Eye Candy: 25+ Great Outfit Ideas from Boden

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Simple, elegant and chic.
Double Layer Front Tee (now $34) | Richmond Pencil Skirt (now $88) | Paola Purse (now $60) |
 Lisbeth Pumps (now $152 to $159)

There’s another catalogue rivaling Free People’s latest catalogue for most dog-ear pages of things I want, and it’s Boden’s latest new arrivals catalogue! While these two stores fall into very different fashion categories and purposes for me both are excelling at delivering good quality and excellent fit at not-too premium prices. Further down in this post we’ll look at some casual everyday outfit ideas from Boden too.

For my office life, Boden is a god send. Although I work at a very casual office my position as an executive leads me to dress up a bit more and show pride in my company and job. My suits and dressy work items from my last job, a very conservative office, are a bit too much. Boden falls right into the sweet spot of stuff that’s proper enough to look put-together and sharp at the office without looking like I’ve just come from an interview at a more formal place.

This post is chock full of eye candy, which I hope you enjoy! I’ve shared my thoughts on many of the outfits below. If you’d like more Boden outfit inspiration after you’ve read this post be sure to check out the 10 outfit ideas I put together in yesterday’s post!

Note: Great news! Since I wasn’t able to get this post live yesterday as planned, Boden has extended its community exclusive offer of 20% off their Boden orders via this exclusive affiliate link using the code 9MHBToday only.

Paola Purse (now $60) 

I’ve begun this eye candy post with three office-ready outfits that play around with shades of the same or similar colors. The top outfit features reds and pinks working brilliantly with blue, and in this photo above we’ve got my favorite Boden model (she makes everything look amazing and she seems like she’d be fun to go get coffee with) in beautiful tones of purple. In the look below, we’ve got yellow and gold playing well together.

Justina Necklace (now $48) | Cashmere Crew Neck Sweater (now $120-$152) | Martha Skirt (now $80) |
Keepsake Pouch (now $31-$44) | Rebecca Mid Heel Pumps (now $136-$144)

All of these outfits have a tasteful, elegant and classy vibe to them. Are they the most young, hip or modern office looks? No. They are classics. They are a fantastic office wardrobe foundation that guarantee thought-free dressing at least three workdays a week for me. It’s office dressing, effortlessly. My favorite word!

Elizabeth Ponte Blazer (now $120) | Supersoft Crew Neck Tee (now $34)| Hampshire 7/8 Pants (now $72) | 
Carrie Mid Heel Pumps (now $120-$136)

For a long time after college I wore only jeans, never skirts or dresses. Then around age 26 I realized what I’d been missing and I started to only wear skirts and dresses instead of jeans! I’ve now come back to center and realized that pants can be good workwear too, assuming I can find the right fit in pants.

If you are curvy like me, the Hampshire 7/8 Pants (now $72) above are the ideal work pants. With a slimming fit and room through the rear, hips and thighs, these pants hold me and release at all the right points! I hear these pants also work on straighter shapes but for those of you with a flatter tush you’ll want to instead look at the Richmond 7/8 Pants (now $72), which are contoured for straighter shapes.

Jersey Shirt (now $60) | Trafalgar Straight Leg Jeans (now $60) | 
Carrie High Heel Pumps (now $120-$136) | Lyon Crossbody Bag (now $120-$136)

Proving that jeans can be awesome for work, here’s a crisp and easy work or casual outfit that is great for any body type. You can also easily add a belt here — I’ve got multiple options in the shoppable photo boutique at the bottom of the post!

Oxfordshire Cord Blazer (now $104) | Virginie Ruffle Shirt (now $68) | Webbing Belt (now $28) |

In this outfit, a simple small ruffle makes the white blouse anything but basic, and a well-tailored blazer on top checks all the boxes for a cute yet elegant look. There’s no need to limit this kind of outfit to work either — it could be your put-together around town look as well! The corduroy material of the blazer keeps it at a more casual level.

Martha Top (now $72) | Camille Wide Leg Pants (now $65-$78)* | Angelica T-Bar Heel (now $90-$108)* | Luxe Leather Shopper (now $120-$144)*
* = these items are on FINAL SALE

This outfit checks all the work boxes for me: ultra-flattering proportions (thanks especially to those leg-lengthening pants!), clean color combinations, and overall sleek look. Check, check, glorious check!

Martha Top (now $72)

Here’s another great colorway of the Martha Top (now $72), which also has two colors marked way down (but on final sale). 

Sometimes a pretty top is all you need to make a great work look. These next few tops could easily be worn with pants, skirts or shorts for an easy, clean office look.

 

 

Maya Top (now $76)

 

Tilly Sweater (now $64)

Although they may not be as exciting as some of the layered looks, a simple sweater or top that fits well is sometimes all you need to make a work outfit look great! I’m delighted that Boden makes a more fitted sweater, as opposed to some of my other favorite brands like J.Crew that prefer either shrunken (*shudder*) or oversized sweaters these days.

Boden uses simple details, like the button cuffs on its Tilly Sweater (now $64) above to give each item something memorable.

These sweaters are part of Boden’s easy layering or topper items, a collection which also includes the Bernadette Cardigan (now $76), Cashmere Crew Neck Cardigan (now $120), Cadence Cardigan (now $64), Cashmere Crew Neck Cropped Cardigan (now $112) and the pair set Favourite Crew Neck Cardigan (now $64) and Favourite Knitted Tank (now $56).

Layering a dressier top with a more casual jacket is a great way to go from the office to a casual meetup, or vice versa. This look begins with the Beaded Military Jacket (now $112) and pairs the Virginie Ruffle Shirt (now $68) underneath. I think this outfit would also look great with the…

Brittany Lace Top ($112).

Aria Tee (now $72) | Mayfair Skinny Jeans (now $60-$72, these stretch a lot!) |

Here’s another great outfit (and cute puppy!) that shows that jeans can easily be dressed up for work. I adore both patterns of this top! I can also very much see wearing this look on the weekend too.

Wrap Jersey Dress (now $112) | Pippa Heeled Loafers (now $159)

And of course, dresses are always great for work! I tend to lean towards dresses that define the waist, and any modest v-neck is great on a girl with a large chest like me. I’ve got plenty of cute examples below of waist-defining, flattering dresses.

Lottie Ruched Jersey Dress (now $120) | Rosie Necklace (now $36) | Polly Mid Heel Pumps (now $120)

The Lottie Ruched Jersey Dress (now $120) was such a winner on me last Spring, and now I need this new green colorway! Love how it’s shown here with purple pumps, a great coordinating color.

Although the Margot Jersey Dress (now $60-$68) is shown here on the beach, it is also a fantastic work dress! The longer length is ideal for work and it has a necklace-framing scoopneck plus a defined waist. It comes in several patterns and colorways.

Carina Dress (now $88) | Jennifer T-Bar Flats (now $79) | Lyon Crossbody Bag (now $120-$136)

The Carina Dress’s (now $88) pattern makes me happy and so does the fact that this outfit is shown with flats, illustrating that heels are not always necessary to make a work look. I can easily see myself trotting out of work in this dress and meeting up with my boyfriend for dinner.

Cashmere Crew Neck Cropped Cardigan (now $112) | Elena Dress (now $144) | 
Thomasina Necklace (now $36) | Elsie Flat (now $76)

Whether it’s simply a matter of throwing on a cardigan, blazer or coat over these dresses, they all look equally great on their own or layered! Below are more of my current Boden favorites that are great for work, casual or both.

Edwina Ottoman Dress (now $76) | Keepsake Pouch (now $31-$44) | Adelaide Kitten Heel Pumps (now $120)

 

Eliza Knitted Dress (now $136) | Jennifer T-Bar Flats (now $79) | Toulouse Shoulder Bag (now $192)

 

Darcey Knitted Dress (now $152) | Carrie Mid Heel Pumps (now $120-$136)

 

Lyon Crossbody Bag (now $120-$136) | Alda Dress (now $88)

 

Brittany Lace Dress (now $152) | Keepsake Pouch (now $31-$44) | Carrie High Heel Pumps (now $120-$136)

 

Thomasina Necklace (now $36) | Delia Dress (now $120) | Toulon Bag (now $184-$239) |
Carrie High Heel Pumps (now $120-$136)

 

Kelly Dress (now $120, this dress is best for ladies with smaller shoulders) |
Lois Slingback Heels (now $120-$136) |  Toulouse Shoulder Bag (now $192)

 

Jessica Dress (now $136) | Pippa Heeled Loafers (now $159)

 

Freya Denim Dress (now $72) | Jennifer T-Bar Flats (now $79) | Lyon Crossbody Bag (now $120-$136)

 

Thomasina Necklace (now $36) | Portia Jersey Dress (now $96) | Keepsake Pouch (now $31-$44) | 
Rebecca Mid Heel Pumps (now $136-$144)

 

Martha Dress (now $120) | Luz Sunglasses (now $79) | Justina Bracelet (now $31) | Classic Belt (now $48-$56)

Of course, no Boden post would be complete without mentioning the Martha Dress (now $120), my absolute favorite from Boden! This dress is made for hourglass figures specifically and does not work well on straighter shapes. You can see it on me here. I size up to a 10 in this dress from my usual 6 or 8 for the ideal fit.

Penzance Breton (now $48) | Cambridge Ankle Skimmer Jeans (now $60-$72) | 
Lyon Crossbody Bag (now $120-$136) | Esmeralda Sneakers (now $88-$104)

Let’s round out this eye candy post with some casual outfits. These last few looks may be appropriate for your office, especially casual Fridays, but if not they certainly have elements that can be mixed into dressier outfits.

I am a huge fan of striped shirts, and Boden has an amazing selection of bretons. The Penzance Breton (now $48) above is one of my current favorites, and I absolutely adore the Esmeralda Sneakers (now $88-$104) too!


 

Tilly Sweater (now $64)| Cavendish Girlfriend Jeans (now $72) | Poppy Pointed Flats (now $60)

 

 

Katie Top (now $68)

Boden always shows the Katie Top (now $68) with shorts in a casual environment, but it’s a great work top too! It comes in 6 colors and looks awesome over a pencil skirt or work pants.

A reminder that to get the prices shown in this post, Boden has extended its community exclusive offer of 20% off their Boden orders via this exclusive affiliate link using the code 9MHBToday only. Don’t forget to check out the 10 outfit ideas I put together in yesterday’s post too!

Since there is so much goodness packed into this post I want to wrap up by mentioning a few things. First, to keep myself on shopping budget I like to make a wishlist in Excel of everything I want, which helps me to clearly see what I get the best bang per buck from.

If you like multiple items in this post and want to buy but are feeling overwhelmed, I suggest looking for complementing colors (i.e navy-red-yellow or purple-green-blue) and sticking to that color palette. While the 20% off promo is only offered today sometimes making a wishlist and then walking away from it for a few days helps me see what I truly want versus the impulse buys I’m tempted to make. Only you know what works best for you.

Finally, it’s worth noting that while Boden offers Free Shipping and Free Returns too (yay!) it does take them a long time to process returns. Up to 14 days, which is quite awhile to have spending money tied up. I find their items to be wonderful and I hardly make returns but for situations where one is unsure of sizing this is a consideration that should be taken into account.

Below is a boutique featuring my Boden picks of the moment! Coming up later this week, a look at Sundance’s latest and a sponsored post on deals from Amazon Fashion.

2 Comments

  1. Sara
    August 31, 2017 / 11:46 pm

    Thanks for the fun post! I have enjoyed Boden for years. I don't buy a lot but the things that I have purchased have become favorites and are great quality. After this post, I had about 15 things in my cart, but couldn't afford all of it, so I whittled it down & ended up ordering the Mila Broderie top. So excited to get it! Thanks again.

    • August 31, 2017 / 11:53 pm

      Great choice! I love the red and white combo, and it will be very easy to layer!!


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