Hipp Fall Fashions Lija by Linda Hipp Linda Hipp Award winning golf fashion designer and entrepreneur

Whether you’re at work, out to dinner, lounging with friends or hitting the links, looking great and feeling great go hand in hand. And because feeling your best is a key component of playing your best golf, finding the right on-course attire is essential. So why has the phrase "women’s golf fashion" been an oxymoron for so many years?

It’s because until recently golf apparel consisted mainly of boxy polos and ill-fitting shorts inspired by the clothing so many men prefer. Luckily, golf fashion has begun to embrace our needs thanks to a number of designers who are striving to combine fashion and function in a manner ideally suited to the game.

Winter Wonderland

At the vanguard of this movement is Linda Hipp, whose Vancouver, Canada-based clothing label, Lija (a play on the word leisure), has gained universal acclaim as among the most cutting-edge of the bunch. That’s not to say that Hipp’s styles can’t be worn by everyone. In fact, Hipp’s goal has always been to provide a multitude of attractive style options for North America’s six million women golfers.

"Our driving force is to offer an eclectic look and feel allowing women to match various pieces and create outfits that complement their own unique personalities," says Hipp. "It’s always been very important to me to offer options for different women so that they can express themselves while looking good on-course and off."

Brown-Eyed Girl

That philosophy has translated exceedingly well, as Lija is now North America’s fastest growing golf and sportswear line. The legion’s of golfers embracing Hipp’s unique sensibility looks to continue its uptick with the company’s three striking new collections for fall 2005. Entitled "Purple Rain," "Brown Eyed Girl," and "Winter Wonderland," the 86 pieces in these collections include various plaid, floral, check, argyle, quilted, striped and solid looks for the season in the key colors of plum, grape, chocolate, pumpkin, air, winter white and olive.

These designs, and those of previous Lija collections, are worn by numerous LPGA Tour players, including fashionable, young star Jill McGill. They have also been featured in major national golf (Golf For Women, Golf Digest, Golfweek) and lifestyle (Self, Gentry, Style) magazines. Needless to say, Hipp has come a long way since she started her company in 1997 with a few thousand dollars borrowed from her parents.

"I always loved fashion and there was such a void for stylish alternatives in women’s golf apparel," recalls Hipp. "I thought there was a real market opportunity so I combined my loves of fashion and golf and started the company. It continues to be an amazing ride."

Purple Rain

The avid golfer and former sports marketing executive’s first collection included just 12 pieces sold under the name Hyp Golf. Since then, Lija has been recognized as one of Canada’s 100 fastest growing companies by Profit magazine and drawn praise for its distinctive, European-inspired styling. The current collection includes pants, capris, shorts of various lengths, skirts, skorts, polos of various sleeve lengths, sweaters, knit vests and outerwear. Retail prices range from $50 for basic tops to $300 for select pieces of technical outerwear.

Lija can be found in more than 700 on- and off-course retailers, including Nordstrom and many of the nation’s best-known golf resorts. More information is available at www.lijastyle.com.

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