California Apparel News

Dotted with strip malls, Costa Mesa, Calif.’s East 17th Street doesn’t look like your typical fashion street, but it’s a great place to plan a wardrobe for the tropics, said Yolanda Caldwell, founder of Tulum, a boutique at 369 E. 17th St.

Tulum concentrates on resortwear, which is a big market in the wealthy beach towns surrounding this shopping street. “A lot of [the store’s] regulars have second homes in Cabo San Lucas [in Baja California] and St. Barts [in the Caribbean Sea],” Caldwell said. “People are still traveling all of the time.”

The sprawl of 17th Street has been the address for many fashion stores over the years, said Tami Ruggerello, co-owner of the Bella Bleu boutique at 333 E. 17th St.

She’s been selling and managing the street’s fashion boutiques for years. She said East 17th Street’s central location makes it an easy shopping trip for women in Costa Mesa and nearby Newport Beach as well as for customers from coastal towns farther away such as Huntington Beach and Laguna Beach.

In May, Maggie O’Melveny debuted 17th Street’s newest boutique, LuLu Boutique + Gallery, at 1724 Tustin Ave. It is located a few hundred yards away from East 17th Street. (In an interesting coincidence, O’Melveny was Ruggerello’s former boss. Ruggerello managed O’Melveny’s Three Friends fashion store, which is no longer in business.)

LuLu is something of an aberration to East 17th Street’s typical retail architecture. Instead of being in a strip mall, O’Melveny opened LuLu in a cottage that formerly housed a flooring company.

With a wide array of gifts, gardening and clothes, O’Melveny hoped LuLu would stand out for more than architecture. “We want to be the crossover store that attracts all categories: young high school girls, trendy moms and traditional soccer moms,” she said.

LuLu Boutique + Gallery carries gifts, gardening supplies and clothes. Some strong sellers include:

bull; Sanctuary Clothing’s “Peace Pant.” Boutique salesperson Megan Marshall said the military-inspired pant is a style for almost all seasons. “It is like ’The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants.’ They fit everybody,” Marshall said, comparing the popular pant to the book and movie.

Tulum specializes in fashions and styles a woman can wear on the beach. Other top-selling items include:

bull; Silk tunics from Los Angeles–based label Kareena Trends; one emblazoned with crystals retails for $319.bull; An embroidered white top by Los Angeles label Love Stitch retails for $26.

Bella Bleu focuses on fast-fashion clothes, with price points under $100. Other top-selling items include:

bull; The “Skinnie Classique” jean with a zip from Blank NYC, which retails for $78.bull; The baggy, boyfriend V-neck sweater from Los Angeles–based label Olive Olivia for $46.