Designer Spotlight: Athletic Wear's Doce Vida
By Stephanie Block

That's "doe-say" Vida for all you non-Portuguese speakers. The language of Brazil translates very well with Jordan Veatch-Goffi's exciting new athletic wear collection, Ativa.

And I had to admit, for a woman just out of the gym, she looked perfectly poised to conduct an interview with the press. I thought about how I look after the gym, my grubby t-shirts and lycra pants. Yes, I had even dared to go thus dressed to the grocery store a couple times, sweaty and feeling sorry for the checkout guy, the smell of a triumphant spin class drifting from my body.

"I'm totally dry after my spin class," Jordan beams, looking for all the world like she hasn't gone to class yet. Burning through both calories and the myth that you can't look good if you wanna sweat? The technical secret is her collection's air-wicking fabric; the social secret is much more. She's all about "functional and fashionable athletic wear for serious athletes or just to look cute. You can run errands around town after your workout-pick up the kids after school-because you look good."

Jordan did not mess around when she came up with Doce Vida. Not a wafer-thin, one blow and she'd tip over kind of girl, Jordan was constantly searching for workout gear solutions for her athletic build. She was tired of workout bras that "you'd need to buy two sizes smaller, and they smash your boobs and are so tight that you end up feeling like a sausage."

Her clever choice of an empire-waist design lifts you up without flattening you out like a "pancake." And the flattering tank tops are customizable-just snip the straps and resew them if you need to. "A custom fit leads to more lift," winks Jordan. Instead of two smashed tomatoes gracing your chest, you'll be saying good-bye to those buxom blues.

Celebrate Your Body!

Let's face it; there has long been a Catch-22 in the workout world. And it goes something like this: you workout to look good, but you need to look good to work out. Isn't that how it is at your gym? A bunch of Victoria Secret models in synch at step aerobics?

That's the inspiration behind Jordan's line, a Brazilian-style celebration of real women's bodies (not to say that if you already have a Tour de France body that these fab fashions won't be a tour de force on you-even size 0 wins with the versatile Doce Vida!). Because even though our first impulse may be to hide our frames under baggy clothes, Jordan says that this is not the most flattering solution.

She insists that tight, black workout clothes look better. Why? They hold you in! Think of them as "comfortable corsets."

And once you, heavens to dumbbells, experience positive feelings at the gym, you will want to go that extra mile. When you look in the mirror and feel good about yourself, feel fashionable and that you're on the right track, why, you'll want to go out onto the track!

Jordan's main desire is for us women to love the skin we're in. Sometimes it's hard to do when our bodies behave so naughtily: fierce raw cookie dough cravings at midnight, bloating without warning, redistributing an innocent turkey dinner to the thigh region. it's enough to make a girl say to hell with the gym and hello Häagen-Dazs!

But then, hopefully, you catch a glimpse of your smart Doce Vida outfit, and you remember how great it looks on you. And you see that inspirational word on the label ("Energetic" or "Active" or "Playful") and say, Look out Pilates, here I come!

Jordan is proud of her womanhood. She knows that we beat ourselves up mentally under the tremendous pressure out there, and that there is a huge lack of women's self esteem. And to her that translates into all the more reason to hit the gym with a fashionable vengeance and start out from a place of pride and joy, like a corporeal Carnival just for you!

The Doce Vida Ativa Line

Fitness instructors dote on her designs! They are soft, allow a full range of motion and wick moisture away. Capris, pants and tank tops rule the day. The double colored piping is fun, and bright colors cheer us up on those days when we'd rather hit anything or anyone other than the gym. And your wallet gets to live the Doce Vida, too-just buying a few key pieces allows you to get lots of outfit mileage. Mix, match and feel gorgeous! A few sets of abs; a few pieces from the Ativa line. Rest and repeat!

Zip hoodies and drawstring warm-up pants have arrived! The Refice Runner collection is Doce Vida's latest launch, and this matching jacket and pant set will certainly compliment your current Ativa wardrobe. Crafted from a revolutionary new Brazilain fabric called Tecnodry, not that you do, but if you were ever to sweat, the lightweight fabric will keep your glistening to a minimum. Athletic swimwear will also make its grand entrance soon. It will have the same look and feel of the Ativa line-feminine, flattering and colorful like the rest of the collection. Menswear, too, is on the horizon. Non-grubby gym boys? Oh, train them, Jordan, train them!

About the Designer

Jordan Veatch-Goffi is certainly no stranger to retail sales. Thanks to a Dad high up in the Nike Latin America ranks, she grew up with an insider's knowledge of sports retail. While other kids' Barbies were getting dressed up to go on dates with Ken, Jordan's Barbies were getting ready to kick Ken's ass in dolly boot camp. Her early U.S. professional career saw her chosen for Gap's prestigious retail merchandising program taught by the company VP's. Jordan, hobnobbing with retail manageratti, learned merchandising, planning, production and marketing.

Obviously a creative personality, Jordan realized that bringing people together was her passion. The corporate world had been very good to her, but ultimately she did not find her true satisfaction there. She wanted more of a one-on-one approach with people where she could see her work make a difference first hand.

She flexes all these muscles plus her own muscles-Jordan is an athlete. Triathlons, Pilates... But unlike Barbie, she never felt like she had the right gear. Her "boobs flopped around or were held in too tight. Compensating equaled chafing, which would ruin a good run!" And maybe you think we're talking about boobs too much, but Jordan has found that most clothes are built with smaller endowed women in mind. Yeah, a great rack can spoil a day at the track. It isn't fair!

How the Line Percolated

Doce Vida has long been the name of her events company. I was recently at a Brazilian party of hers where I saw stilt walkers doing the samba!

Since Jordan goes to Brazil two or three times a year, her friends began asking (okay, begging) her to bring back stuff for them because in Brazil, they get it right. Sure Giselle is from Brazil, but the Brazilian culture really celebrates all women's bodies, whether you're super curvy or look like you've got scurvy. Thus their clothing is really adjusted for a wider variety of shapes and sizes. And with Jordan's knowledge of the country, language, and how retail life lives there, it was easy for her to locate a good factory with good working conditions and well-paid labor.

Too, Jordan noticed an unfortunate trend going on back in the U.S.-the yoga craze was turning fitness wear way too drab and earthy. But events-minded Jordan has always thought of working out as going out, and thus brings bright colors to the fray.

Both creative and business-savvy, it is no surprise that Jordan pulled her dream together in a matter of months.

Festiva: You'll Flip for These Flip Flops

Yes, Jordan will style you from head to toe! And these flip flops were made for walking! Ms. Veatch-Goffi went straight to her grandparents' small town of (Pinda) Monhangaba where the famous Carnival beaders live. The same handiwork that dazzles the wild costumes of Carnival also scandalously lends Jordan's Festiva flip flop line its signature look. The beads catch plenty of light while masking the rubber beneath. And Jordan would never be offended if you snipped a couple beaded strands-feel free to customize!

The flip flops come in bright, Brazilian colors like red, orange, yellow, turquoise, lime green, hot pink, and black and white. And aren't white beaded flip flops just perfect for the bride?

The fancy flips transition perfectly from the pool to the party. They are durable enough to endure water, sand, and aromatherapy oil at the spa, yet stylish enough to wear to dinner or some crazy tiki bar. The coup de grace is the fact that these shimmering pool pals come in little velvet shoe bags, perfect for travel.

Yes, when I think Festiva flip flops, I think travel, travel, travel! With a pair of shoes that transitions, it makes for one less pair that you have to fit into your suitcase. Now you can buy yourself one more pretty thing!

Logo

You'll notice that the clothing is proud to be Born in Brazil. The colorful print piping against a black background mimics the sleek design of the clothes themselves. And you'll see a primitive, whimsical sort of spiral, a feminine symbol both Jordan and her mother have long been attracted to. Whenever they see something with spirals while shopping, they always buy it. The spiral also symbolizes infinite possibility-follow your dreams!

You will also, at some point, notice inspirational words tacked onto each piece of the collection. Each of eleven words corresponds to a color, like yellow is energetic and red equals strong. They are like little fortune cookies. And like a fortune cookie, they are all added at random in the factory. Jordan wants them to serve as a kind of daily motivation and meditation for her customers, who at the end of the day might ask themselves, was this word really random or fantastically fitting?

So whether it's about a particularly motivating word spurring your workout on, or about fitting yourself into sophisticated workout gear so that you can keep fitting into your "thin jeans," Jordan's Doce Vida line definitely fits into every woman's active lifestyle, boobs and all.

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For More Information

Ativa and Festiva Lines:
www.docevidafitness.com

Doce Vida Events:
www.docevidaevents.com

http://www.tangodiva.com