LET’S ROCK ‘N’ ROLL
THE
THAT’S WHAT
&
SHE SAID
(An irreverant fashion column)
STAGECOACH
FEST FASHION EDITION
FRINGE & LACE, GAUDY GLITZ, BOLD COLORS, NATIVE PATTERNS, ORGANIC, UNPOLISHED JEWELRY THROWBACK FARE, & A TOUCH OF BIZARRE.
ONE GIRL’S VOYAGE ACROSS OC TO FIND THE BEST FEST FASHION FOR THE SUMMER’S BLOCKBUSTER MUSIC FESTIVALS TAKE HER WORD FOR IT --> JENNIFER HOOD Get ready to sweat, sway, swoon and sing (or wail in some of your cases) under the Indio sun. This summer’s two most anticipated music festivals are right around the corner, with the eclectic and varied Coachella Fest on April 15th (which means you’ll need to do your taxes sooner than the night before, oh procrastinator), and the epic country congregation of Stagecoach on the weekend of April 30th. The days require that you look your best. Who knows who you might meet in the porta-potty line? You want to strut out there looking like the muse for Kings of Leon’s “Sex on Fire”, or at least with the good humor of Neil Diamond’s “Sweet Caroline”, because what is style without the substance of a fun and fancy free personality? What do you wear to a desert fest? Not a lot. I’ll be hunting Orange County’s boutiques for light and breezy feminine pieces, edgy accessories, sheer tops over hot bikinis, short shorts, airy dresses, pop colors that would make Kanye proud, and native, organic patterns that give a shout out to the festivals’ desert setting. My first stop on my treasure hunt for fest fashion? The northerly parts of OC in Old Town Orange.
LAURENLY CLOTHING BOUTIQUE 142 N. Glassell St., Orange | 714-538-7467 | Laurenly.net
Laurenly Boutique is a treasure trove of femi-
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nine styles in lightweight, silky mediums. Lace, sheer, and floral adorn the racks, all quaintly illuminated by dollhouse white chandeliers. This will be the perfect spot to garner a flowy, comfy but girlish blouse or a sexy sweet dress from signature lines like Free People (figure a-1), Collective Concepts (figure c-2), House of Harlow, and the vintage inspired Siwy brand. You’ll be able to get a sweet but sassy look of the Taylor Swift variety at this fashion forward boutique owned by the stylish, young Lauren Miller, a grad of the local Chapman University. This is also a great place to pick up dainty, gold charm necklaces, gaudy statement necklaces, skinny accent belts, and colorful scarves to hide your desert sweat hair in the 12th hour of your 2nd day of camping at Coachella. We’ve found a frilly foundry of feminine pieces. Gentle is only it’s best with a bit of rough, though. We need some edgy pieces to contrast the soft. Lets head to the coast for a threesome on Balboa Island. The Mighty Threesome: Along Balboa’s length, you’ll find a triad of boutiques with tons of fest fashion pieces. At the beginning of the stretch:
CANDACE PAIGE
324 Marine Ave, Balboa Island | 949-673-5707 ShopCandacePaige.com
Owned by a mother and daughter duo, this boutique combines pieces for the more mature female, as well as the flirty, foxy teen and twenty-something. When I dropped by Candice Paige (after trading a Balboa resident my soul for a parking spot in front of his house) I was loving the casual but chic pieces by Merritt Charles, and the flowy, oversized, super soft graphic tees she was carrying by Wildfox and Lauren Moshi (figure b-1). These are perfect tops to wear loosely over a sexy bikini, with their bold images and sans serif fonts screaming warnings like “je t'aime.” The shirts pair nicely with the store's offering of James Icon “Jagger” jeans – skinny, black, come hither denims, with subtle, black studded knee patches (figure b-3). Candice also offers a nice array of accents: thick chain necklaces, leather and bead bracelets by Chan Luu, and intricate, studded leather belts that look equally fitting of a country diva or a rocker mama. Just a few paces away is the second member of our threesome.