Wrap Up Gift List With a String of Specialty Shops
Located in northern Orange County, Brea Mall is best known to residents of Brea, as well as those from Diamond Bar, Yorba Linda and Placentia. But for nearby San Gabriel Valley shoppers, it remains a resource waiting to be discovered.
The two-story indoor mall, open since 1977, falls into the “manageable” category--far larger than most strip centers but smaller than, say, the gargantuan Del Amo Mall.
It has the standard array of department stores--Robinson’s, May Co., the Broadway, Sears, Nordstrom--and some hard-to-find ones, such as Conran’s, the contemporary home-furnishing mecca.
Though there’s plenty of free parking, a good strategy during the busy holiday season is to arrive a little after 9:30 a.m., just as the Foodworks, the immaculate food court, starts brewing coffee.
On weekdays before 10 a.m. the flavor-of-the-day coffee at Gloria Jean’s Coffee Bean is half price--a mere 35 cents a cup. On Saturdays, and during Christmas week, the deals begin at 8:30 a.m. Be sure to bring a sweater--mornings are a bit drafty here.
Among the mall’s one-of-a-kind boutiques is i natural, an Earth-friendly cosmetics boutique and salon that offers a variety of skin- and nail-care services. Bath and manicure gift baskets start at $15.
Another specialty store is Country Collections, a charming shop full of gifts and Christmas decorations. Cotton and lace aprons for Mom and her helpers range in price from $15.95 to $21.95.
EM Originals specializes in Victorian-style jumpers, hats and dresses. Sizes range from 12 months to girls’ 9/10, and prices range from $14 for cotton pantaloons to $44 for a velvet romper. Similar merchandise sells for far more in specialty catalogues.
There are also several terrific sources for unusual costume and reproduction jewelry.
The Museum Company offers reproduction jewelry from several ancient cultures. Looks range from offbeat (a matte gold-tone eyeball pin) to traditional (silver filigree jewelry based on designs by the Yemenites). A pair of matte gold-tone Egyptian scarab earrings are $30. Supplementing the reproductions are whimsical and witty pieces by jewelry artists Remi Rubel, Jill Schwartz, Beth Saidel and Linda Hesh.
Glamour jewels are the specialty at Imposters. Faux stones set in vermeil fool one into thinking they’re the real thing. Prices range from $10 for pearl stud earrings to as much $1,000 for a faux diamond ring.
But some of the best Christmas finds here are fragrances.
Scents that mimic pricey designer originals go for $40 an ounce. Unlike some knockoffs, which consist of less expensive eau de parfum in no-frills glass containers, these copies are real perfumes in crystal bottles. Among the scents replicated are Chanel, Bijan, Eternity, Cartier and Tiffany .
Clothing-store options run the gamut from formal to outdoorsy to trendy.
Bebe offers private-label women’s sportswear and formal dresses for the holidays in wool crepe. The body-conscious designs are spare, understated and elegant, priced from $45 for a stretch bodysuit to $190 for longer evening dresses.
Big and Tall Men’s Fashions carries dress apparel and sportswear in jacket sizes 40 to 60 and pants size 32 to 70, plus special-order tuxedos (a mere week’s notice required) by Dimitri and Geoffrey Beene. Prices start at $299 and escalate to $425 for gabardine styles.
Down-to-earth fashions are a specialty at Brea Pendleton. The store stocks weighty flannel men’s shirts with suede trim for $60. White cotton shirts with embroidered holiday trim for women are $52 to $56. It also has an unusual selection of colorful toiletry kits for men made from American Indian-style blankets for $20. Backpacks are $45, and elaborate vests and flak-style jackets are $80 to $144.
More avant-garde designs are available at Guccini, new to the mall this fall. The shop carries such Italian menswear lines as Paul Zileri, Confitri and Pancaldi. Suit prices range from $750 to $950. Armani ties are $75. Among the hottest-selling items are silk viscose shirts with lively Hermes- and Versace-inspired patterns for about $150 each.
Frederick’s of Hollywood expresses the joy of the holiday season with Santa-themed undergarments and accessories in red velvet trimmed in white feathers or faux fur. A pair of gloves is $3; a garter adorned with a Santa face, $5.
More G-rated are the vanity items for little girls at Karl’s Funspace. Prices range from $1.99 for a nail polish duo to $14.95 for a 27-piece makeup and hair accessory set.