Mara Hoffman, a fashion designer for “regular” clothes, recently brought her signature bold prints to the world of activewear. The second season of Mara Hoffman Active is here, and I tried out two pieces: the botanica leggings and her new gym bag. Here’s my review.
The botanica leggings were an instantly popular style. When I bought them a couple weeks ago, several sites were very low stock. The checkered pattern is fun and the leaves break the pattern up while also adding some color and contrast. They’re definitely unique!
The material is a polyester blend. It’s thin and quite light. It feels very smooth and slippery to the touch, not cottony at all. They were only lightly compressive on me.
As for fit, the first thing I noticed is that they are LOW rise. I’m usually a fan of lower rises, but these were a bit low even for me. The rise is ok in the front, but in the back it doesn’t offer a lot of coverage, which is definitely not ideal for working out. If you have some junk in the trunk and/or a long torso, I recommend steering clear of this style.
The lower legs were a tad tighter than my other leggings, but nothing that big of a deal. The hips and thighs fit decently well, but the waist didn’t feel all that secure (perhaps also because of the rise issue). If you’re uncertain about your size, I recommend going up. Overall, the fit was ok, but not great.
As far as opacity goes, they are a bit sheer. You can see the tag through the pants upright or in a bend, and the black part of the pattern does fade when stretched (they’re white on the inside). That said, since the pattern is very busy, so you can’t see as much as you might think. I wouldn’t have trouble finding something to wear under these that was decent.
The pants are flat seamed throughout, but there is no gusset. There is a small pocket inside the waistband–not your usual slit pocket, but an extra bit of fabric sewn inside. There is also no drawcord. Aside from the slit pocket, they are pretty basic leggings.
Although they look cute on and the pattern is all kinds of fun, I ultimately decided the fit and the fabric quality weren’t good enough to justify keeping these, especially considering the price I paid. If they were $50 or $60, I probably would’ve kept them, but at $136, I felt like my money would be better spent elsewhere, so back they go.
If you’re still itching to give them a try for yourself, you can grab them for 25% off during Bloomingdale’s friends and family event, which includes free shipping and free returns. If you can’t find your size there or are just looking for other options, they’re also available at Zappos (where I got mine), Evolve Fit Wear (PERFECT10 will get you $10 off), Backcountry, Nordstrom, and Revolve. Net-A-Porter also has a capri version.
On to the bag! The color scheme and print on this bag is so incredibly vibrant, which is part of what drew me to it in the first place. The material is thick and sturdy, though unstructured. It’s made a synthetic fabric that would be resistant to scratches and water. Unlike the other gym bags I have, this bag would be perfect for an outing to the beach or pool, too.
In addition to the top handles straps, an adjustable shoulder strap is also included. Both are made of a seatbelt-like material. The hardware is all a subtle pewter tone.
The top zips shut, but I was surprised to find that the bag is sort of triangle-shaped, instead of more rectangular like most duffels. You can best see what I mean in the overhead view. There is no top panel, which means the bag has to pinch shut at the top. Because it tapers off like that, the bag is actually a little bit smaller in terms of capacity than the measurements suggest.
There are two external zip pockets, large enough to kind of fit a water bottle or most of a phone. Mostly, they’re best for keys or other small knick-knacks. (The loops above the zip pocket are where the shoulder strap attaches.)
The interior only has one pocket. It’s medium sized–not large enough for a notebook, but bigger than the external side pockets. I also noticed that the interior fabric lining, which is on the stiffer side, makes a slightly crunchy sound when you move things around in it. There is no shoe bag included, so you’ll have to use your own.
The bag will fit a pair of shoes, plus 1-2 outfits and various accessories. It’s smaller than a weekend bag, but big enough for daily gym use.
This photo: Kylie Pond Photography
I love the pop of color this bag adds, as well as its versatility for rougher pursuits like the beach, so I kept this one. I got mine with a coupon code, which definitely made the price a lot more appealing. I bought mine from Carbon38, but it’s also available at several other retailers like Revolve, Nordstrom, Backcountry, and Net-A-Porter.
I spy an Alala cross back bra! I ordered it and had to return because it came up too high and tight around my neck, but it sure was cute. I ordered the everyday hoodie a few days ago too. It hasn’t arrived yet, but I am PUMPED! I think I have a slight hoodie problem. I ordered the c38 one (with the carbon block from the periodic table on the back) recently too. I couldn’t resist it’s divine nerdiness.
That MH bag is cute!!! It is tempting now that it is at Nordstrom (the new final sale policy for bags at c38 is really lame IMO). But I need to chill after my 2x expensive hoodie purchase :)
Thank you for your time and reviews as always!
Haha you of all people would totally notice the bra. ;) It definitely does come up higher than the snap back bra. It’s also lower support, which was kind of a bummer. I kept it anyway because it’s rad, and because I had a photo shoot in mind for it. #bloggerproblems
Report back asap on the everyday hoodie of course. ;)
I bought a different pair of the new Mara Hoffman leggings and was also disappointed…I thought the material was cheap and flimsy, and yes SO LOW i was pulling them up the whole time I was working out. Have you tried Ultracor? That’s my new favourite brand and they have the built-in shapewear that you mentioned Ivy Park is saying they will have.
oooh how does Ultracor fit? I would love to try it…does the shape wear make the fabric super thick and hot?
Thanks so much
I too am curious about ultracor. I’ve been interested in trying them for a long time. I feel like I can see the model’s underwear through them on carbon38 (the pair with polka dots on the bottom), but maybe I am hallucinating. Are they sheer in your experience?
Thanks so much!
Glad it wasn’t just me about the MH leggings–those were pretty much my exact thoughts! Too bad since her prints this season are adorable.
My impression was that Ultracor’s built-in shapewear was more of a seamless undies situation. I’ve never seen them in person. I’m still so tempted to pick up a pair of the geometric warren leggings from Carbon38, but oh my the price tag is rough! I’d love to hear your report too, though. :)
Got my Oiselle Mac Rogas in the mail! A couple points worth mentioning:
Definitely cut for an athletic figure – a problem for hourglass me. But despite a few fit issues, I think the Macs are more flattering on me than my lulu speeds. The more slender cut in the hips/butt area prevents “lampshade” shape (for lack of a better descriptor). Think I’m going to keep the size 8.
Yep, they’re short. The inseam is a little less than an inch shorter (compared to speeds) and the front and back panels are closer in length, so there’s just enough to cover the whole bum. The Macs are fine for jogging (which, admittedly, is what they’re designed for), but I personally wouldn’t be comfortable squatting, bending, or lunging in these in a public gym.
Good to know! Thanks for sharing, I was looking at those. I’m thinking of trying the regular Rogas because I worry the Mac Roga is too short.
Thanks for the report!! :) I wish there was something between the rogas and mac rogas, since I’d love to try a pair, and your report is promising as far as fit goes.
I love that bag so much. I admired it from your last post and have been thinking about it for days. $163 is way too high for me. I would have done $100 with free shipping. Even 20% off isn’t a good enough deal. *sigh*
Yeah I totally get it. It’s not the greatest value, but it’s so unique, so…that’s how I justified it. Since it’s available at quite a few retailers, maybe it’ll go on sale if you’re patient. :)
I recently purchased a pair of I.Can.I.Will leggings from Sweden. Small company with really different designs! They have a white backing which makes the color fade slightly when stretched but the print is so nice I don’t mind! ( I got the grey leo) Thought you might be interested in looking into this company as I could only find one review online :)
Thanks for the little review! I’ve seen them on insta a couple times. There aren’t any prints I MUST have right now but I’ll keep my eye out for new ones. :)
Thanks for the leggings review. I LOVED the look of them when i saw them pictured a week or two ago, but seems like the price isn’t justified…especially when I’m loving SO many spring patterns that have been released lately.
Yup, my thoughts exactly! My wishlist is getting crazy for spring, gotta prioritize!
My resolve against that bag is waning…it’s just so bold and beautiful! How do you think it would do with a laptop?
I am also very seriously wanting that bag. I can’t stop thinking about it! All I can find are 10% off on the Mara Hoffman site and Resolve. If you find a better deal, please post here. :)
If you’ve never purchased from Carbon38 before, you can get 20% off your first purchase with code UPGRADE20. Keep in mind bags are final sale at C38! Code is valid through midnight PT tonight only.
Hi Alin! I know it’s been several months since the original post – not sure whether you still have your eye on the bag, but it’s $81.50 on the Mara Hoffman site right now (I think you can also use the first time shopper 10% on top of that) Good luck!
-MG
Thank you so much for pointing this out. :) Great find!
Personally, I wouldn’t use it with a laptop, though my 13″ MacBook does fit. It’s totally unstructured so the laptop would just flop around in there, which scares me!
I have those pants i really do like them.
They went down to 60!
Nice find! That’s an awesome price.