soft midi dress that feels as good as it looks on every inch of your body, then Boden has dished up the dream. The flutter sleeve is perfect on arms. The waist nips. The skirt floats. It’s an effortless piece that might just be the most flattering thing in your closet.
Price: $130
10. The Only Swimsuit We Look Forward To Wearing
It’s an annoying cliché and an even more annoying reality that finding a swimsuit we feel remotely comfortable and ourselves in is a hellish task. But here’s a fun discovery: a halter is the most magically flattering swimsuit shape for all busts and shoulders. This one has a dreamy level of coverage but that neckline keeps us from feeling like we’re in our grandmother’s suit. It comes lots of prints/ colors, AND in long. Thrillingly!
Price: $115
11. The Cute Little Top We’re Always Rummaging For In Our Closet
That’s right. It’s just a cute little top that screams spring and makes us happy while making us look good. Which is kind of all we want in a top.
Price: $55
12. The Blazer That Gives Us our Smoothest Silhouette
Once again, we have that perfect tailoring that frames our shoulders and nips our waist, however, we also appreciate that this jersey blazer is stretch-ponte, so we can freely move our arms and don’t feel annoyingly squeezed as we do in many, many blazers.
Price: $180
13. The Staple Skirt That Feels Like Your Softest Leggings
We appreciate a skirt we can wear like jeans, because it’s extremely flattering round our waist and low-key matches everything, but because it’s a skirt we look just a wee bit more dressed up, put together, whatever you wanna call it. It’s a mindless hack for looking good, and we love that it feels like we’re in loungewear.
Price: $90
At The Candidly, we try a lot of stuff so you don’t have to. We only recommend things we truly love, and that we think you’ll love, too. All products are chosen independently by our creative team, and all details reflect the price and availability of products at the time of publication. If you buy something we link to, The Candidly may earn a commission.
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