Thursday, March 31, 2011

Yala Designs Bamboo Apparel {Review & Giveaway}

Yala Designs{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, AmyJRockstar!}

Wouldn't it be nice if, when arriving at a website, there was a little meter that could answer the questions that you're really thinking?

How many times have you browsed online and wondered things like:

Is this furniture going to fall apart after one month? Are these sheets going to turn out to be scratchy and rough? Are these toys truly safe for my children? Is that gadget going to be out of date by the time it arrives here?

I just want to know that a company cares - about their products, about the environment, about their customers. I want to know that they love what they do and are passionate about sharing that with the world. On top of that, I want their products to be well-made, high quality, and ones that I'm going to look at every day and be happy that they're in my home.

Is that all too much to ask? For a lot of sites, yes. But for Yala Designs, that's exactly what you'll find in their stylish, comfortable, and gorgeous bamboo apparel, bedding, and accessories.

bamboo productsAlready having introduced the world to their amazing DreamSacks, Yala Designs has taken their knowledge and turned it towards eco-friendly clothing for the entire family. Made from organically formed bamboo that is stain, wrinkle, and odor-resistant, your wardrobe will never be the same once you've triedDreamSacks these items on.

Plus, if their amazing products aren't enough, Yala is one business that you can be proud to support. This family-owned company takes fair trade to a higher level and keeps in touch with their factories and bamboo groves around the world as often as possible. They also support over a dozen local and global organizations that care for communities all across the world.

But that's not all. Yala is also completely green, doing everything possible when it comes to reusing, recycling, utilizing solar electric truckenergy... they even ship responsibly (they drive an electric truck!) and make all inbound or outbound shipments carbon neutral. How many companies do you know that can claim that?

So even though I was already impressed with Yala and completely smitten with the look of the Bamboo Dreams Circle Top and the Bamboo Dreams Women's Natural Wide Leg Pants just from their pictures, seeing and feeling them in person was a whole different story.

eco-friendly clothingCrafted from sustainable fibers using 100% Azo-free dyes, these items felt so incredibly silky and soft that it is hard to believe that they don't contain actual silk. As I unfolded each piece, the wrinkles seemed to melt away and all that was left was a comfortable, relaxed style that was ready for multiple occasions.

Slipping first into the Natural Wide Leg Pants, I was immediately in love with the flowing, chic look and the incredible smooth feel that they provided.

bamboo pantsSomehow combining the comfort of your worn-in sweatpants with the style of a fashion show, these are quite likely my favorite pair of pants. Ever. They fit, they flatter, they go with absolutely any top, and have I mentioned how darn soft they are? I want to put them on every morning and sleep in them every night, they just feel so good.

And when I pair the Natural Wide Leg Pants with Yala's Circle Top, it's like they were just made for each other.

bamboo topEven though it appears blue in the picture, this top is a smokey gray that I love and that only complements the flowy bodice. When my husband first saw me wearing the Circle Top, he pointed out right away how "that's the type of top that ALL women should wear. Look how it flows and would flatter everyone!"

After I got done laughing, I had to admit that of course I agreed. Yala came up with just the right combination of trendy and timelessness for this simple design. From the gathers at the neckline to the band at the bottom, this top goes well with skirts, jeans, loose pants and more and can easily be dressed up or down for the occasion.

I couldn't be happier with Yala Designs as a company and with their amazing apparel. They clearly care about the environment as well as with providing their customers high quality items that are safe from any unwanted, harmful ingredients... and that will surely provide style, comfort, and luxury for any age or for your home.

travel clothesThe first two things that I packed in my suitcase for vacation recently were these!

The prices on Yala items are a little higher than I might normally pay (the Natural Wide Leg Pants retail for $94 and the Circle Top sells for $58), but these are definitely items that feel sumptuously worth it. And, thanks to their generosity, one person will get to feel just how amazing bamboo from Yala Designs can really feel, because...

One lucky person will win a beautiful Lightweight PashBu Scarf
from Yala! ARV $29 and available in 10 colors!


Yala giveawayTo enter to win: Visit Yala Designs and tell me which beautiful item (other than those mentioned in this post) is your favorite.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Yala Designs on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a gorgeous Lightweight PashBu Scarf from @YalaDesigns! Soft, light, and beautiful! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/iegYfc #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on April 21st at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only (Canadian residents will be responsible for any fees incurred).

A big thank you to Yala Designs for providing a Bamboo Dreams Women's Natural Wide Leg Pants and Bamboo Dreams Circle Top for me to review as well a Lightweight PashBu Scarf for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.