The Oh-So-Popular Popcorn Dress

"It's the Hervé Léger bandage dress for hot Brooklyn 30-somethings making their way through the pandemic wedding backlog."

- Allison P. Davis

WHEN ROMANCE NOVELIST Jasmine Guillory first saw the Mara Hoffman popcorn dress, she was so taken with it she purchased a version (the Sloan in pink and red) without trying it on, instead trusting a FaceTime modeling session with a friend, New Yorker food writer Helen Rosner, to help her determine sizing. Guillory bought the Sloan to wear to a wedding. A year later, she saw photos of Rosner wearing another version of the popcorn dress (this time, the Freya: poofy, long-sleeved, mid-length, with abstract splashes of crimson, royal blue, and marigold) to her baby shower. Rosner had decided to buy this second popcorn dress after she saw a pregnant Katy Perry wearing the same one to sing the national anthem at a soccer game. Guillory expressed so much love for the Freya via DM that Rosner offered to let her borrow it. Which is how Guillory found herself, the night before an appearance on Hoda & Jenna, trying on a dress she'd never worn, fully confident it would fit her well enough to go on national television. The fact that it clung to her perfectly wasn't luck; it was the magic of the Mara Hoffman popcorn dress.

The popcorn dress: form-fitting, easy to pack, wear-it-everywhere, with a signature texture not unlike that of the shirts once carried by Limited Too and a size range and stretchiness meant to accommodate every body from XXS to 3X. Made of Tencel, it comes in eight dress styles, as well as in a series of top-skirt sets-just enough variation that you can express your personality by your selection. (Are you a Laura, short and classic, or are you a Mereba, bold enough to dress like the flamenco-dancer emoji?) First released in spring 2020, the popcorn dress has since become so popular that it has its own featured tab on the Mara Hoffman site (The Popcorn Shop), where new variations and color combinations launch with seasonal regularity. Most versions sell for around $600.