Boutique Surfing

Few places have a lifestyle that requires a wardrobe not just to match the climate but show off attitude as well. Parisians have the beret and the scarf, while Santa Fe residents swish in broomstick skirts and concho belts. In Malibu, the look revolves around blue jeans, bikinis, clunky sandals, all filtered through the prism of current fashion. While the beret and broomstick skirt remain indigenous mostly to their native habitats, Malibu’s look has come to epitomize luxurious leisure of the West Coast and has spread throughout international fashion.

It wasn’t so terribly long ago that Malibu was the rustic outpost for campers and beach bums who came for the beach and sunsets, not Barolo wine and Marc Jacobs jeans. Fred Segal, whose boutiques have become synonymous with hip L.A. style, hoped to preserve a little of the cozy village feeling when, in 1973, he bought the 1920s-era Malibu Colony Motel, a ramshackle building that had been converted into apartments. Without hesitation, he described it as “a total, rat-infested, scroungy, ugly eyesore.”

After two years of rehabbing, the property at 3835 Cross Creek Road opened as the Malibu Country Mart, an open-air mall that’s one of the city’s two main local shopping areas and includes a playground and picnic area. In 1980, Segal developed more boutiques at 3900 Cross Creek Road, only to sell the properties late in the decade. Retail rents, like prices for beachfront houses, have zoomed over the years, from $200 a month for a snack stand to $3,000 now. The goods on shelves went upscale along the way.

Malibu’s merchants cater to their wealthy residents’ worldly tastes. Even the Ralphs supermarket is ultra-gourmet.

Stores on the main shopping streets target mostly locals who prefer $200 European walking sandals, $180 pre-worn jeans or $150 bras that seem to be sold in every boutique.

Tourists may happen upon the occasional sweatshirt that advertises their trip to the coast, but more often, the goods reflect the essence of Malibu’s leisurely view of itself.

Stay-at-home moms and trend-conscious teenagers keep the shops busy all day. All that smog-free air must heighten residents’ sense of smell, because the stores offer what must be the region’s highest concentration of scented candles and perfumes.

Most shopping in this beach enclave takes place either at Malibu Country Mart boutiques, or farther up Pacific Coast Highway at Malibu Colony Plaza, which is anchored by Ralphs and Wolfgang Puck’s Granita restaurant. Granita is just one of the area’s well-known restaurants, which include Geoffrey’s up the coast, Saddle Peak Lodge in the mountains and Nobu at Country Mart. While Malibu’s look is worn throughout Los Angeles, here the selection is so refined that virtually any purchase will make you look like a tony local, even if your address is miles inland. Even though clothing prices are typically in the upscale-to-designer range--T-shirts are $50 and jeans are $150--and markdowns are few, browsing the shops in the cool, smogless ocean breezes beats breathing exhaust on the way out of the mega-mall garage. Here’s a sampling of what you’ll find:

Malibu Colony Plaza

Theodore: Three Theodore stores separately offer men’s, women’s and “Caribbean,” that is, everything Tommy Bahama. The men’s store is the strongest, with a wide selection of leather outerwear, hemp separates by 120% Cannabis, China Wall and the hot designers Roberto Cavalli, Jean Paul Gaultier and Dolce & Gabbana. The women’s store, Theodore Beach, offers virtually every color and shape of Michael Stars T-shirts, along with jeans by Crystal and Hippie. Theodore Man (310) 456-5940; Caribbean (310) 456-0704; Theodore Beach (310) 456-7719.

Philippe Derey: With some of the friendliest service in all of Malibu, the boutique also entices with moderately priced casual looks and sportswear from Three Dots, Just Cavalli, Urchin and Petro Zillia. (310) 317-0944.

La Chaussure: Owner Maxine Geyer has an instinct for feet, and the shoes that fit them as seen in her compact but well-edited mostly women’s shoe store. She stocks hard-to-find Donald J. Pliner styles, along with Cole Haan, Taryn Rose, Charles Jourdan, Donna Karan and Arche, as well as fun handbags. (310) 456-8278.

Becker Surfboards: Surf wear may be all the rage inland, but here it’s the real thing. Buy Becker boards, skateboards, wetsuits and the rest of the requisite gear. For fashion, there’s Roxy for girls, Becca swimwear, Paul Frank accessories, tons of Hawaiian shirts and Quiksilver sportswear. (310) 456-7155.

Malibu Country Mart

and Cross Creek Plaza

Comfort Shoe Co.: : Ease and comfort are key to the Malibu lifestyle, and the variety of stylish footwear here is vast. Unusual styles from Birkenstock, Arcus, Think! and other brands give low heels a good name, while men can pick from that fashion perennial, Lucchese cowboy boots and Cole Haan loafers.(310) 456-3661.

Henry Beguelin: The only other stores are in Aspen, Colo., and Milan, Italy, where the buttery, roughhewn leather also seems perfectly at home. Shoes, coats, belts and even ottomans come in a rich array of colors. (310) 317-9188.

Madison: Like its Robertson Boulevard sister, Madison offers an array of designer shoes, jeans and sportswear from Marni, Mayle, Cacharel, Marc Jacobs, Earl Jean and Paper, Denim & Cloth. (310) 317-9170.

Malibu Colony Co.: This is a candle lover’s fantasy with collections from Tocca, Izzy Sayan, Manuel Canovas and dozens more. It’s also one-stop shopping for luxury gifts, such as a $675 picnic basket or a $185 dog basket, art books or elegant picture frames. (310) 317-0177.

Malibu Lifestyles: Oodles of Mod-o-Doc cotton casual separates for men and women at often-discounted prices.(310) 456-2464.

98% Angel: This stuffed-to-rafters children’s wear shop emphasizes all things beachy--swimwear, hats, sweats, flannels and even their own brand of trendy kids’ stuff, such as zany, furry diaper bags. The store features a large supply of European brands, including Petit Bateau, Sonia Rykiel and Missoni. (310) 456-0069.

Pet Headquarters: Those aren’t ordinary stray kittens up for adoption. They’re purebreds--such as a $1,300 Abyssinian or a $900 Persian. Puppies, from Shih Tzus to golden retrievers, papillons and bull mastiffs, add to the exotic pet selections. (310) 456-7029.

Planet Blue: The latest in contemporary women’s clothing includes Miss Sixty jeans, Claudette remade vintage skirts, Katayone Adeli tops, Juicy Couture sweats and more. (310) 317-8566.

Samantha: The new boutique opened by former New Yorker Samantha Chang features her own label of wearable silk print lingerie, including camisoles, loose pants and tops. Frilly peasant blouses line racks, along with Fornarina jeans, Carlos Falchi bags, F.A.L. active wear and Prada and Miu Miu shoes. (310) 456-6801.

Starfish: If it’s adorable and cute children’s wear, it’s here. The loot includes baby and kid sizes of Cacharel, P.J. Salvage pajamas, La Petit Boy, Marimekko, bright swimwear and lots of layette gift sets. (310) 456-2442.

Stella Maris: The contemporary women’s wear tends toward the pretty and decorative, but plenty of Red Engine jeans, Three Dots T-shirts, Vintage Ragg separates and Tracy Reese sportswear add to the many options. (310) 456-7467.

Tops: The 20-year-old folk art gallery represents 200 artists from a stable of 500 mostly American artists. The colorful and whimsical gifts, art books, furnishings and artworks of glass, sculpture, metalwork, mosaic and even furniture are presented in a fun and cheerful array. (310) 456-8677.

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The Scoop

Where: Just south of Malibu Canyon Road is the Malibu Colony Plaza shopping center, at 23733 Malibu Road, at Webb Way. Farther east, the Malibu Country Mart straddles Cross Creek Road at 3835, 3898 and 3900 Cross Creek Road, and winds around to Civic Center Way.

Hours: Boutique hours vary, from 10 or 11 a.m. until 6, 7 or 8 p.m. A few restaurants and coffee shops open as early as 6 a.m. during the week.

Parking: Free, plentiful and on flat lots adjacent to the stores at both shopping centers.

ATMs: Bank of America, U.S. Bank and First Bank at Malibu Colony; Wells Fargo and Washington Mutual at Malibu Country Mart.