There are a lot of things Boden do really well. Tweed for example, in fact wool of any description, and excellent shoes. Oh and I've already written about how ethical and green they are (another win in my book). But despite their previous proven record for greatness their latest Icons collection was still something of a revelation to me. This dress (now sold out, in fact most of their Icon pieces sell out immediately), with it's kimono sleeves, and organza, and that pink scalloped trim, was them saying HEY BET YOU DIDN'T KNOW WE COULD DO STUFF LIKE THIS. It's like if Justin Bieber suddenly released an album with Radiohead. Or if Gwyneth Paltrow opened a sloppy burger restaurant where everything was deep fried. Including the furniture. Except in those two instances the results might be dubious whereas in Boden's case it was glorious.
Last year they created a soft leather mini skirt, the kind of thing they always use in fashion articles as an example of how French women dress better than British women - "just pair this with a breton top and a pair of loafers for classic Parisian chic" the writer might say. Well that baby went before I'd even dithered over which size to get, but not this time. I'm going to wear this dress at the pub, on the tube, to garden parties on hot summer lawns that never, ever, happen but you have an outfit prepared in your head just in case. I'm going to wear it when I'm stuck on the M25 and I'm definitely going to wear it when I vote tomorrow. Maybe not in the silver platforms...Actually fuck it, why not?