The Mara Hoffman Sample Sale: Bathing Suits for Under $100

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• Shorts, $85
• Blouse, $85
• Bustier, $85
• Dress, $75
• Skirt, $75
• Bikini top, $45; bottoms, $40
• Beach bag, $60
• Bikini top, $45; bottoms, $40
• Lounge pants, $75
• Rash guard, $75
• Backless one-piece, $85
• Caftan, $50
• Beaded maxi, $500
• Shorts, $75
• Dress, $100
• Crop top, $75
• Platform sandals, $150
• Flat espadrilles, $100

Last night, we went to the friends and family portion of the Mara Hoffman sample sale before it opened to the public this morning. Women's ready-to-wear and swimwear is up to 80% off, with prices starting at just $25. We expect the sale to be busy—even the invite-only friends and family portion was hectic—so be prepared for crowds.

Most of the sale is made up of of summer gear from current and past-season collections. Sizes range from extra small through large (0-10 in bottoms), but we found the most on the smaller end (however, the staff is restocking throughout the sale, so it's possible more size options will become available).

The front of the sale space houses the current-season merchandise, kid's clothing, and shoes. We found neon loose-fitting trousers for $100, sheer printed chiffon tunics for $50, and beaded crop tops for $100. There are a good deal of dresses up here, including chiffon eye-print maxis and fit-and-flare styles, both for $100.

The shoe selection is limited, but worth checking out: we found geometric-print flatforms for $150, flat espadrilles for $100, and tassel stiletto sandals for $50. The lone rack of kids' clothing holds bathing suits, rash guards, and linen pants and dresses. Everything on this rack is $85, and sized for toddlers.

Down a small flight of stairs you'll find a large selection of past-season clothing and beach gear from Mara Hoffman Swim. Again, there are a lot of dresses: we found floral chiffon wrap dresses for $50, sheer oversized caftans (also for $50), and cutout long-sleeved styles for $85.

One rack holds pricier special-occasion dresses, including backless beaded floor length dresses for $500 (which is expensive, but a nice cut from their original $1,500 price tags). There aren't as many bottoms as there are dresses, but we did find printed rompers for $100, geo-print shorts for $85, and embroidered skirts for $75.

Most of the tops we found were tanks: our favorites were the sheer button-down styles for $85 and breezy printed blouses for $75.

The swimwear section, which makes up a bit less then half of the stock, is definitely the draw of this sale. We found bikinis and one-pieces in pretty much every cut and pattern imaginable, and the size range seemed pretty even. All full suits are $85, but you can buy the tops and bottoms as separates if you want to mix and match—tops are $45 and bottoms are $40.

Some highlights: a black fringed bikini, a strapless top and high-waisted bottom combo with cutout details, and printed neon monokinis. In addition to standard swimwear, the sale includes special gear like rash guards and swimming dresses, which are both $75. There are a few solid-color styles as well, but we'd skip those: the crazy prints are what make this sale so fun.

There is also a very small selection of bags to choose from: we found plastic tribal-printed beach totes for $60 and tassel canvas hobo bags for $150.

The back of the sale space holds a large, communal fitting room. Like we mentioned above, the staff will be restocking throughout the duration of the sale. Keep an eye out for possible markdowns on Saturday. For timing and location info, head to the dealfeed below.
· Dealfeed: Mara Hoffman [Racked NY]
· The June Sample Sale Calendar: 76 and Counting! [Racked NY]