During the holidays everyone loves to give and receive presents. Well recently a company was brought to our attention that has the perfect gift that keeps on giving. The gift is a great looking outfit that is good for your ego and great for the environment. Giving a smile to someones face and life to our land, hence the gift that keeps on giving. The Canadian based company, Lela (pronounced Leela) Designs creates eco-friendly women’s golf apparel for the fashion forward female. THP not only had the pleasure of reviewing their new spring line but we were also lucky enough to speak with founder, Tina Hofer.
Golfer Gal: How did Lela Designs get started?
Tina: Lele Designs was started 3 years ago. I have been a golfer for years and I have always been environmentally friendly, it runs in my family. So I decided to start a company that was socially responsible yet fashionable.
Golfer Gal: How would you describe the style of Lela?
Tina: I like to think of Lela as eco-luxury. We are resort and lifestyle wear that is not just for the golf course.
Golfer Gal: Can you tell me a little more about the fabrics you use?
Tina: We use eco-luxury organic cottons and bamboo. Our fabrics are milled just for us. We do have to use a small amount of spandex in order for the clothing to keep its shape after wearing and washing.
Golfer Gal: I love that you use a small amount of spandex to keep the integrity of the garment. In my experience with organic clothing I have found that the clothes never fit or looked the same after just one wear and wash.
Tina: Thank you. We wanted to make a product that was eco-friendly but we also wanted to make sure it was a quality product that you can have for years and years.
Golfer Gal: What can we expect from Lela for 2009?
Tina: We introduced plaid to our line with a great eco-friendly cotton from Italy. We will have more jackets since they have been quite popular especially here in Canada. What we love about the jackets is that they are not just for the golf course. They match everything and they are the perfect item to really complete an outfit. We have also added a little bling with rhinestones and jeweled buttons.
Golfer Gal: I absolutely LOVED the plaid shorts and jacket that you sent us. My favorite part is the sparkle in the plaid designs, it’s very subtle but really adds that extra something to make them truly stand out.
Tina: That’s so funny you say that. Everyone says the same thing about the sparkle, and we didn’t even think people would really notice it. It has been such a great success, we plan to add a second plaid line for fall.
Golfer Gal: What would you say is your signature item?
Tina: I would say we have two, the Bahati Polo and the Madelaine Pants. We have not changed anything about them because they always sell out. Our buyers keep telling us the pants are such a great fit, so we decided not to mess with a good thing.
Golfer Gal: Final two questions, where can people find Lela and what sizes do they come in?
Tina: Our bottoms range from size 2-16 and our tops are XS-XXL. You can purchase Lela Designs on our website or at high end boutiques and resorts. We have a store locater on the site click here where you can find a boutique near you.
Golfer Gal: Thank you so much for your time and for letting everyone know a little more about Lela Designs.
Tina was such a wonderful person to speak with, she has truly bridged the gap between being environmentally friendly and being fashionable. I asked Tina after the interview what Lela stood for and she said it is for Ladies Empowering LAdies. They have partnered with CAMFED which is a charity that helps educate women in Africa. A portion of the proceeds from each garment sold is donated to them. In addition to that Tina and Lela Designs also supports several charitable organizations in their home country, Canada.
Now that you know the background of Lela lets talk about the clothes. In the package that Tina sent there were capris, pants, Bermuda shorts, three tops and a jacket. The capris were great, they fit like a glove, they were the right length and they came just below my belly button on my waist which I really like. The pants were a straight leg, almost like a skinny fit, with piping down the front and back of the legs for a little added design and texture. Due to the skinny leg cut these were not the most flattering for my personal body type, but the look is hot and wow were they comfortable. If I didn’t have those dreaded “saddlebags” the pants would probably have been my favorite. In the bottoms category the plaid shorts would be my Must Buy item. As mentioned in the interview, the subtle sparkle from the silver lining in the plaid design is just great, it takes an ordinary pair of plaid shorts and turns them into something Très Chic. I have had my reservations about plaid in the past. Some people say it’s too unisex and it doesn’t have that feminine appeal, but when you add that little bit of sparkle like Lela did it changes everything.
For tops Tina sent a jacket that had the same plaid design as the shorts, a lime green ¾ sleeve shirt, their signature Bahati polo in blue, and a white sleeveless turtleneck top. The ¾ sleeve lime green shirt paired with the plaid shorts and the plaid jacket made an incredible outfit. The lime green top was very stretchy and conformed to the body quite well. I loved the rhinestone button at the neck line, however, I had to keep it unbuttoned because as many know, I don’t like things touching my neck. My Must Buy of the tops is hands down the Bahati polo, now I know why they haven’t changed anything in three years, the top is perfect. I loved the fit, the feel, the function I loved everything about it. This too had the rhinestone button which just made the shirt pop, and even though I had to leave the button unclasped the top still looked ravishing. The last item was the white sleeveless shirt, and I am not going to lie I was worried about the turtleneck, but to my surprise the fabric does not actually touch your neck. I asked Tina about that and she said they made the necks looser on the turtlenecks for people like myself who love the look but get that suffocating feeling. Just like the other two items Lela added some rhinestone buttons, three to be exact, along the left shoulder for that added feminine element. What a great addition, that extra detail took a plain white shirt and brought it to a new level, now it was suitable for the golf course, the office, or drinks with the girls.
I loved the sneak preview Tina sent of the 2009 collection of Lela Designs but when I saw the 2009 Catalog, I nearly fell out of my chair. Their style is like nothing I have seen before, unique designs, bold colors, flattering cuts all with an incredible feminine flair. Tina is a passionate woman and that comes across quite clearly in Lela Designs. They are eco-friendly, eco-luxury and down right amazing. Check out their website at Lela Designs to see more of Lela and make sure to take a look at the Bahati polo and the Madelaine pants.
UPDATE: Continuing with the gift that keeps on giving theme, Tina and Lela Designs have graciously donated all the items photographed to THP and it’s members. For the chance to win one of these AMAZING items, please join us in the forum where we will be doing fun contests with lots of great giveaways.
Your Fashion Guru
Golfer Gal
Absolutely stunning is all I can say. Those shorts are some of the nicest I have ever seen.
Good stuff. Anytime a company is doing the right thing you want to support them. I loved your review on Doppelgang for that very reason. I liked this one even more because the clothes look nicer. I had not heard of Lela before this, but they are on my list now.
This was a great interview and profile. I have a couple of things from them and absolutely adore them. I really think you covered it extremely well thank you.
The jacket was a little too much for me, but the shorts are so cute. The polo that is your must buy is getting ordered today. They have it in a yellow color that is really great.
I love the reviews/interviews in one. This one is one of my favs. This company is up in my neck of the woods. It seems as though THP is becoming a huge fan of Canadian companies.
This was good stuff. I am ordering your “must buy” for my wife. She will really like it.
Quite possibly the best clothes you have shown as of yet. I love the golftini skort I picked up because of your review. But these are very classy looking. Those white pants I just have to buy. Thanks.
Great looking clothes. Since I read this review I have been staring at their webpage for hours.
Not a huge fan of the matching jacket and shorts combo, but the rest of the stuff was gorgeous. Thanks for bringing another great company to us
Great clothing line. Glad you are covering some of these smaller companies. This one looks top notch.
Love the subtle sparkle effect!