Teach me about Boden and Naartje

[daisymommy]

Can you all believe that after 4 kids I have never bought anything from either Boden or Naartje? I've always been happy with the other brands I've always known and loved. But now with so much talk about Boden lately, I'm wondering if I'm missing out, and will regret it someday :)

So, what do I need to know in terms of best prices, coupon codes, best time to buy during the year, must have pieces, size and fit, etc.

Thanks!


Sent from my iPad

[fedoragirl]

I am no expert and I have never bought Naartje so I can only speak for Boden.
I am a regular HA fan. I love their basics and winter clothing because it lasts. I cannot make do with Target stuff in the winters we have here. And I can consign or donate most of my stuff. In other words, HA clothing has a lot of life. When I had DS, I didn't have much of a choice at HA so started branching out and boy stuff is very hard to find. Well, cute and hardy is very hard to find. DS is a toddler and he is a very stereotypical boy. He tears up his clothes like no tomorrow. Boden has been our lifesaver. I order neutral colors and both DD and he can wear them so I get a lot out of my money. They are on the higher end pricewise but I always shop sales. I love their style of clothing and it really fits my skinny and tall kids. I also like the longevity of the fabric. My kids can wear these clothes multiple times but they come out looking new after a wash.
There are some misses of course but I try to read the reviews and guess accurate sizes. I use their European (cms) size chart for more accuracy.
I bought out all their colors in sweatpants. We have long winters and DD has started preschool and sweatpants are so versatile and easy for her to pull down in the bathroom.
I usually shop Carter's, Boden, Hanna, and Gymbo for my kids.

[twowhat?]

I almost think Boden is better for boys, who aren't as picky about their clothing when it comes to colors/designs and who will wear the same basic styles of clothing year after year (t-shirts, shorts, sweatshirts, etc) and who value comfort over style.

Girls are...more complicated.

I LOVE Mini Boden's style (because it's different from everything else). but my girls in general do not (because it's different from everything else). They want to wear pinks and pastels, frills, etc. So all those awesome dresses in primary or jewel tones or the more saturated bold colors in cool combinations like navy and yellow or green and fuschia and cool patterns - my girls won't wear. The Mini Boden dresses tend to not be long enough for my girls' taste, or the skirts not twirly enough, or whatever. We do have a few Mini Boden items that they do like and wear (full skirts, skorts). But nothing else - all the awesome velour sweatpants that Grandma bought for them? They won't wear them. The applique t-shirts? They won't wear them. Not "girly" enough for them. I have also found Mini Boden (bottoms especially) less forgiving in size/growth. For example, the skorts have stretchy waistbands and drawstrings but the waistband is really too thick to want to use the drawstring to cinch it in, and there is just not that much stretch in the waistband. Same for the sweatpants. So I've found that for us, their clothes (bottoms especially) just don't last more than one season - they are either too loose or too tight - not enough give in the size:( Those waistbands just aren't forgiving enough. The other annoying thing about the waistbands is that if you want to use the drawstring to make it fit a smaller or skinnier kid, then she has a hard time pulling down her pants/skirts over her hips to use the potty. HA skorts on the other hand are great with forgiving, cotton-covered elastic waists and we've been able to use them comfortably for 2 years now and they are easy to pull down for the potty and pull back up and sit nearly and comfortably on a bigger range of waist circumferences.

The MB jersey fabrics are awesome and they last through wash after wash and come out looking great. I just wouldn't invest too much in it. Oh and I also wouldn't invest in their knits. The sweaters and cardis are adorable and made of cool fabrics like cotton/cashmere/angora blends but they just don't hold up to the repeated washings that a kid needs. We've had much better luck with HA cardis and sweaters.

LOL, I just re-read all that and honestly if my girls were just less picky about their clothes, I'd probably love MB more. As it is, it's cheaper for me to just buy clothes at Costco (let them pick in person) and if they fall apart or develop holes after a season, it's no big deal. My girls' tastes change over time too so it's just not worth buying quality clothes that WOULD last for at least a couple of years since they simply won't wear it after one season!

[crl]

I had a dreadful customer service experience with Boden long ago and refuse to deal with them ever again.

But I love Naartje for dd. I buy only on sale and only when I can put together multiple outfits from the same colorway. Their stuff is decent but not fabulous quality; mostly my issue is that I have noticed fading, especially on some dark blue things I got. I love that I can mix and match leggings, dress and tunics. And I think their boho style is super cute and chic while still being appropriate for little girls. I think their stuff runs true to size. Sleeves tend to run long, but I have been able to roll them easily as the things that have been long have had long knit "cuffs" that stayed rolled pretty well.

Catherine

[westwoodmom04]

At least for girls, I think one or the other is your style, but not both. IMO, Naartje is very girly in sort of a bohemian way. They have great sales and the quality if probably the same as gap or gymboree.

My dd, on the other hand, has always loved the more graphic styles that boden offers. She is very skinny but can fit many of the styles at Boden, even pants (but not all, unfortunately, the heart patch pants run wide at the waist). The quality is almost but not quite as good as Hanna. Usually my fast-growing kids can get two seasons out of Boden is shirts and jackets, but not in other brands. We've actually had a pretty good experience with customer service though things that ship from England can take too long to arrive. DS once pulled on DD's shirt and ripped it; they sent a replacement, gave me a unsolicited refund on the difference between what I paid for the shirt and its then sale price, and sent me a return envelope for the shirt so they could try to figure out why it was "defective." I love the party dresses for dressy occasions because they are age appropriate, and one of the dress winter coats I got for dd was so pretty I was devastated when she outgrew it after two winters.

[AnnieW625]

I am just starting to look at Naartjie for DD2 who likes all things twirly and fluffy. I am still not sure that DD1 would go for most of it, but I might just take her into the store and see if she likes it. She likes twirly dresses (Hanna Andersson LTT dresses), but isn't much in to anything fancy.

I loved Baby Boden for DD2 from about 6 months until 18 mos.-2 yrs. and then I just stopped buying it because what I wanted when it was on sale was already sold out or didn't get discounted enough for me to make it worth it. I got my girls some Boden night gowns at Nordstrom Rack a year ago and they love them, but that is the extent of their Mini Boden stuff.

For DD1 she gets a lot of Old Navy, JC Penney (although this goes in phases, but right now it is really cute, esp. the new Joe Fresh line, it's very H&M/Next Direct like), Gap, Target brands, and Gymboree clothes. She does have a bit of Hanna Andersson too, but not nearly as much as she had when she was 1-5 yrs. old. I wish Carters made clothes for 7+ sizes.

DD2 is wearing lots of DD1's Hanna, Gymboree, Baby Gap, Target brands, and H&M hand me downs. For new stuff I still stick with Carters, Gymboree, Baby Gap, and maybe Old Navy if the item is on sale and I like it (I find Old Navy really kind of overpriced for what you get unless it is on sale. I'd rather pay a little bit more for Baby Gap w/a small discount). I think I might pick up some of the Joe Fresh stuff for her as well at JC Penney. For me it is more about the style than it is the brand, but the brand recognition is nice if I know that it is going to last a long time.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

Ok I would quote previous posters but I'm traveling, on the iPad and I'm lazy :)

I can't speak to naartje as I've never bought it... A couple local malls have stores and I've just nev been enticed to walk in.. I guess as pp mentioned all the colors seem very muted, pastel-y and yes lots of ruffles which I was not a fan of.

I was a huge Hanna Andersson fan and I still am but I've branched off into mini boden. As pp said I love the bright, bold colors of mini boden especially for girls...navy with chartreuse, vibrant turquoise and bright coral..i personally was getting a little tired of just pink and lavender for girls clothes. and I love the appliqué tees, both boys and girls. I persinally love the rib waist on all the boden skorts and pants for the kiddos...they stay on so well yet are easy to take off. With the e d of seqson sale i thinki bought like 4 pairs of sweatshorts and a skirt for dd...all for $14 ea or less...some only $6 or something crazy.

For my son we love the baggies, appliqué tees and the zipped hoodies. For my dd I love the appliqué tees plus and rib waist heart/star/flower patch flower jeans/cords. I am really liking the boden look on my dd...I recently realized that I love to see s in shorts or pants...with Hanna I mostly had her exclusively in dresses (mostly plydresses) which are still nice but I just wanted to give her some variety. It's funny what two what mentioned about girls boden..that is probably why I like boden..bc it's not so frilly looking. Also the boys stuff is stylish enough a girl can wear too...today my kids wore matching boden tees and it didn't look weird.not many other lines where u can do the same.

oh and the resale value of boden is higher than Hanna IMO..at least when it comes to the boys clothes. That's another reason I started buying more boden.

[citymama]

Naartjie doesn't do anything for me so I've never bought their stuff. My sister bought DD1 a couple of pieces which had buttons pop off, cuffs tear etc. When I emailed to request a replacement I was told the only way to do so was to come in person to a store with a receipt and I don't live near a store. I find a lot if their stuff looks like dull colored pjs with ruffles.

I love some Boden items - the knee patch heart jeans with stretchy waist band, l/s appliqué tees for girls, fluffy gilet (vest), funky tights, gypsy skirts, slouchy sweatpants...I sometimes have ordered 1-2 items during preview at 20 % off ahx free ship/returnd but usually buy when % off drops to 30% off or more. They sometimes have a mid-season sale with stacking codes. Doesn't happen too often though! As some here recall they had an amazing stacking sale last Nov where prices were about 50% off with FS/FR. end of season sale is another good time to stock up.

I love Hanna's "let kids look like kids" look and durability. Mini Boden is almost as durable but not quite, and it's more urban/modern (Hanna is a more old fashioned look). Totally kid appropriate and playground friendly. My second grader lives in the slouchy sweats and ls tees during the school year.

One trick with Boden is you should never have to pay shipping (except at EOS) bec there's almost always a free ship code to be had. I've always had outstanding CS and no problem getting refunds or exchanges for defective items. You can return items for any reason, even used items, within 3 months for refund or 365 days for store credit.

[smilequeen]

I almost think Boden is better for boys, who aren't as picky about their clothing when it comes to colors/designs and who will wear the same basic styles of clothing year after year (t-shirts, shorts, sweatshirts, etc) and who value comfort over style.



I will agree that Boden is better for boys and Naartjie for girls. But it's more because Boden is NOT plain, boring, basics, stripes and solids. It's printed pants and shorts and appliqued shirts. It's also outgrown a little earlier. My preppy/sporty almsot 9 year old won't touch most of it. My younger 2 wear Boden all the time.

To me the appeal of Boden is the colorful, fun aspect.

stuff like...

https://fbcdn-sphotos-b-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1004056_10201724036287649_389711666_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-g-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/1016309_10201724015647133_1213965481_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/1004601_10201724079408727_2114941299_n.jpg

https://sphotos-b-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ash3/551217_4524537396499_1579523563_n.jpg

https://fbcdn-sphotos-f-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-prn1/308959_2575169103510_1586670987_n.jpg


Naartjie definitely does a better job with girl stuff. Every once in a while I find a boy line that I like, but mostly, no. It's just not our style. I'd buy a lot of it for a girl though and very little Boden.

Boden is expensive. I always look for a code since there almost always is one. Usually I order through their previews when they have Free Shipping and Returns because it takes some playing to figure out what actually goes together and the pants sizing is goofy for us, so I often order 2 sizes.

[crl]

Interesting about the Naartjie colors. Dd has had purple, navy and fushia from them, so definitely not pastels there. She has also had some pale blue (coordinated with the navy) and a lavender shirt so those things were pastel. But overall, I have found them to have vibrant, but not garish, colors. I have never seen a store and only shop Naartjie online, maybe that accounts for some of the difference in perception?

They definitely have ruffles. I like ruffles. :) Way better than sequins. And way better than sayings like "Cutie Patootie." So that's just a matter of taste. Although they do also have plenty of stuff without ruffles. I'd guesstimate that half or less of dd's Naartjie stuff has had ruffles. Naartjie is definitely a look. Very boho. If you don't like that look then I would not suggest Naartjie at all as the quality is just okay. I pay sales prices because I love the look and because on sale we get enough wear to justify the purchases.

Catherine

[daisymommy]

Thanks so much ladies! From the sounds of it, I may look at Boden for my almost 4 year old son, but stick with Gymboree and Hannah for my daughters.


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[citymama]

Daisymommy: baby Boden dresses are adorable. They run big but I would take a look for your littlest one!

[mackmama]

I love Naartjie - I find it runs one size big.
I also like Mini Boden - not sure about sizing though since it's been awhile since I've bought it.
For both genders, I also really like Peek http://peekkids.com/.

[milanya]

I've never even heard of Boden until this thread! As for naartjie, I just saw that brand for the first time in a mall two hours away from home.......

The retail choices where I live are Gymbo, TCP, and Target :(