Why your autumn 26 wardrobe feels dull – and the Boden fix

My goodness the season seems to have turned quickly doesn’t it? Even for those of us who’ve been living in perma-April it feels different and I think it’s mostly down to the quality of light and the noticeably darker evenings. So as we begin packing the summer brights away, it feels like the right time to be starting to talk about new clothes. I’m taking an angle that I don’t usually discuss until February when everybody starts complaining about being bored with their clothes. You see it makes more sense to factor the potential for boredom in as you start thinking about the clothes that you’re going to be wearing until March at least. So let’s begin by thinking about why, for a lot of people, an autumn 26 wardrobe feels dull from the start. And I’m delighted to be introducing the new season with a look at Boden and what’s going on there because they’re taking a notably different stance to other retailers.

If you’ve looked at Boden’s new season drop you’ll have spotted the tartan, the argyle and the cashmere. I’ll show you some of it in a try-on further down but what interests me is the thinking behind these heritage pieces. Most retailers use September to persuade us that we need something completely new, a shape we haven’t worn before or a colour we’re told is ‘having a moment’. The strategy behind that is that it then usually means you have to buy a whole load of other pieces to make the new one work.

This year there are new trends – the 80s style skirt suit, the slimmer, straighter jean, the dropped waist, the knee-length hem, the big, big big fur coats… but on the high street, retailers have so far mostly skipped over the catwalk colours (cobalt, red, satsuma, russet, royal purple…) and gone straight from the technicolour of high summer into a puddle of brown, beige, black or grey. And that’s where a dull wardrobe begins.

Boden on the other hand has used customer insight to bring in the opposite and this is why I love working with them. They know that as their audience, we have the experience to acknowledge that a top-to-toe grey outfit looks incredibly chic when worn by a six foot model in a great location. We understand that it’s such a palette cleanser after summer that younger women snap it up. However when those same women come to put it on for the tenth time after the autumn leaves and golden September sunshine have gone, they’ll find they’re already sick of it. As the rain lashes down in November they’ll realise that their clothes just look dull and they’re the very last thing they’ll want to wear.

And so instead Boden have swerved the ephemeral trends and headed more strategically into British heritage than ever before. They’ve looked at the autumn/winter clothes that we’ve been turning to in the UK for generations, they’ve developed a collection of clothing that doesn’t get boring and produced a lot of it in quality fabrics that will last for years. It’s been a case of focusing on what women actually turn to when the days grow darker: the wool coat… corduroy… soft knitwear… and making those pieces in wine and ginger, poppy red and RAF blue rather than the fifty shades of dried mud that everyone else is offering.

It’s a collection to return to every autumn in colours that mean you’ll stand out like a robin amongst sparrows on a grey morning. And it acknowledges what we all know but rarely confront when we start shopping in the dog days of an Indian summer – that autumn and winter in this country are about comfort first and everything else second. If you buy the good version of that now, you’ll still be soothed in five years’ time when the grim weather comes around again.

You may have noticed from my Midlife Lately posts this summer that I’ve barely bought anything new. That’s because my years spent building a foundation wardrobe are really paying off now and Boden clothes are a big part of that. I love what I have and so if something new comes in, it has to be a really good addition. It’s almost like adding a new friend to an existing group, I have to know they’re all going to get on. So in a minute I’ll talk you through how that works when I’m selecting things but before that, I know you like a bit of retail insight so let me tell you what’s going on behind the scenes at Boden.

On the business side they’re in good health which is good news because it’s been a rocky time for a lot of the brands we love. The latest results, published at the start of this month, show sales up by seven per cent to just under £390 million with profits up too. More than 600,000 new customers came on board last year, the most they’ve ever added in a single year. The really interesting story though is America. The US now accounts for almost half of everything Boden sells and, having been an online-only business there for over twenty years, they’re opening bricks and mortar shops over there: the first in Atlanta last November, the second in Nashville in July and a third due in Birmingham, Alabama this autumn. It’s fascinating that they’re focusing on the south isn’t it? By the sound of it they’re being quintessentially British about it with vintage furniture shipped over from England, chandeliers made in London and fitting rooms papered with old Boden catalogue pages. That tells you something about the confidence they have in their Britishness right now.

In the UK things are steady rather than spectacular (Boden say UK shoppers have been feeling cautious this year). They still have just one shop on the King’s Road plus the John Lewis concessions but they’re looking for a bigger head office in London which doesn’t signify business hesitancy. So it’s safe to say that Boden is one of the more thriving retailers over here. The one thing I would like to point out on behalf of us all here though is that it would be good to see faces older than 25 included in their imagery. They’ve been good at visually representing their older customer in previous seasons, so Boden, please keep an eye on that balance.

So now for the try-on and there’s 15% off everything here with code 4F3C at checkout. As always I’ve tried to keep it as doable as possible. There were lots of dream outfits that caught my eye but I knew that if I featured them you’d tell me that you don’t have the lifestyle for them. So I’m keeping this new season wardrobe update refreshing but real and I’ll work in the tips I stick to for A/W dressing along the way.

Being short of leg and long of body my clothes have to work hard to correct the balance and dressing in a single column of tonal colour is the easiest way to do that. In autumn/winter it often ends up being a relatively dull column of navy for me, day after day, but I fix that with a bright colour thrown over the top to lift it. I knew by March last year that I needed a bit of variation in my columns and so here’s my starter for the new season.

This antique blue is exactly the same tone as a good washed denim and as jeans will be my staple for the months ahead, this blouse was a no brainer. When you’re working with staple colours, it’s really important to introduce texture to avoid them looking flat. So if you’re buying anything in navy/black/brown, a knocked back shade like grey/beige or this blue, make sure the fabric has interest and depth.

Cardigans were my key investment last season. I bought a collection of cropped ones to wear with my wide jeans and I don’t need any new ones. However silhouettes are starting to change and a straight-leg jean is the best buy right now. These are some I already have but because they’re straight, they’re going to work better with a longer cardigan than my cropped versions hence me being drawn to this orange one. I love orange for autumn because it’s a seasonally appropriate colour but unlike burgundy and pine green, it works for spring and summer too. You can see I’ve styled this outfit with some past season Boden slingbacks for now; when it’s colder I’ll turn down the cuff of the jean and wear boots.

Merino cardigan; Cord blouse; Boden belt and shoes past season; Jeans my own

Notes on fit and feel

Cardigan: Also available in pink, khaki and brown. This feels fantastic to wear, it’s a soft, mid-weight merino so it’s going to be good for cold days. The buttons are good quality and the deep ribbing on the pockets, collar and hem make it hang well in addition to being a luxe detail. I’m wearing a medium, it’s slightly oversized and because I’ll be wearing it with straight jeans, it feels exactly right.

Blouse: Also available in cherry red and a sage floral. I would have loved this to have a nehru collar but even so, the collar sits away from my neck. It has elasticated cuffs which help to keep the sleeve at bracelet length to emphasise the wrists and the small frill is a nice detail when it’s revealed beneath a sleeve like this. The smocking adds stretch at the shoulders which helps if you’re sitting at a keyboard all day and the colour is just perfect for wearing with jeans. I’m wearing a 12 and it’s true to size but if you want a bit of extra depth for tucking in, size up.

And who could resist stopping for a chat with famous local Beatrix Potter while she was sitting in the sunshine…

Merino cardigan; Cord blouse; Boden belt and shoes past season; Jeans my own

The other no brainer for autumn and winter outfits is sandwich dressing. So with sandwich dressing you’re working in layers or blocks of colour and it works with neutrals, brights or a mix of the two. It’s one of the best ways of getting the most out of the clothes you already have and it works optimally if you have a variety of colours in your footwear collection to anchor the top, so bear that in mind when you’re drawn to a bright jumper.

You can see that I’ve gone for a cord shirt again, this time in a russety ginger. If you find camel washes you out go for ginger instead because the richness works better to boost skin-tone and contrast levels. A lot of skin-tones at the paler end of the spectrum look washed out with camel and this is just another example of Boden being different to the rest of the high street – in an autumn 26 sea of camel, they give you ginger.

Dark indigo is a key trend this season which always makes me happy. I’m trying Boden’s new patch pocket jeans here because I love the way they balance the pockets on the shirt. The dark orange stitching echoes the ginger so you have a really harmonious outfit. These are the tiny details that the eye registers without really noticing but they result in people telling you that you look polished.

Corduroy blouse; Indigo jeans; (Boden boots, earrings and belt past season)

Notes on fit and feel

Blouse: Also available in deep red, teal, and navy floral. My favourite collar for a neck lengthening effect, I love the slightly Western feel and the cord is warm and tactile. It’s true to size if you like a slim fit without too much bulk to tuck in at the waist.

Jeans: also available in mid-wash. Now I’m a bit confused by the reviews on these, they say they come up big so I sized down. I suspect that Boden have amended the sizing for this new wash because this pair was a bit tight on my hips and thighs, my usual size would have been perfect. Otherwise they’re superb, I love the warm tone of the deep blue denim and the contrasting stitching as well as the flattering patch pockets. They’re perhaps a little shorter than usual – I have the long on here and they’re just ok for wearing with a low heel, I suspect if I hadn’t sized down they’d have been just right.

So here I’m talking texture again and navy’s a prime example of when you need it. If you wear a navy with no texture it’s one of the first colours to make you look as though you’re wearing a prison warden’s uniform (along with grey or black). One of the only sartorial benefits of autumn in my book is the chance to wear mini-skirts. I don’t wear them in summer, I go for shorts instead but with tights, shorter skirts suddenly become an option. Corduroy is my favourite fabric for a mini because its casual nature cancels out any suggestion that you’re trying too hard.

You just can’t beat cord for this time of year. It’s substantial so it holds its shape and it skims rather than clings. The texture adds visual interest without pattern so it looks polished but relaxed and it absorbs rich dyes well so the colours are often beautifully saturated. It’s durable, machine washable and it doesn’t crease easily so it travels and wears well. Being cotton it’s also breathable, which makes it more comfortable to wear indoors than wool.

I haven’t tried a corduroy mini-dress before but I like the column dressing effect and of course it’s adhering to the rule of two thirds as well so my proportions are back in balance.

(A note about tights. I’m sure you know that the trend has moved back to 15 denier but that’s tricky if you’re pulling wellies on and off and walking through hedges. I’ll be sticking with opaques).

Corduroy dress; Boden boots, belt and bag past season

Notes on fit and feel

Dress: Also available in deep red, gingerbread, leopard and forest green (don’t forget you’ll need to co-ordinate tights and boots – consider this when you’re choosing your colour). I feel great in this dress, it’s a really simple wardrobe solution, just slip a breton underneath when it gets cooler and a cardigan over the top when it’s really cold. I’m wearing a 12R and it’s true to size.

There are a few different mini-dresses on Boden’s site. I’ve chosen this style because it’s semi-fitted which means it will work well with a belt. The buttons on the front allow you to open the neck and that, along with the continuation of the placket and the lines of stitched seams, give you strong vertical lines. Why are we always looking for vertical lines in our outfits? Because they make you appear leaner and longer.

There are days in autumn and winter when I know I want to feel bright and there are others when I’m looking for something that feels more cocooning and restful, that’s when I go for mid-tones. It’s a tonal palette that a lot of people overlook, declaring themselves to be either rich or muted. When you’re feeling pasty and wintery though, mid-tones can be just what you need to give you a lift that doesn’t feel over the top for the time of year. So you can see that here I’ve gone for a cosier version of column dressing because the jumper once again is a perfect shade with mid-wash denim.

I love this shade of blue but in winter when there’s no pigment in my skin, it can sometimes look a bit cool so I’ve added a scarf in ginger to warm it up. These little triangle scarves were such a big trend last winter and they were one of the best things I introduced to my outfits. I find that if I wear a silk scarf I just end up looking like my old school headmistress whereas a wool version doesn’t do that. It also enables me to wear crew necks more easily. They’re a difficult neckline for me because I have a short neck and they cut at the worst point for that. With a scarf though the break sits a little higher up which is more flattering.

Merino Jumper; Cashmere scarf; Boots; Boden bag past season; Jeans my own

Notes on fit and feel

Jumper: Also available in bright pink, honey yellow, apple green, vibrant blue and brown stripe, deep purple. Once again this is made from merino wool so it’s soft and very warm. I don’t find it itchy but if you have very, very sensitive skin you might. It’s oversized, too much for me so I’ve sized down to a small so that it works with the wider jeans that I want to wear it with. If you prefer straight or slim jeans then you’ll find it true to size.

Scarf: Also available in navy, highland green, red and camel stripe; grey argyle. It’s made from cashmere so it’s incredibly soft and warm.

Argyle used to be something that came and went didn’t it? After the Burlington sock frenzy of the 80s it seemed to spend years in the dark but now it returns every autumn. It’s because geometrics appeal to the people who don’t otherwise wear pattern – think of the breton stripe and its perennial popularity. Geometric patterns hit the sweet spot when you’re bored of a plain jumper. They’re the winter equivalent of summer’s slogan or band tee because they break up the space in the top half of an outfit, making it more interesting.

Argyle is interesting from a body architecture angle too. The diamonds run in a vertical column down the centre of the torso and the fine overcheck lines cut diagonally across them so your eye moves up and down the middle of the body rather than out to the edges. That makes it a good pattern for balancing broad shoulders or hips because it holds attention on the centre line. The caveat is scale: big diamonds across a large bust will magnify it so if that’s you, look for a smaller pattern or an argyle cardigan worn open over a plain top so that the pattern becomes a frame rather than a block.

The problem for me is that argyles often incorporate a lot of contrasting colours making them feel frantic and difficult to pair with the piece on your lower half. That’s why this one, in its pared down orange and ginger with just a thin stripe of pink appealed instantly. They’re fabulous, warm colours that work now but they’ll also look stylishly festive in December. Once again you’ll see that I’ve added the matching triangle scarf for its neck flattering properties.

So the way that I’ll be wearing this is with jeans and tan suede boots or trainers but today I wanted more of a tonal column effect so I’ve opted for the spiced ginger cords. You can see the new straight cut coming through here and when I unpacked them I thought they it was going to be tricky to find shoes or boots that worked with them – but everything did.

I can already imagine these trousers worn as a sandwich with navy jumper and boots… … contrasting with a red jumper and boots… and clashing with a pink jumper but I’d have to use rose gold boots with that outfit – even my collection doesn’t stretch to pink winter boots!

I’ve had the tan suede boots that I’m wearing since last year but they’re so popular that Boden has repeated them. They go with most colours and all cuts of trousers – flares, wide legs, barrels and straight so they’re great on a cost per wear basis.

Argyle jumper; Alpaca argyle scarf; Spiced ginger cords; Boots

Notes on fit and feel

Argyle jumper: Also available in a pink based multi-coloured argyle and a multi-coloured gingham. This is a soft wool blend so it will be easier for anybody who has sensitive skin to wear than the merino. I found it very oversized, I’ve scaled down to a small and it still has a lot of volume.

Argyle scarf: Like the jumper it’s a softer wool blend so easy to tolerate.

Spiced ginger cords: Also available in navy, forest green, violet and storm blue. These are made from a softer cord than the shirts and blouses, it’s absolutely lovely against your skin. I found them to be absolutely bang on size in my usual 12 regular.

Boots: Also available in mini-leopard. True to size but I sized up so that I can wear a warm winter sock without my toes being pinched.

And so that’s my thinking around why your autumn 26 wardrobe feels dull when you first dig it out for a new season. It’s all in the detail which is good news because it means you don’t need to buy a lot. You simply need to add a few really great pieces in here and there when you’ve thought it through. Remember texture and proportion are the two key elements – as well as colour of course… always colour in a limited palette that’s right for you.

So just a reminder that I’m currently away in Colombia, we have a week of settling in and working here before our new reader friends arrive next weekend. I’ll be writing a series on Substack here for the rest of this month and I’ll post a link each week so you can find it. I’ve had to change my name over there to avoid conflict with another midlifer, so my newsletter is now called Onwards – which I like even better because it will carry me beyond my 100th birthday. I’m going to start off with an intro post next Tuesday for people who don’t already know me and after that, I’ll pull together a series of style seminars and see how it goes.

In the meantime forgive me for being a proud mum. Here’s my eldest having a very big moment at the Global Influencer Marketing Awards last week. His company was up for lots of awards and he won two for the campaigns he’s been working on. But more importantly, there’s only one prize for an individual. It’s the Global Rising Industry Star – and he won it!

When I posted it on my Instagram Stories a lot of people assumed it meant he was an influencer. He isn’t – he works for a media agency that manages brand campaigns that include influencers. He’s currently working across twenty different accounts and as I’ve said a few times, I worry about the hours he devotes to it. However it’s clearly worth it, this is how the judges described his work:

I love the fact that he’s taken the best of his two dads and his mum’s talent and layered his own sparkle on top. I’m always proud of him, but this has been a special week. And as a parent, isn’t it rewarding (but also startling) when you see a picture of them far away from you, thriving in their own adult environment?

As I said on Instagram it feels like last week that he was cosseted safely at the centre of my world.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone, we’re reeling slightly with the time difference but I’ll be popping up on Instagram now and then. And see you over on Substack for the next few weeks until I land back here on 9th October.

Disclosure: ‘Why your autumn 26 wardrobe feels dull – and the Boden fix’ was commissioned by Boden but as always, thoughts, words, pictures and outfit selections are my own

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