Lasting From Time to Time : * Laura Ashley’s designs--which are classic, not trendy--feature velvet and taffeta for the holiday.

The clink of porcelain cups, the warmth of cozy rooms draped with garlands, and the sight of mothers and their little girls in lace-collared dresses combine to create a scene from Dickens’ Christmas past, but actually, it’s teatime at the McCharles House, a restaurant in a refurbished Victorian home.

On a recent Sunday, owners Audrey and Vivian Heredia invited representatives from the Laura Ashley store in MainPlace/Santa Ana to show off clothes that fit the occasion of an old-fashioned tea and to offer suggestions on other holiday attire.

Laura Ashley’s romantic dresses for women and children are especially suited for church on Christmas morning or a neighborhood party, but they’re not necessarily for those who like to be on fashion’s cutting edge.

“We’ll never go into neon. We’re not trendy,” says Tina Dusenbury, assistant manager and image consultant for Laura Ashley.

This season Laura Ashley has a collection of timeless dresses made of traditional tartan plaids from Scotland. Dusenbury wore a simple drop-waist dress of dark navy and green tartan with a sheer lace collar that lightened the look and drew attention to her face.

“You can pull this out five years from now and wear it,” she says.

But don’t confuse old-fashioned with outdated.

“Some people think we’re ‘Little House on the Prairie.’ We’re not. We’re classic,” Dusenbury says. “To them, our black velvet strapless gown might be a surprise.”

So would the company’s flirty above-the-knee taffeta party dresses.

Laura Ashley is showing a lot of velvet and taffeta for the holiday, including tea-length dresses with black velvet bodices and full skirts of dark red or purple taffeta.

“The trendiest thing we’ve done for the holidays is add a small amount of beading to some of the clothes,” Dusenbury says.

For just a touch of glitz, designers created a black velvet strapless gown with subtle bead work around the top.

Mother-child outfits are also popular around the holidays, but those coordinating clothes can be a dangerous approach to dressing. Mothers can end up in garments that look too girlish, while daughters can find themselves in clothes that look too old.

Laura Ashley avoids the problem by designing different outfits for both, but using the same print. Thus, Dusenbury’s plaid drop-waist dress is also available in a little girl’s pinafore, offset by a white cotton blouse with a rounded collar.

“Mothers want something with a waist,” she says.

Laura Ashley also has coordinating outfits for mothers and their baby boys, but “you won’t find any florals.”

Dusenbury has tips on accessories to perfect Laura Ashley’s traditional looks.

She recommends dark opaque, sheer black or ivory hose and simple suede or velvet pumps with flat heels to go with the classic styles.

“You don’t want the focus on the feet. You want to bring it to the face with a lace collar or jewelry,” she says.

Jewelry should be tasteful, not trendy, and on the small side for a romantic touch.

“The dresses lend themselves to pearls because they tend to be a little old-fashioned,” she says. Small crystal earrings are recommended for evening sparkle.

Hairstyles, too, are simple. For tea parties, hair can be pulled back in a ponytail and fastened with a velvet bow or brushed back from the forehead and held in place with a black velvet headband.

“The idea is to keep the whole look very soft,” Dusenbury says.

The century-old McCharles House with its dark polished wood interior, paisley and cabbage rose wall coverings, overstuffed pillows and antiques offers a perfect backdrop for the clothes.

The restaurant offers Victorian-style “St. Nicholas teas” every afternoon except Mondays through Dec. 31. For customers taking time off from the crowded malls, it’s a way to savor the season.

“It’s a very gracious time,” says Audrey Heredia, who owns the restaurant with her daughter Vivian. “Everything in our lives is so fast-paced that it’s a nice way to slow down.”

For the Heredias, teatime is a family tradition that has been passed down through the generations. Audrey Heredia has childhood memories of her mother serving her tea in the afternoons.

“I knew I was getting bigger because the amount of tea rose in my cup,” she says.

They make tea the slow, old-fashioned way, by steeping the tea leaves in hot water for three minutes in china pots. It’s served in dainty china teacups and often eaten with scones.

“The tea ceremony is a nice time to sit and relax,” Heredia says. “We don’t eat and run.”