Underground Chic : Funky Local Boutiques Stock Hip-Hop, Punk and Grunge
Journeying to Hollywood shops is getting less necessary for the young and hip (or those not-so-young but terminally hip) who live in Orange County.
For those who dare not to conform in Conservative Country, there is a handful of boutiques stocking fashion too hot (or too weird) for the masses to touch. Many of the shops have opened in just the past year.
Whether it’s grunge, hip-hop, punk, modern Bohemian or retro chic, complete counterculture regalia appears in these shops long before it hits the malls. Buyers at these specialty boutiques regularly travel to England and New York to research what’s being worn in nightclubs and on the streets and, most importantly, to buy clothes, accessories and shoes from new and obscure designers who offer items as different as they are limited. The boutiques are equally supportive of fledgling local designers, providing in-store displays and promotions.
Keeping ahead of the mall pack isn’t easy. MTV has made it even easier for department stores to plug into what young people want, forcing these boutiques to work extra hard to keep an edge.
Case in point: Dr. Martens. The beloved clunky footwear of choice among the counterculture crowd for more than a decade finally hit the malls this season. Dismayed, most alternative-wear boutiques say they will ride out this trend by offering hard-to-find styles in addition to carrying brands by funky up-and-coming shoemakers. But deserting Docs is not an option--they’re too comfortable, too practical, too durable and too punk (despite their current mainstream appeal).
Still, the boutique owners are unfailing in their determination to maintain their status as The Source for underground fashion. As Zac Attac owner Thom Tetreault says, “When (a label) sells out to the malls, it’s out of here. Neither I or my customer wants anything to do with it then.”
Some silhouettes found in the mall might compare to those found in some of these boutiques. However, the true test of what’s unique and what’s a watered-down knockoff is in the details: a pointier collar, a flounced heel, a cheesy fabric used for its kitsch effect. Those in the know know what to look for, and they know to look to these stores for what’s in .
BOHEMIAN GROOVES
545-A W. 18th St., Costa Mesa (714) 631-8506.
Expect the unconventional in this corner store, from a pin-striped men’s suit altered with burgundy chiffon and gem-studded lace to a circa-1930s vanity decoupaged with cherubs. Owner Janine Thibeault combines her obsession for eclectic fashion and furnishings, selling new women’s apparel next to vintage and antique furniture and knickknacks. Along with lines from Tantrum, Mantrap, Vickie & Shantal and Carea, Thibeault carries her own one-of-kind creations under the labels The Groove Line and Recycled Art Wear.
She approaches her own designs from a love for avant-garde couture costumery--without the ridiculously high prices. The small lines have been received so well that she plans to expand them into mini-collections. A former interior decorator, Thibeault also offers personal interior design and custom furniture services. The store also sells some vintage apparel and jewelry.
DECADES
360 S. Coast Highway, Laguna Beach (714) 497-3861.
As the name implies, this Laguna Beach store deals in the trends of this century’s decades: the flowing silhouettes of the ‘30s, the long, slim skirts of the ‘40s, ‘60s-style swing dresses, ‘70s-inspired crocheted bell-bottoms.
However, don’t expect vintage clothing or exact replicas of the original styles. Decades offers classics with a modern edge. That includes “recycled” fashion such as belts made of seat belts embellished with bottle caps and an old men’s suit jacket reworked with swatches of lace or animal print fabric and detailed with antique reproduction jewelry.
Says former manager Lauren Siegal, “We like things that have a touch of the past with a look toward the future.” Many items have a very modern flair, such as boxers with a secret pocket for condom storage. Other items make great gifts, such as one-of-a-kind jewelry and sculpture and whimsical hats by local artists.
The store carries unusual apparel and accessories for men and women with labels such as ReDenim, Antique Boutique, Venetian Paradise, Old Friends, Split, Ripe, BC Ethic, Anarchic Expression, Disorder, Murmur and Urban Outfitters.
HARD TIMES
459 N. Tustin Ave., Orange. (714) 538-0332.
Walking into Kyrie Pagalidis’ boutique is like walking into a living room of bad taste: the bright yellow vinyl couch, the leopard bar that doubles as a register counter, a zebra chair covered with clear plastic and the stand-up cardboard image of the face of Jesus (which she sells) surrounded by sunflowers. This glorious camp caters to the tongue-in-chic humor associated with the crowd she clothes.
Since moving from the Newport Beach location she opened in 1989 to Orange almost two years ago, Pagalidis has shifted from a rave to a street-wear focus, reflecting the subculture’s movement from a strictly nightclub uniform to fashion for everyday life. She’s used to getting requests for pants with a 46-inch waist from boys who actually have mid-sections measuring 28 inches.
On the racks hang gear from Havoc, Freak Show, Zung, Fresh Jive, Spot Girl and Gypsys and Thieves. Hard Times also sells bigger-than-life accessories, including mushroom mobiles, “Mona Lisa” socks, lighters bearing 1950s pin-up girls, rings with images of the Virgin Mary and saints, daisy earrings and Astroboy purses and wallets.
RACK N RUIN
23710 El Toro Road, El Toro. (714) 380-4033.
Owner Steve Wagoner figures his clientele is mostly skaters and hip-hoppers and, although he sells extra-large clothes geared to males, teen-age girls are often his buyers.
“They wear the stuff too,” he says. “Most of all, I love seeing parents in here. They’re here to buy, not just look.” So Wagoner helps Mom and Pop pick out the clothes junior wants to wear. That includes pants, shorts, shirts and jackets from Jaisel, Gouge, SMP and Swank and grunge- and punk-band T-shirts (strangely enough, Black Flagg continues to outsell contemporary bands among kids).
Shoes cater mostly to his skateboarder customers: Dr. Marten shoes and boots, monkey boots, creepers, AirWalks and (presumably to their girlfriends) patent spiked pumps. The South County store also carries iron cross necklaces, skull bracelets, sunglasses, beanies and biker leather jackets. Kids, probably not parents, buy out the hair dyes that include colors such as flamingo pink, spring green and Atlantic blue.
“They sell out every time I get a shipment,” Wagoner says. Business stays mostly brisk with his mail-order catalogue, which sells all over the United States and as far as Japan and France.
SUNLINE ELECTRIC CHAIR
Main St., Huntington Beach. (714) 536-0784.
The Mac Daddy shop of them all, this 8,500-square-foot store is the third home in the past decade for Electric Chair along downtown Main Street. Having always lived comfortably among the surf and bikini shops, Electric Chair diversified into a punk shop from its true surf roots in 1984.
The secret to success for this family-owned business has been employing young buyers in tune with what’s hot on the street. The shoe department boasts the largest and most diverse collection of Dr. Marten styles in the county, in addition to a wide selection of spiked thigh-high boots, platforms and nature shoes. And, it is the only place in Orange County that carries designer John Fluevog’s wacky footwear, although in limited numbers.
Underground fashion has moved away from the tight plaid pants the store once carried. Now it stocks oversized gear from local companies Gypsys& Thieves, Twenty-Four Seven, Raw Vibe, Unitryb and 26 Red. Young women can find dresses, hot pants, bell-bottoms (Electric Chair carried the ‘70s flashback years before they were deemed fashionable), Onassis suits and Vampira-inspired outfits from labels such as Skin & Bones, Body & Soul, Maia, Mantrap, NC17, Rare Groove, Tripp and UFO. Most of it is black, and the items in other colors are in punk plaids and flower prints.
There is also lingerie in velvet, lame and plastic. Those with a fetish for black leather will find dresses, halter tops, pants and biker jackets (the latter two for both sexes). An entire corner and several racks are crammed with T-shirts bearing everything from hardcore punk and grunge bands to rap artists, statements of peace and anarchy and rave graphics.
Accessories include cigarette cases, furry biker wallets and studded and glittery belts in leather and vinyl. There is also a varied selection of retro and modern sunglasses and jewelry, including sterling toe rings, skulls, crosses, dog tags and enamel rave necklaces.
Fashion aside, the store also sells records and compact discs by alternative bands, as well conversation pieces such as gargoyles.
ZAC ATTAC
21184 Beach Blvd., Huntington Beach. (714) 960-7059.
When Thom Tetreault opened the doors to Zac Attac in late 1991, he wanted to bring locals a boutique that would save them more than a trip to the Melrose district.
“A lot of people go to Hollywood for better prices,” Tetreault says. “But I want people to save their gas and come here rather than drive up to Melrose.” He says he sells items such as Dr. Martens 15% to 20% lower than anywhere in the county.
Fifteen months after opening, Tetreault is doubling the size of the store to 3,000 square feet. The store will expand its shoe display, feature a section for junior and women’s wear and create more room for leather fashions.
With the expansion, Tetreault will return to his original store plan of offering alternative goods to kids following musical trends of all genres--from the hip-hopper to the headbanger. Those other trends have been relegated to corners of the shop since the explosion of rave and skate wear in the past year.
As a result, his best sellers include labels such as Rubber Soul, Sjobeck, Clobber, Car Wash, Soul and Crime. They’re duds kids find ideal for showing of their individuality.
“If the kids that walk in see some label that Dad’s wearing, they won’t even touch it,” Tetreault says.
Zac Attac also sells sunglasses with retro frames, suede chokers, biker wallets (with some of the chunkiest chain anywhere), a large selection of unnatural hair dyes and sterling silver jewelry. The store also stocks rare singles and albums by punk, new wave and grunge bands as well as independent releases by local groups.
Hair and makeup for all models pictured by Kenneth Michael for Christopher & Co.
