Spring is when I always feel Boden really excels, and this year it hasn’t disappointed. The British clothing brand is known for its standout prints and exceptional use of colour, and as someone who thoroughly believes in dopamine dressing, the latest collection drop, ‘Jaipur Diaries’, couldn’t be more perfect.
But it’s not just Boden’s brightly coloured prints that make them a staple in my spring capsule wardrobe, I’m constantly impressed by the quality, comfort and fit. And although these things do come at a higher end of the high street price point, if I look at cost-per-wear for my favourite Boden dresses, I promise you, they’ve really held their own.
Boden
Octavia Cotton Dress-Multi Ikat Dream
Crafted in cotton, Boden still uses high-quality fabrics, and this dress felt so light and lovely on. The beautiful full sleeve features a lightly elasticated cuff, so you can pull it up, maximise the volume, but without any digging in, making it exceptionally comfortable. Cut in cotton, I found this one fit slightly looser than the linen, although it hung beautifully and got a host of compliments on its first outing, something I find often with my Boden summer dresses.
Boden
Octavia Linen Blend Dress-Yellow Blossom Elegance
I have to admit, I don’t normally wear much yellow, but sunshine hues are a big part of the spring/summer fashion colour trends for 2026, and most importantly, this centre front panel print creates a contouring and lengthening panel down the front. Although this dress is cut in linen (so it’s still lovely and breathable), it is slightly more fitted than its cotton counterpart, but still just as lovely and comfortable. The pink and green hues and lots of white make it flattering against the face, too.
I love the fact that Boden often has a few core cuts in a season and switches it up with different prints. While the silhouettes do vary year to year, I find that they don’t step away too far from their classics, so I feel very safe ordering online.
This particular design has a V-neck, beautifully full sleeves with an elastic cuff and a figure-skimming A-line cut that’s exceptionally gentle and flattering on curves. Wearing a size 20, I find the brand very true to size, and these dresses go from a size 6 to a 22.
Named the ‘Octavia’, the dress is available in several prints in either linen or cotton, giving plenty of choice, and I have experimented with the fabric belt, bowing it at the front on the cotton dress, and as more of a sash, fastening it at the back on the linen design. I’d also swap these for a leather or woven belt for a more casual look.
(Image credit: Rivkie Baum)
Exceptionally versatile, these dresses will work hard as spring outfit ideas and, thanks to their breathability, all the way into the heat of summer too. While I will wear mine largely as smart casual, as something a little more polished for the office, I’d certainly also use them as the answer to what to wear to a wedding this season if there were any in my diary.
Right now I’m wearing these dresses with my best white trainers, my favourite Vivaia sneakerinas, which are a hybrid of trainer and ballet pump. On slightly cooler spring days, I’d happily add a pair of cowboy boots to lean into the bohemian feel.
While Boden dresses do come in at a slightly higher price point than many high street stores, I have Boden summer dresses that are still going strong five years later and still garner compliments everytime their worn, as not only are the cuts so flattering, the prints always turn heads. I’ve worn both of these dresses out, and the kind comments have flooded in thick and fast from friends, family and total strangers. Now that is a sign of a good dress.
Want some other recommendations? These are the three other dresses I think are worth shopping.
Boden
Octavia Cotton Dress-Blue Ivory Embroidery
Similar neck and sleeve cut, as this dress is also called the Octavia, but on this print and embroidered iteration, there are side slits, making it ideal for holiday wardrobes, but also a rather fabulous choice to wear with knee-high boots. Blue and white is a classic combination that always feels fresh, summery and very ‘vacation in the Med.’
Boden
Ava Cotton Midi Dress-Pink Flourishing Meadow Border
Another beautiful print, this design features more of a classic shirt dress silhouette. One of Boden’s most-loved shapes, this flattering, A-line, button-fronted design can be styled up with a fascinator and bold shoes for race day attire, or slip on a tailored, single-breasted blazer to make this pretty design more 9-5 appropriate.
Boden x Sarah Gordon
Fit and Flare Midi Dress-Orchid Canopy Stripe
One of the best wedding guest dresses, this floral design has a beautiful fit and flare shape that has a delightfully vintage feel, but with a very contemporary print. Part of a collaboration with artist Sarah Gordon, the flowers help to enhance the cut and shape of the dress, framing the bodice area and drawing the eye down the silhouette.
Versatile, contemporary, but thanks to the unique prints, always pretty timeless, I find my printed Boden dresses age really well. They’re easy to care for and stand the test of time, and plenty of wear, as I like to keep my wardrobe edits fairly tight, so they see a lot of use.
With an excellent selection of sizes that are well cut, I can’t stress enough how worthwhile I find my Boden buys, essentially my signature style. I make no secret of how much I love the brand; my birthday this year was a flurry of vouchers for the brand, which I enjoyed spending immensely.
This collection dropped on the 21st of April, and so far, there is pretty good stock across most, if not all, sizes, but I don’t expect that to last. The best Boden pieces, particularly the dress, have a loyal fan base and do tend to sell quite quickly, so my best piece of advice would be, don’t wait, shop now and avoid disappointment, but I always think about the ones I let get away, and the shopping regret never gets easier.
