Tracy Reese, Juicy Pump Sales at Elisa B.

Bipolar categories are the stuff of sales at Elisa B.’s contemporary 800-square-foot boutique in the historic Old Pasadena district of Southern California.

Foremost on customers’ minds are dressier outfits and onepiece slip dresses for homecomings, charity events and office parties. The key look is a Tracy Reese lavender two-piece skirt set crafted with a beaded lace overlay.

“Women love it and it’s the first item they try on,” said boutique owner Elisa Bruley, adding that the nearly $600 price tag hasn’t intimidated the younger shopper either. “They’ll stop at nothing to outdo one another.”

Other strong dress resources are Nanette Lepore, Mandalay and Beth Browley. Slip dresses to the knee and tealength varieties are the most “salable,” Bruley said.

Another item that would be selling, had Bruley decided to stock it, is Juicy Couture’s nearly $400 cashmere athletic set.

“I can kick myself, I’m so dumb—I’m getting daily requests for it,” Bruley said. “It never occurred to me that the women would upgrade to that price point.”

Juicy’s velour sets are the consolation prize, and they’re still checking strong with the sell-out of the pink and blue versions. Juicy’s latest addition of thermal sets is also a hit with shoppers, who are mixing and matching the looks with the velour, Bruley said. The T-shirts, zip-up hoodies and pants have a touch of stretch for a flattering fit, she said.

Bruley, whose 9-year-old store is expected to ring up $1.2 million in sales this year, said business is ahead by 10 percent compared to last year. What’s keeping her even busier these days is the Nov. 7 opening of her new 1,500-square-foot store at Santana Row in San Jose, Calif. The new 42- acre mixed-use development, which will also be home to Gucci, Escada and Tod’s, opens at a time when the economy hasn’t been kind to Northern California, causing some anxiety among the new tenants.

“It’s a little scary,” Bruley admits. “The announcement that Sun [Microsystems] is laying off 4,400 people is a little disconcerting. They’re just around the corner from us. We know we have the community’s emotional support. We just hope for its financial support as well.” To be on the safe side, she’s projecting $700,000–$800,000 in sales for the store’s first year. —Nola Sarkisian-Miller