This is the first time I have seen this blog from May 2012. It voices many concerns about the way Mini Boden is going, which has now come to fruition in December 2012 with the launch of the Spring range. Sad to see how Mini Boden is changing – please dont be another Next! We want the same beautiful, quality, children dressing like children, ranges that we love. A blanket ban on sizes in the Mini range over 10 years is ridiculous – children are all shapes, sizes and heights. I have just tried to order a few items for my eldest daughter from the Mini range in age 11 to 12 and they are totally sold out – there is a demand for this. I feel sad that, by the time this is sorted out, people will have found their own new Mini Boden alternative!

Well looks like I will have to go elsewhere… I have a 2nd grader who wears a 10 and size 10 in other brands is all skulls and sports and skating and tween teen themes he does not like. The only reason I pay boden prices is for the age appropriate designs in all sizes. There are some young styles I understand not making in size 10-14, but there are a lot more that should stay. Very devastated to see these changes. I always wondered what I would do when he grew out of boden never thought boden would force him out on their own. That johnnie B is slim fitting too, I am not a fan of that for my son or my daughter. A very sad announcement indeed.

Extremely disappointed with Mini Boden A/W 2012….usually want to buy the whole lot! But this time round..can only find a few bits I like. Dreadful colours…some questionable designs and looking like much of the dull UK highstreet rubbish on offer. I just looked at the boys pj range tonight…all horrid…usually love all, and have to painstakingly choose. Oh Boden…change back to what you know and what you are good at..and what we love. Also..yes, sad to see you pushing little kids into more grown up clothes..that’s v American. Keep your kids ranges appropriate for their age. I’m not liking the change and won’t be spending much money with you :0(

I echo all the comments here. JohnnieB range for AW12 hugely disappointing. It was such a great move in the first place to put an edgy teen slant on the Boden values, and was such a great bridge between mini and the inevitable onslaught of TopShop. It was also a great place for us Petites to buy truly skinny jeans, not the mumsy efforts that you seem to purvey for ‘grown ups’.

Wouldn’t be so bad if the new ‘tween’ range was actually still a bit edgy, but it looks like 70′s handmedowns – not childlike, or sensibly chaste, just a bit frumpy – and is frankly a bit insulting to today’s 12-16 year olds.

Not happy.

Very interesting blog. My son was very sad when he outgrew Mini last year as he had worn it for years, and he was always being complimented on his “unusual, but fun style”. We wish the Johnnie B range was larger however, with more quirky T’s and pull-ons. The thought of buying him men’s clothes is a little daunting at this time, but we’ll be there soon at the rate he’s growing!

Disapointed in the muted colours and patterns in the girls clothes this season. I normally love Boden and buy for my children each season mainly for comfy elastcated waistbands that don’t fall down, fit, the lovely bright colours and cute animal appliques. Where are the lovely big bright animal applique t-shirts in the girls? This is the first season I am struggling to find anything that grabs me enough to spend the extra money. I agree trucks/ vehicles or something would be nice for younger boys. My 4 year old has grown out of the baby range but I still like to dress him in those sort of designs – not all little boys want to roar at someone wherever they go. I too hope the younger style clothes carry on into big sizes. My daughter is big for her age and I really don’t want to dress her like a ‘tween’ or a teen in only a couple of years (she is 5).

Totally agree with the above comments. As a parent of teenage children I know that I can look at Johnnie B to find clothes to meet their needs. By changing the audience to a lower age you will automatically loose a lot of customers. As your children reach this age you will experience the difficulties in buying clothes for them . Adult clothes are not a good fit and the designs are not always suitable for their lifestyle. Please consider these views before turning Johnnie B into a younger childrens range.

DULL DULL DULL. Cannot stress enough how deflated I feel at the changes being made. I have three children, boys aged 10 and 8 and a daughter aged 6 and for the first time I am going to have to look elsewhere to clothe them. Where are the beautiful pretty dresses and colourful tops, dont get me started on the coats, how many young girlie girls would want to wear a single one of them? Like my many Bodenite friends who look forward to maxing their cards out on a new seasons brochure, I am struggling to find much at at all, maybe only even a couple of things for myself too, a total distater. Switch back to how it was before we all jump ship. Is there not a saying ‘if it aint broke dont fix it’ very apt.

A very interesting blog, but I echo the concerns of Rachel. Having seen the Johnnie b sneek peek on fb, I had a feeling that Boden was taking the range in another direction. Actually, over the last 2/3 seasons it’s been noticeable that the models are looking younger & younger & some of the styles are reminiscent of mini b classics.Sadly for both of us my daughter (13) won’t want to wear Jb if it loses its edgy teen identity. I have loved the range over the last 2 years & before that mini-b & hoped that my love affair with your gorgeous ranges would long continue. However, it does sound like you are dumping your teen clientele & leaving us mothers of teenage daughters with the ever increasing dilemma of trying to find them decent, modest, well made clothes that they actually love to wear!! Cheers!

I am also slightly concerned about this JohnnieB tween theme. My boy is 6, but wearing 7-8 +9-10. i dont not want tween themed clothes for him, i want proper little boy clothes, like cord sailing trousers, t shirts with spiders on them, aeroplanes etc. If i wanted him to look “hip & trend” (what ever the hell that means for a 6 year old) and like everyone else i would buy from Next.

children need to be dressed as children. i hate this dressing up to look like a mini adult thing. its not nice. im concerned that im now not going to be able to buy the age 7-8 or 9-10 with this new Johnnie B range starting at 8. will this mean the end to bigger sizing in the Mini range?

for those of us with tall girls, where does this fill the gap. i have a big 4 year old, wearing 5-6 Boden. will i soon find she is in the tween age inappropriate section?