FASHION : STYLE : Frill Seekers

Salsa nights in clubs like Santa Monica’s 5th Av. and Encino’s Hola! Barcelona often start with a dance lesson or two, then heat up fast. In a blur of lights, live music and high-energy mambo and merengue, women shimmy in dresses covered with ruffles, fringe, lace and sequins. Their partners sizzle in wide-shouldered jackets, baggy pants and colorful shirts. And though the musicians of Orquesta Mazacote (far right) dress quietly on most nights, they don guaracheras , those frilly, Ricky Ricardo-esque shirts, for special occasions.

Recently, these clubs have been where real meets reel: Some of the dancers can be seen in “The Mambo Kings,” the new movie based on Oscar Hijuelos’ Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, and their wardrobes are as free-wheeling as the music. One of the background dancers and something of a local mambo king, City Dance Studio instructor Ron Arciaga wears thrift-shop jackets and steps out in new Pierre Cardin spectator shoes he bought just before filming started. Whatever the price, the point is looking the part without skipping a beat.