Fashion conscious

Marisa O’Neil

Summer’s here, with its warmer temperatures, sunnier skies and an

excuse to buy new clothes. Or, at least to allow for some wistful

window-shopping.

In Orange County, fashion runs the gamut. You’ve got your casual

surfer style, your pricy designer styles, flirty dresses and unique

amalgamations of all of the above. Then there’s Fox’s “The O.C.,”

where even teenage girls carry Chanel handbags.

And Newport-Mesa is a shopper’s paradise with upscale malls, chain

stores, unique boutiques and tons of sportswear manufacturers. But

what to wear this summer?

This year’s new black

Pink is the new black. And so is turquoise, kelly green and just

about every other bright hue under the California sun.

“I think for this summer, it’s all about color,” said Kari Stade,

co-owner of the Closet at Triangle Square and Fashion Island. “It’s

definitely a strong look we’re trying to portray in our store.

Everything is sexy and really feminine. White is also a really strong

color for us.”

An easy way to add a punch of color is with lightweight, layered

T-shirts and tank tops, said Debbie Askew, co-owner of Costa Mesa’s

Lola Rouge boutique. Her store carries brands such as Velvet and

Christina Lehr. Stade likes C & C California and Ella Moss shirts.

“Layering is going to be key,” said Catrina Crawford, a

spokeswoman for surfwear company Quiksilver. “Shirred T-shirts, tanks

over tanks, short-sleeve T-shirts over tanks, lots of sherbet

colors.”

Lightweight corduroy pants and miniskirts are popular among the

teen and 20-something customers who wear Quiksilver’s Roxy line,

Crawford said.

White, especially in pants and jeans, is also big this summer,

Askew said.

Pretty dresses, prints and soft fabrics are giving the summer a

decidedly girly feel this year, too.

Floral prints, Pucci-style prints and strips liven up tops,

dresses, hats, headbands and other accessories.

“We have lots of cute summer dresses,” Askew said. “People love

Trina Turk, who has matching beach hats and swimsuits.”

If you have only a couple hundred dollars to spend on something

new, Askew recommends a “cute summer dress” and long, teardrop

earrings.

Skirts are flirty and knee-length or very, very short. Ruffles,

too, are making a comeback, especially tiers of ruffles in skirts and

tank tops.

Prepare to re-live the ‘80s

The bright colors, the ruffles, Madonna and Prince on tour -- yes,

the ‘80s are back.

But this isn’t your mother’s ‘80s, or even your own ‘80s if you

were “flashdancing” in leg warmers to A Flock of Seagulls back then.

Off-the-shoulder tops, a la Jennifer Beals in “Flashdance,” are

popular this summer, but more refined than her ripped sweatshirt.

Manufacturers like Lacoste, Adidas and Op are making a comeback

with modern versions of their old classics.

“We’re playing off of our Op classics, updating all of our old

looks that we became famous for in the ‘80s, but we’ve updated them,”

said Nat Norfleet, vice president of design. “I don’t think many

young girls want to wear the real stuff from the ‘80s.”

Gone is the elastic back on the classic cord fabric. It’s been

replaced with a lower rise on the waist. The new shirts have a

slimmer cut than the classic surf polo shirts.

Like the ideal mate, a good pair of jeans is hard to find no

matter how many you try.

The cut right now is a little more pared down and longer than the

flared styles of the past, Crawford said.

“We’re changing from a baggier look to a slimmer, Iggy Pop-type

look,” she said. “It’s all about the ‘80s.”

In addition to the popular, upscale Diesel and Seven jeans, Stade

said Joe’s Jeans and Sacred Blue are popular brands at the Closet.

Prices range from $130 to $200.

Accents like flower pins and hair clips, long earrings and

Pucci-inspired headbands help complete the right summer look, Askew

said.

Her shop sells the requisite pointy-toe pumps and slingbacks as

well as colorful flip-flops with rhinestone accents. They also carry

Dr. Scholl’s sandals with hand-painted wood platforms, vintage

Gucci-printleather or custom-made with an initial.

The kids can be all right

Designers are realizing the allure of too-cute, too-small versions

of their grown up clothes and are branching into kid and toddler

lines. South Coast Plaza’s Paul Frank store, for example, is selling

“Small Paul” -- pint-sized T-shirts with his iconic monkey Julius and

other characters on them.

The line launched late last year with T-shirts and fleece, said

Ryan Heuser, president of Costa Mesa’s Paul Frank Industries. It will

eventually expand to include other clothing and accessories.

Quiksilver Youth’s Fashion Island store carries the Teeny Wahine

line of Roxy-esque styles in sizes 4 to 6x as well as boys’ clothes

all the way down to toddler sizes. The store had to expand its

toddler collection after sales for it took off, Crawford said.

The little surfer clothes give local boys and girls an early start

in O.C. style and help keep the rays at bay.

“The little, tiny rash guards are really great,” Crawford said.

“With little kids, it’s hard to get sun block on them, so they’re

cute and really effective.”

* MARISA O’NEIL covers education. She may be reached at (949)

574-4268 or by e-mail at [email protected].