Shops Offer Light Summer Wear That’s Light on Pocketbook Too

Orange County women don’t need passports and staterooms on cruise ships to show off their resort wear. Here, all the casual pieces of a wardrobe--T-shirts, shorts, sun dresses, lightweight pants and anything else a globe-trotter might take on a holiday to Borneo or the Bahamas--are in the stores year-round.

The warm climate assures a steady supply of hot-weather staples, and that means the pickings among off-price stores are perennially plentiful. Among the stores that pack a lot of style into a little price:

ARTHUR JOHN’S

Arthur John’s stores offer a large selection of contemporary casual wear at 30% to 70% off suggested retail prices. Componix, Hype, Platinum, A.C. Sport and Wild Rose are typically in good supply.

2207 Main St., Suite 24, Seacliff Village, Huntington Beach, (714) 960-5752; 2213 Main St., Huntington Beach, (714) 536-2122.

DESIGNER CLOTHING CLUB

The Designer Clothing Club is a traveling trunk show offering in-season designer casual and dressier wear at 40% to 50% off original retail prices. Among the warm-weather-wear to be offered at the July 30 and 31 show will be linen shorts, casual silk jackets and nautical T-shirts from such labels as PSI, Bicci and Albert Nipon.

July 30-31: Anaheim Convention Center, Room AR-1, 800 W. Katella Ave., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. To be placed on the mailing list, write to Designer Clothing Club, P.O. Box 19681-524, Irvine , Calif. 92713.

DESIGNER LABELS FOR LESS

Designer Labels for Less has casual wear, such as Carole Little, at 40% to 80% off the original retail price. Some good bets spotted on a recent trip: straight rayon skirts and matching tops ($53 and $78) and Jones New York lime-green double-breasted jackets ($83).

Antique Guild, 1801 E. Dyer Road, Santa Ana, (714) 261-6678.

EXPRESS

Express specializes in inexpensive contemporary casual wear for young women who don’t need all those hidden extras that make designer duds so pricey.

The emphasis here is on the bright, the forward and the fun. Colorful rayon dresses in dozens of patterns, from red-and-white polka dots to mod black checks, that usually sell for $39 are on sale for $29.99. Vivid floral spandex short dresses that can be had for $19 are now selling for $14.99, and tied-knot tops in a variety of bright hues are $15.

Brea Mall, (714) 990-0288. Crystal Court, (714) 435-0462. Laguna Hills Mall, (714) 859-6157. MainPlace/Santa Ana, (714) 543-4497. Mission Viejo Mall, (714) 364-1488. Newport Center Fashion Island, (714) 720-9252. South Coast Plaza, (714) 540-8416.

HARRIS RED TAG

Harris Red Tag is the outlet store for Harris Department Stores. You’ll find a wonderful selection of top designer names such as Adrienne Vittadini, Pierre Cardin, Ralph Lauren, Karen Kane, Max Mara and Ellen Tracy all at up to 40% to 80% off regular retail prices.

Tustin Market Place, 281 El Camino Real, (714) 669-4780.

NORDSTROM RACK

Nordstrom devotes about 60% of its outlet store to women’s casual wear and shoes. Labels offered include Jones New York, Liz Clairborne, Donna Karan, Ellen Tracy II, Calvin Klein, Adrienne Vittadini and most other names sold at Nordstrom. The merchandise is either transferred from Nordstrom or purchased specially for the Rack, and is usually 25%-75% off Nordstrom’s prices. Currently available is a French Connection long wrap-around skirt ($35).

3900 S. Bristol St., Santa Ana, (714) 751-5901.

LOEHMANN’S

At Loehmann’s, you’ll find an extensive selection of mid-priced spring office and casual wear from some of the better-known designers at 33% or more off retail prices. These are first-quality garments.

Some of the best buys at Loehmann’s--the ones shoppers brag about--are in the Back Room, where the cognoscenti know the top-of-the-line American and European stuff is stocked. But designer togs can be found all over the store--minus the labels, of course. (Half the fun of shopping here is cracking the coding on the store’s tags). A couple of examples of the savings: DKNY double-breasted black rayon jacket originally selling for $415 now priced at $149.

18595 Main St., Huntington Beach, (714) 842-3755; 28021 Greenfield Drive, Laguna Niguel, (714) 643-1770; 1411 S. Harbor Blvd., Fullerton, (714) 879-8665.

RECYCLED RAGS

Recycled Rags is a resale boutique that currently has an abundance of spring/summer better quality items at deep discount. You might find an Anne Klein II two-piece green silk skirt and jacket for $120, a turquoise St. John knit short-and-top set for $120, Donna Karan red linen jacket for $70 or cotton separates by Carole Little and Adrienne Vittadini for $8 to $44. Sale hounds might want to sniff out the 40% markdowns at the parking lot sales held on the last Sunday of the month.

2731 E. Coast Highway, Corona del Mar, (714) 675-5553.