I’m not sure whether I should lead with the kids back-to-school clothes or mine, because I have to tell you— I made perhaps the most important clothing discovery in my 44 year-old life. I am KICKING myself for not discovering this earlier, because it really would have changed everything.
I am a size petite.
I know. People think I am tall if they only know me from pictures online, but they are forgetting that their frame of reference is two other exceptionally small people— aka, Mazzy and Harlow. Yes, of course, I look tall when I stand next to my two tiny children. Would it surprise you to know that along with Harlow, Mazzy is also the shortest kid in her class?
Now I am not THAT short, which is why I have never tried on petite clothing before. I am 5.4″. At Boden, they size their petite clothes for 5.3″ and under. Also, I never went the petite route because I associated petite with being small in general (likes Sizes 0-4), and not just short. I’m usually a Size 8. A couple of years ago, a fashion designer friend told me that I have a short shoulder to breast expanse, which is why I am always adjusting my bra straps to the shortest length possible and also explains why neck and waist lines are often too low for me, creating a very dumpy effect, particularly in dresses. My friend told me that I should be altering all my shoulder seams with a tailor. I nodded and said, “Oh yes, my clothes will look so much better that way!” Then, out of purely sheer laziness, I did absolutely nothing to change them.
When I was faced with today’s collaboration with Boden, in which Boden was kind to include me (the mom) in a back-to-school clothing haul with my kids, I gravitated to the pretty dresses as usual. Then I reminded myself— NO. YOU NEVER LOOK GOOD IN THOSE. Just select something safe.
But what’s the fun in new clothes, if it’s always the same boring colors and silhouettes? I wanted to try some stuff that was fun and feminine! Then I saw the petite option and thought— Hmmmm…I wonder if the petite clothes would look right on me?
It worked! I cannot even tell you how excited I was putting on the dresses and seeing the waist in the right place. So much more flattering! I also got the petite size in these awesome wide legged pants, which made wide legged pants work for the very first time too.
Look how I don’t even have to hem the pants! Also, I’ve decided this polka dot shirt is the new black. It looks good with everything.
But enough about me, let’s get to the main back-to-school clothing event— MY KIDS.
Mazzy and Harlow have very different styles, but they have both always had a sweet spot for Mini Boden clothes. They have been wearing their clothes since they were little and since the stuff is so durable, most of Mazzy’s stuff makes it to Harlow’s hand-me-downs. And to just take it one step further, most of Harlow’s stuff gets handed down to Neve or Arami. So, when we get a new shipment of Mini Boden clothes, everyone in our family is excited.
I let Mazzy and Harlow choose their own clothes, and as expected, Harlow gravitated more towards the pretty tutus and playful dresses, while Mazzy selected fun t-shirts and funky leggings.
BUT. There were also a whole bunch of surprises. Like the fact that Mazzy selected a yellow bohemian dress with no prompting whatsoever.
She completed the look with a pair of navy boots and the whole outfit looked ADORABLE on her.
She also was excited about a sequin hedgehog tee (Mazzy is all about obscure animals) and a top with a peekaboo tent filled with hidden forest creatures.
Harlow flipped for the floral skirts and butterfly dresses. But her favorite stand alone item was definitely the pettable panda shirt. She LOVES pandas and wore that top for the rest of the weekend. Did you know it goes with leggings, jeans and pink tiered tutus?
It also goes great with navy polka dot kicks.
Because we took these photos on a pretty hot day, some of my favorite selections didn’t make the shoot (like Harlow’s gorgeous cardigan with bird appliques on the shoulders, Mazzy’s new unicorn fall jacket and my black button down denim dress), but you should definitely look forward to seeing those in the fall. And probably for the next few years too, because Mini Boden clothes last and always get handed down.
Meanwhile, as long as I don’t grow, I’ll be wearing my new petite-sized clothes forever.
GIVEAWAY: $500 BODEN GIFT CARD
If you’d like to win a $500 Boden gift card to use on yourself or Mini Boden clothes for your kids…
1) You must be a subscriber to the Mommy Shorts newsletter. If you are not already a subscriber, you can subscribe here.
2) Then check out the Mini Boden site and leave a comment below telling me the one thing you or your kids must have for this school year.
Giveaway ends on September 25th at midnight. Winner will be notified via email.
Disclosure: US only. This giveaway is in not way affiliated with Instagram. Should you become the winner of the competition, we will ask for your personal details such as full name, postal address, telephone number and email address. This personal data will be supplied to Boden and used for the purposes of contacting you to facilitate in sending you your prize. Your personal details will not be used for any other purposes (marketing etc.) and your correspondence with Boden will be retained for 1 month after the correspondence has closed before being deleted. If you do not respond within 14-days of being contacted, another winner will be selected.
WINNER UPDATE:
Congratulations to Amanda Krieger! Please email allie@mommyshorts.com to claim your prize!
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All photos by Alexis Rae Photography.
My son loves the sequined guitar flip shirt. I’m so glad they stared making these shirts for boys, too!
Love the hotchpotch dresses, my little Natalee would look so pretty in them!
Must have Boden skirts for my 9 yr old – her total favorite because of the pockets and the fact that the shorts part is the same pattern as the skirt so no one can tell the difference!
I’m a teacher, and I’d love the Carey top for back to school.
I LOVE the Harry Potter pieces. But forget the kids, why don’t they have that line in adult sizes?!
Looove that cloud dress! My daughter would go crazy over it too!
My boys would love new pajamas!
Tough, but cute and comfy pants ftw! My boys want to be comfy but I refuse to let them wear sweats 100% of the days. I’m always in the lookout for cozy pants that look decent, and these look 😍
New shoes are always a must for the new school year!! I love the Suede Low Tops – Night Owl Grey. Super cute and easy to put on!
I really like the girls fun cardigan with the bird. It’s so cute – https://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/fun-cardigan-asparagus-green-birds/sty-g1405-grn?cat=C1_S13_G16.
I’m loving the fun cardigans for my daughter, so cute! My Kindergartener has JRA (Juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). Even though we are in Florida, her school keeps the AC cranked. We always send a sweater and these would give her uniform a little more personality while helping to keep her comfortable.
My 6 year old daughter is all about the skirts lately! I think she would love all the midi skirts! I really need to try some mini Boden stuff for sure! I’ve seen it all these years on your family.
email subscriber! My son MUST have the Chevron Yoke Jumper – Grey Marl Fairisle sweater! It is beautiful!
I love the animal jersey romper for my 1.5 year old! Boden has the cutest prints and designs!
My granddaughter needs a new winter coat this year — LOVE the pink/white checked Wonderful Wool Coat and Cosy 2 in 1 Jacket. They also have several nice jersey dresses for women — stylish and comfy.
My son would love the Harry Potter Seeker zip up hoodie
A pair of seeker sweatshirts – our son is already living in the Hogwarts one….and we live in Georgia!!
I have also recently embraced the world of petite sizes and it’s a game changer! I used to associate petite with older women (it’s what my grandmother wears!), but nothing beats feeling like clothes actually fit the way they should!
I would love to be bold and try the wide-leg pants you chose, or a pair of these in a color other than my standard black.
https://www.bodenusa.com/en-us/richmond-7-8-pants-navy/sty-t0114-nav?cat=C1_S2_G963
My daughter would LOVE the Spotty Skater Dress. And my sons would both look adorable in the Essential Crew Sweaters.
My 4 year old would love so many things but definitely the unicorn Colour-Change Sequin T-Shirt.
My 2.5 yo daughter loves dresses. She would love the Spotty Skater dress because of the gold dots and the gold glitter waist band. What a perfect dress for Thanksgiving time. I would definitely let her choose the color, but the blue is really gorgeous in this style dress.
My daughter would love to wear the Cosy Padded Jacket – Blue Enchanted Woods love the style and prink of the jacket its so cute.
Must have: good shorts bc it’s hot here!
the pretty knitted jacket – so sweet for my twin 3 year olds!
I like the Lined Woven Pull-On Pants – Dusky Rose Pink for my daughter
Hmmm the one thing my kids HAVE to have for the school year is sweatshirts! Cold in the morning, hot in the afternoon, must have cotton layers!
I’d like to try the warrior knee joggers for my oldest who likes to be comfortable. I also love the apple print for my youngest
My 6 yo would love the unicorn appliqué dress!
The Cassandra cardigan, I love the rainbow stripe!
Dresses! Always looking for cute dresses! Makes things much easier for daddy when he’s getting our daughter dressed for school and he doesn’t have to worry about matching!
All of the women’s dresses are so dreamy! And a silk blouse! Or tweed jacket! Love everything! The sweaters and winter jackets for the toddler boys are also way too cute. What an awesome giveaway!
The funky leggings are adorable! My daughter loves the funky designs and how comfortable she is in it! It’s definitely a must haves for an active kid!
I love all the pieces your girls chose! And those dresses look fabulous on you!
I love all of there dresses it so hard to choose, but the Erica Ponte Dress is beautiful. And the jean shirt dress is also another favorite. I have four boys and so hand me downs are a must! They would love all the Harry Potter collection, and the sweaters all look so cozy! The glow in the dark shirts are always a big hit with my boys too. I would love to be able to get each of my boys a nice sweater.
And because grammar errors bug me I meant *their* dresses and my name is spelled Meaghan not MeaghAn 🙂
Would love to have anything from the new Harry Potter line.
Oh! I need the Aida ponte dress in painted Daisy! I have an outdoor wedding in Florida this fall and that would be so perfect!!
I’m going to be selfish – that Andrea Jacquard Tunic 😍 I love longer shirt styles
I’m an academic advisor at a private school with 1:1 classes and rolling enrollment. Scheduling is a beast, as is interfacing with parents on a daily (hourly) basis, as well as teachers and students. I can’t focus on coordinating my outfit too!! My boden must have are the dresses!! So easy, so professional, so comfortable. Perfect!!!
Love that unicorn jacket so much! Definitely need to shop for coats for all 3 of my girls! They are 10, 4, and 2!
I want to teach in the Broad Bean Brand Polka Dot dress.
One of everything. Can I choose one of everything as my answer? I just love Boden/Mini Boden. If I have to narrow it down, though, I’d say the Everyday Cardigan in Grey Marl. Boden quality along with the fun rainbow coloring on the sleeves would make it a staple for my daughter as we head into fall and winter.
I love the cosy sweatshirt dress with clouds and rainbow detail! I wish I’d ordered it in time for my girls’ school pics. And I agree with your comment about Boden’s durability. My Boden clothes that I wore 12 years ago are still in great shape (not to mention the hand-me-downs).
I really like the whole lineup, cute colors and designs without licensed characters that my kids will change their minds about. My daughter loves the printed applique cheetah dress and I sure do love sweaters. I am like you, size petite in a lot of things even though I’m 5’4″. It’s all about portions. I like to wear short or petite dresses and pants but tops can be either petite or average. Your girls are adorable models and so are you!
I love everything Boden, but for back to school I want the Hopscotch Dresses for my two girls!
Cosy sweatshirt dress with rainbow+cloud design… Tent shirt… glitter Chelsea boots… Love it all!
I am obsessed with the Mini Boden applique dresses! Especially the new Leopard Print! Bringing a quintessential pattern to a Mini look is so neat!
My daughter picked out the heart patch jeans (adorable) and of course some every day Bretons for both of us!
I love Boden, so pretty much anything would be on the list! But I would definitely get the fair isle cardigans for both my girls!
The Shearling High Top Sneakers – Ecru are a must have!
There is a lot of cute stuff! My favorite option for my toddler is probably the green coat with dachshunds. We’re looking for winter stuff now, and I haven’t seen anything like it!
The Printed Tunic in College Blue Unicorns for my unicorn-obsessed daughter!
Love everything Mini Boden. Unique and colorful clothes make my kids feel great about themselves. Everything is our favorite. Love the leather Chelsea boots, ruffle woven dress, and fun animal print tops just to name a few. The quality of the clothes are great and get passed down and worn a lot.
So many cute dresses to choose from! Loving the raglan shirts for my son too!
Omg, I love that you found petite for yourself! I too have discovered that LONG is great for my torso. Plus Boden clothes have made me step up my clothing game forever. I am dying over the daisy hotchpotch dress even though I already bought the rainbow version. Good think I *need* it for my other daughter. #musthave
Oh my goodness, there’s too many cute things to choose from, but if I must:
For my two boys, I can’t get over the little man party blazers for my big guy and my little guy has a thing for socks. The chunky socks look so cozy for snuggling round the fire place(They also remind me of sock monkeys🐒).
For my two girly whos, the retro checkered pinafore for my older daughter cuz she loves all things vintage and for my little Bee, she’s all about her leggings. I could see her wearing those velvet leggings every day.
As for me the poly cord shirt in charcoal is ringing my bell. It’s just groovy.
I’d like the super soft zip up hoodie for my grandson.
Mine love cozy stuff- those fleece lined techno pants look great. They’d probably look even better with that glow in the dark bat shirt!
Love your blog!
My kids want anything from the Harry Potter collection or the woodland animals.
Anything from Boden really! We love the brand.
Thank you
My daughter really wants the unicorn fall jacket. We purchase one of those cozy jackets every year!
The Natasha Midi Wrap dress is beautiful – I’d love it for my bridal shower!
I’m dying over the plaid party blazer! Two for my boys and desert lace up boots would look so adorable!
I already subscribe.
I would LOVE to get the Seeker Zip-up hoodie for my son!
My girls would love the everyday ruffle dress! Perfect for every day adventure s and looking cute. The modern tweed caught my eye ♥️ so many good things going on here. Thanks for the tip about petite size! Sounds like we have the same build, so that is so helpful for me too!
I love their pointelle sweaters and my daughter does too. Great fit, lovely fabric, and classic fit. We love Mini Boden! (And new to your site. Former NY’er, living in the Midwest — 2 kids, dog, picket fence. The whole bit. Love the perspective of raising kids in the City!)
My 8 year old daughter loves all the fancy shoes and fun leggings. She always snatches the catalog and makes a wish list of all her favorite finds. She adores the cute unicorn Long John Pajamas. My boys 3 and 7 also enjoy the comfortability and fun styles. Especially the graphic crew sweaters! I love the grown up Boden styles too but find the most joy seeing my kiddos cute and comfy!
We love everything Boden! This collab is great! Mazzy and Harlow are perfect for Boden. So fun, funky and playful. I’ve carted the fuzzy sweatshirt, cable tights, ruffle dress and a few basics.
I absolutely love all the new Halloween shirts for my boys!
I have four kids and Boden is PERFECT to meet all their different and unique clothing interests. My 9 year old daughter is Harry Potter obsessed and would LOVE the House Breton – Ravenclaw Blue/Multi sweater to show she proudly belongs to the Ravenclaw house and to pair it with the Lightning Bolt Slim Jeans – Mid Vintage to show her love for HP head to toe. My 8 year old son, the only boy of the house, loves to stand out as he’s surrounded by three sisters. He would love any of the tops, but particularly the Hungry Monster T-Shirt – Stormy Blue Monster, the Glow-In-The-Dark Beast T-Shirt – Howlin Blue Shark, or the Space Adventure T-Shirt – College Blue Robot. My 6 1/2 year old daughter is obsessed with unicorns and anything sparkly and would love anything in the Boden Unicorn Shop, especially the Unicorn Tiered Dress – Elizabethan Blue, the Fabric Necklace – Unicorn, or the Fun Cardigan – Grey Marl Unicorn. The “baby” of the family is almost 4 and she loves dresses and pockets. Boden offers the perfect combinations with the Easy Everyday Dress – Pink Sorbet, the Cosy Sweatshirt Dress – Blue Love Clouds, the Sequin Colour-Change Dress – Starboard Blue Unicorn, and the Hotchpotch Woven Dress – Shell Pink Folk Friends. I almost forgot to look for myself! I don’t usually love color, but the Opal Dress – Broad Bean Multi Stripe is so fun! The Aubrey Button Back Tee – Ivory is simple for everyday yet the button details take it up a notch. And I’m obsessed with the Arabella Lace Top – Black for a night out WITHOUT the kids! 😉
My daughter is obsessed with anything sparkles, and would love the sparkly Chelsea boots! And my 3 month old would look SO cute in teddy bear all in one zip up!
Have 2 older girls but just had a boy this past January so I’m having to buy boy clothes for the first time. I love all of the monster sweatshirts – he would look adorable in them.
We definitely need the panda snowsuit, the bar glowing Halloween tee and the shark glow in the dark beast tee… I could go on for Fahd, my list is LONG!! ❤️❤️❤️
Ohhhh the color-change rainbow sequin dress! Sooo cute!
Definitely a good parka but also some tops and skirts
Seeing you at the bottom of the mini Boden website was like a clashing of two of my favorite worlds and I am here. For. It!!!!
I love the Martha Dress for me and I’ve gotten the lined skate pants and shaggy lined hoody for the last 10 years.
Teddy-Lined Anorak – Emerald Night Dinosaurs is so cute my little grandson would love wearing this coat especially to school with those Dino’s on it.
I love the Printed Twirly Girl Dress in blue!
I would be delighted to win any of these playful, colorful prints for my soon to be 7 year old daughter!! I’m new to Boden & Mommy Shorts and I’m really excited to discover both! My faves upon viewing the Mini Boden site are the mint colored Sporty Woven Dress- which is both unique and practical -a perfect outfit for school 🙂
The Retro Check Pinafore in Mellow Yellow Check is adorable! More 60s style dresses, please. *swoon*
Supersoft Jersey playsets are on our list for school this year. Perfect for layering and absolutely adorable
I work in a Middle School, so i definitely need the Black Wax Jacket for those chilly days when I am greeting the kids.
My daughter needs the all weather jacket in leopard!
Love mini boden! My daughter loves the daisy dress that Harlow was wearing. I plan on getting for the fall. I also love the leggings especially the rainbow ones!
We need new Boden coats!
My son would want the Ivory Slogan Tshirt, “Be Happy”. Rainbows are his favorite!
My daughter would love the ladybug sweater!! She thinks it’s good luck when one lands on you…. so she could have good luck all the time!! (Also give me alllll the rainboots!! Such an adorable and functional shoe!!)
I would totally buy my boys the Harry Potter sweaters… or buy myself something too. 🙂
Rainbow anything! Especially love the rainbow leggings!
So many cute clothes! My 3yo officially started a 3Yo K school program a few weeks ago and is loving school. The Cosy Sweatshirt Dress with all the clouds and rainbows is absolutely her style and would be perfect for her school adventures!
My daughter is loving the hedgehog t shirt and I’m eyeing a new dress for me!
I could use some new dresses
My six year old loves the hedgehog shirt and the dog prints. So cute!!
My girl loves the rainbow overalls!
My youngest is in love with dresses (like the everyday ruffle dress) and some stripey leggings.
Everything dinosaur! But especially the cozy long John pajamas, glow in the dark bones t-shirt and the boxers. My son would be ecstatic about any of these! (He still loves everything from the skull line that Mini Boden had 2 years ago, which I bought in several sizes since he was obsessed with skulls & skeletons.)
The panda shirt my daughter Bella would love to have, Bailee is a legging lover. With a great pair of boots shw is thrilled. I love those wide leg green pants.
So many things my kids would love! The Cosy Sweatshirt dress is adorable. My girls have been in the same size for a couple of years and would be so happy to have a little update to their wardrobe! My oldest is more sporty and the cool thing I see about the Mini Boden collection is that I could see her loving all of their designs. My middle daughter and son would be all about the prints and picking out bright colorful gear! We would definitely have to update fall pictures for them 🙂
I really love the Bridget tweet dress and for my boys the sprout dog cord jacket😍 Thanks for sharing this with us and for the giveaway!
The spotty skater dress looks like it would be just twirly enough for my little girl!
Some of the new jumpers and rompers for our soon to come baby!
MY youngest is OBSESSED with the whole unicorn section, but is most excited about that unicorn cardigan. Me, I’m here for the color blocked duster.