As I mentioned before, I dropped by the Mara Hoffman sample sale when I was in NYC last month. Frankly I’ve never really been a fan, since my taste runs along the classic and the clean, but since it was the only decent sounding sample sale in NYC that weekend and I figured that it couldn’t hurt if I got one really colorful and printed item to spice up my current wardrobe, I went- and was pleasantly surprised!

We went at the very end of the sale, so there weren’t many people (maybe 2 or 3 others?), so the atmosphere as pleasantly chill. Initially I was skeptical with all the odd draping, bright colors and the prints, but eventually after trying on a few, I started coming around to them. When the print and the style is right, it’s is hard not to love it. Mara Hoffman offers a lot of choices from the classic to the creative for each print, so there is something for everything. I was going to get this dress that was more out there with a t shaped back and bat like wings, but at the end of the day I couldn’t sway too far from my norm. I fell in love with this multi color striped spaghetti strap dress (above) and just HAD to get it. I tried it on and I just knew it was me! It comes with a simple tie at the waist too, which makes the dress much shaplier than the picture above. I also picked up a simple orange silk top. Orange is not usually my color.. but it looked so pristine and fresh hanging there on the rack I thought I’d make an exception. I imagined it would make a great work shirt to wear under jackets in spring/summer. Except now that I’m home I’m trying to figure out what to wear it with… I don’t like the orange/blue contrast, but I don’t want to look like Halloween either with black, which only leaves white….

But anyway, I think I need to re-categorize Mara Hoffman in my mind. Shopbop has a poor representation of her collection, only showing her more beachy looking stuff. But in fact, she has much more to offer (witness looks above)!

My friend and I had a fabulous time. This isn’t my first sample sale, but it is the first one with a friend, and there is a remarkable difference in experience when there is someone with you playing the devil and egging you on a spending spree (and vice versa). It was an incredibly bonding experience. If every sample sale is like this, I do believe I need to move to NYC!

Image Source: Mara Hoffman