First up, my favorite new arrival this week: this voyager blue gym bag by Mara Hoffman (found via Carbon38, though it’s at other retailers as well). I’m loving the saturated blue and the bright colors in this print. It fits well within my color palette and is a great accent to punch up an outfit. The $163 price tag is not cheap, but not totally outrageous. Based on the measurements, it’s a similar size to my Balsa bag, though the Mara Hoffman is just a couple of inches longer. I might have to pull the trigger on this one… Stay tuned.
There’s also quite a few new clothing options from Mara Hoffman, like this voyager white print on Carbon38. I wasn’t a huge fan of the initial Mara Hoffman stuff, but my interest is piqued this season’s collection.
And lastly from Mara Hoffman, this time via Evolve Fit Wear, these totally outrageous botanica print leggings. They’re already selling out on other retailers, but Evolve has all sizes available, and–bonus!!–you can get 10% off with code EVOLVE. I suppose I can understand how fast they’re selling, because I would probably wear these. Pair it with a neon pink tank for ultimate crazy factor. ;) I also found a capri version via Net-A-Porter.
Alala has already come out with their second capsule collection for spring: electric stone. It’s a marble-inspired print with strong blue and purple tones. It reminds me a bit of lululemon’s sugar crush print, although Alala’s coloring looks decidedly less moldly (thankfully). I really like the swell crop paired with the captain tights or blocked crops for some matchy-matchy goodness. I haven’t nailed down what I want from the new arrivals just yet
Also: their flash tee is back! I got this one from their fall ’14 collection and, although I was initially skeptical of the style, it’s ended up getting a ton of wear. It’s my go-to lightweight layer over shorts and a tank when I’m about town (example here). That said, the fabric has changed this year versus my older version so it looks like this year’s drapes a bit differently than mine does.
I’m also a fan of their new simple draped cardigan with mesh accents at the sleeves and hem. I always have to wear a cardigan or pullover at work since it’s so cold in my office, so this cardi is another simple style that would likely be a wardrobe workhorse.
See all of Alala’s latest capsule here. As usual, don’t forget to use my code, AA15, at checkout to get your haul for 15% off.
Lululemon released this new restore wrap this week. It seems to have gotten a lot of interest as a nice transitional spring layer.
Lulu also dropped several new speed shorts as warmer weather approaches. That’s paradise pink and paradise camo above. The paradise camo are H2O edition, though the only change appears to be in the back zip pocket. These have been very popular and are already sold out online after they dropped just last week. They added a hole in the zip pocket for water to drain as well as changed the zipper style to an invisible zipper. Not surprisingly, these tweaks mean a $14 upcharge. Ouch. I don’t like the puckering around the invisible zipper, and I prefer the contrast of the traditional zipper, so I hope that isn’t the direction all speeds will be moving.
Also, the model photos lately make the shorts look kind of unflattering lately–definitely not inspiring me to buy. The paradise camo look alright, but the paradise pink and most others on the site just look a bit droopy. :\
Speaking of speeds, I spotted these new goal shorts by Body Language on Bandier’s site this week. The cut is almost a dead ringer for lulu’s speeds, though they do look a tad longer. Unfortunately, these are quite a bit pricier at $78 a pair.
Another find from Bandier, by brand HPE: this interesting white oak print, which is a bit like an exploded tree ring look. These are exclusive to Bandier. I like the look, and the description states they feature “anti-sheer fabrication”, which is nice for a predominately white print.
Heroine Sport launched their new collection for spring/summer ’16. They’ve added their boldest color, cobalt, as shown on the studio capris above (found via Revolve). The cobalt color is also available on their racing capris, which I reviewed in 2 other colors here.
Another motif in the new collection is the new print, chalk, which you can see on the new cycling pant as well as the performance bra shown above.
On the more mellow side of things, Revolve also added a bunch of new styles from Strut This, including these grayson leggings. They have a high-waisted style and an understated but still interesting side panel feature. The price is more mellow than most of the stuff on this list, too, ringing in at $78.
And lastly a heads up: Werkshop’s second round of their Under the Sea collection drops this Monday! We’ve got seahorse, orca, angler fish, and mermaid scales on the docket this time around. Everything except the mermaid scales will be available in crop length in addition to the full length shown here. You’ll be able to find the new prints here once it goes live.
Ahhhh those botanica print leggings are amazing!!! So expensive though. Has anyone tried the brand yet? What’s the fabric and fit like?
I’ve scoured the web and haven’t managed to find anything. I might order them to try…
The H2O speeds also have bathing suit “bottoms” as the liner so it’s different material than the liner in regular speeds. THAT might be part of the additional upcharge for them as well.
Oh, thanks, I’d missed that!
OMG agree about the botanica leggings!!! I very rarely see something where I think “oh gosh I need to order that now” but I did with those. I have a Mara Hoffman cotton draped tank and a cape-type thing that I love, but they are both soft knit materials. I hope the leggings are nice – they are expensive! Will report when they arrive.
Thanks! I’ll eagerly be awaiting a quick review on the botanica leggings :)
Hehe, thanks for being our guinea pig. :) I’m thinking of ordering them to try, too, along with that bag. The description of the fabric sounds similar to the Vie Active tights I have (polyester, UPF50), so I’m wondering if they’ll be similar. Can’t remember if you have a pair from Vie or not.
I just noticed that the Mara Hoffman bag in final sale on c38 (why i wonder???)
Anyways, just pointing it out in case you didn’t notice. perhaps get it from another retailer…
I don’t have any Vie Active tights. My pot pants arrive on Monday though, so the suspense will not be too long!
I like that we are calling them pot pants now. Want a full report!
Btw, thanks for the note on this! I actually did end up ordering it from C38 anyway because they sent me a 20% off code!! I figured for the savings, I’m willing to take the risk. I also snagged a pair of K-Deer Laura stripes! Eek!!
YES YES YES!!! (On those botanical print leggings!!!) Agreeing with you, carrie and Lauren. Mmm hmm it is expensive, thus looking forward to carrie’s report on what those leggings are like. Ohhh and the new Workshop prints. (breathsss reallyyy deeply… … …)
With each passing moment my resolve against the botanica leggings is wearing thin…..
Did you… ahem… get them in the end? Heh heh heh… … …
I did order them! I’m on the fence about keeping them… They’re SOOO cute, but for the price, they definitely aren’t the best value. Sigh. Either way, I’ll write a full review here. :)
I love the mara hoffman prints and the alala cardigan, too! I will have to wait to see if I really want it to buy it..
on another note, i am disappointed in alala’s models this season! The model for fall was great because she was curvy and had boobs! This season’s models are soo skinny and they look sad! also, they have super long torsos, which i definitely don’t have, so it’s hard to tell how the clothes would fit on me, a petite girl :)
Thanks Suzanne!
On the other hand, it is a bit easier for a model to wear anything if they’re less curvy. Some bra styles, for example, look a bit, er, much with a curvier model. So from that perspective, it makes sense that companies usually go with less curvy models. Agree though, it does make it harder to guess how it’s going to look!
If anyone has been holding out for something from Varley they have a 40% off sale going on today and tomorrow at a boutique store I frequent. The code works online too! (Varley runs big FYI). http://www.shoplaville.com/shop/?category=Active
Thanks for posting this!! :)
Man, you guys make me feel old. I don’t think I can wear marijuana pants. I’ll wear pants with a catsronaut on them and I have other whimsical stuff but those botanical pants are a little too edgy for me.
lol. those are CLEARLY slightly different from marijuana leaves :)
i live in northern CA though. admittedly, we are experts on the subject.
Oh gosh, honestly never even occurred to me that they might be pot pants! D: To this day I can’t even recognize the smell of pot, so it might be just me–I’m a bit naive, I’ll admit. On the other hand, it does kind of look like a pile of leaves, rather than the exact distinct shape of a marijuana leaf, so I’m not sure if that’s what they’re meant to imitate or if the similarity is just a coincidence.
Upon further investigation, it looks like a marijuana leaf has serrated edges, while the leaves on the pants don’t. Perhaps that’s what Carrie meant by the slight difference in the leaves. I might be safe to wear these after all, haha.
Ha! I know it’s different, but the pants just made me a do a double-take and I assumed the similarity was intentional! But maybe it is coincidental.
The white oak leggings look intriguing.
I ordered and received the restore wrap in red grape and love it. I am a lululemon wrap fan though-I have the gratitude and savasanah wraps. I find them a nice alternative to sweatshirts.
Thanks for the note! I wish I could try on the restore wrap.
It’s definitely more fitted and has more of a shape than any of the other wraps I have.
I thought that might be the case because of the little ruching bit on the back. Thanks for the note. :) I might go to a store next week–maybe they’ll still have them!
Do you know if the wrap is a size-down item? I’ve found that some of their wraps are really huge on me in my usual size 6 (I’m 5’2” so sometimes they overpower me with how long they are.) I thought the coast wrap was nice in my usual size, but the That’s a Wrap was huge. Thanks!
I really like Alala’s electric stone print. I’ve been considering the Lulu restore wrap since it would be easy to dress up.
True, it would definitely be versatile! My biggest deterrent against lulu’s wraps is the sleeve length. That, and they tend to be a bit boxy on me. I’d try it on if I could, though.
I’m liking the “mellow” greyson legging by strut this. Anyone know this company/sizing/quality?
Thanking in advance :)
Hey Sara – I ordered these and love them! I just made a comment on the lulu problems post (about these and the mara hoffman leggings). Carrie the guest reviewer! :)
Let me know if you have a specific question about them. I am happy to answer.
I am intrigued by the Alala cardigan! Also, I was in Lulu and saw the water shorts. They are NOT just speed shorts with a hole. Not just the liner but the actual material is a lot thicker/stiffer than 2-way and I personally wouldn’t want to run in them. I didn’t really catch that there was a difference just looking at the website. I may pick up the new pink speeds because I am ashamedly thinking of dressing like Bing Bong for a race and they seem the perfect shade. D’oh!
I ordered the cardigan so I’ll report back!! :) Thanks for the note about the speeds–I hadn’t seen them IRL so I didn’t have much to go off of. :)
Suzanne, I know how you love Alala but I just tried them and I have to say I am super disappointed. I bought a pair of their blocked crop tights half off from Bloomingdale’s and I have never seen a shoddier pair of tights–seriously. I’ve tried a lot of brands, but these were by far the worst. Seams unraveling in a number of spots, shoddy seam work everywhere–I can’t believe they’re charging $105 for these. They were tough to get over my hips (32-26-37, ordered a small which, according to their size chart, should have been fine) and then scandalously sheer once on. I actually liked the way they looked/felt, but they are going back–I’m afraid they’ll fall apart after one wear! I won’t try this brand again. Anyway, that was my experience–figured I’d share!
Awww darn I’m sorry to hear that. :( Maybe them being a lemon pair is why they ended up lingering on Bloomingdale’s sale rack. Not that that’s much of an excuse, since something with those problems shouldn’t be sold in the first place. I’ve never heard/seen anything as bad as you describe, but I do agree that it seems like Alala still needs to tighten up their quality control with stitching specifically. I’ve received items with loose threads as well, but I’ve simply snipped off the “tail” and haven’t had an issue with unraveling. Anyway, I’m glad you were able to return them at least, and maybe someday you’ll have a better experience to tell!
Thanks Suzanne; appreciate the thoughtful response :). I’ll try to keep an open mind re: Alala, so long as I’m buying from a retailer with a free return policy ;).