Orange County News Blog

​Fave French brand A.P.C. will be hosting a basement sale this weekend. Though the label has only (somewhat) recently opened up a west coast location, their one and only Californian retail location is still  in LA--but trust us when we promise that it's worth the drive.

PETACatalog.org

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So, it's no real surprise: all those drastic Christmas sales didn't go as well as retailers had hoped. In fact, the outlook is pretty bleak--many are predicting more and more closures and bankruptcies, joining big name stores like Circuit City, Linens 'n Things, Sharper Image, Steve & Barry and Mervyn's. 

Is Dov Charney's American Apparel empire in trouble?

Charney continued, "Our business has remained encouraging during the holiday season. We are set to close out a strong 2008 for American Apparel, in which we expect to have opened at least 80 retail stores and to have reported a double digit same-store sales increase over 2007. Most importantly, we look forward to continuing to enhance the productivity of our retail stores and drive free cash flow in 2009."

Friends tell us that dozens of sewers and employees were laid off just earlier this month at American Apparel corporate headquarters. 

American Apparel's massive popularity with the hipster/youth sect has survived and continued to thrive despite the perma-controversy swirling around their hyper sexual ads, five sexual harassment lawsuits and even CEO Charney whipping it out in front of a journalist once--but can they survive this recession?

Look, it's not too late. Jump in the car, drive. See something in her size? Are Pokemon still cool? What's a Ped Egg?--just fucking grab it at this point. Hey, Macy's is even staying open until midnight today and tomorrow for people like you. Hurry.

South Coast Plaza: Mon.-Tues., 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Christmas Eve, 9 a.m.-6 p.m.

Bloomingdale's, South Coast Plaza: Mon.-Tues., 9 a.m.-11 p.m.; Christmas Eve, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Macy's, South Coast Plaza: Mon.-Tues., 7 a.m.- midnight; Christmas Eve, 7 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

Nordstrom, South Coast Plaza: Mon.-Tues., 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Christmas Eve, 8 a.m.-6 p.m.

Saks Fifth Avenue, South Coast Plaza: Mon.-Tues., 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.; Christmas Eve, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Sears, South Coast Plaza: Mon.-Tues., 7 a.m.- 11 p.m.; Christmas Eve, 7 a.m.-6 p.m.

Irvine Spectrum Center: Mon.-Tues., 10 a.m.-9 p.m.; Christmas Eve, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.

Orange County? Postponing implants and Botox?

The New York Times is reporting that in Orange County, "where plastic surgery is a part of [our] culture" (sigh), business is down 30 to 40 percent. 

The story chalks it up to both financial constraints and, surprisingly, even a "Botox backlash"--men and women finally disparaging the unnatural, plastic look cosmetic surgeries all too often generates. 

And more good news for your Friday afternoon: Other researchers are finding that less sex, more depression--which, in turn, can lead to all sorts of health issues--and teary ballads topping the carts are other ramifications of the recession. 

Have a good weekend! 

Alright, you last minute shoppers. With the holidays nearing and the economy slumping, storefronts are offering steeper discounts than ever. Here are some discount codes for a few favorite websites that I've rounded up for you. Remember to pick express shipping to ensure you receive your packages by Christmas. (Pictured left: the Soft Percy handbag by Marc by Marc Jacobs, $158 [$110.60 after discount!], available here in black, red and denim.)

ShopBop.com -- ShopBop is the go-to destination for contemporary designers and labels like Marc by Marc Jacobs, AKA New York, Alexander Wang, Anna Sui, Steven Alan, Theory and more. Enter code HOLIDAYLOVE at checkout for 30% off full-price merchandise. Free shipping every day!

Saks.com -- Saks Fifth Avenue is offering free shipping and free gift box (and bow?) with code SFAGIFT.

80sPurple.com -- A reliable  we've discussed time and time (and time) again. Enter promo code GIVETAKE at check out to take an additional 25% off everything, including hundreds of items reduced 30-80%.

BenShermanUSA.com -- Are you a mod or a rocker? Receive $25 off when you spend $150 or more, no code required.

Also: Longtime favorite Built By Wendy has announced they're shutting down both of their west coast locations (Los Angeles, San Francisco), leaving the only stores that will still be standing in New York. Stop by the stores in person to receive up to 70% off everything--even sale items. Built by Wendy, 7938 W. 3rd St., Los Angeles, (323) 651-1902; www.builtbywendy.com. Mon.-Sat., noon-7 p.m.; Sun., noon-6 p.m.

Locally designed and distributed EC Star never fails to please with its ultra femme, ultra mod, little-(punk)-girl-grown-up designs. Head designer and Huntington Beach native Jen Johnson (whose name you might recognize from local bands like the now defunct F-Minus and Ammunition Affair) has championed the label since 1996, and EC Star has since then made its way into stores around the world. 

EC Star will be holding their warehouse sale this Friday and Saturday at their warehouse in Costa Mesa. Credit card and cash only, all sales final and no backpacks or bags allowed!

Also: In addition to last week's extravaganza, RVCA is having one last final day for their moving/warehouse sale that's actually not too far away from EC Star HQ. And when they say "Everything must go," they really mean it--bring friends! Tell your friends! Tell everyone!

Flyers for both sales after the jump.

EC Star Warehouse Sale, 1835 Whitttier Ave. d1, Costa Mesa, www.ecstar.net. Fri., 10 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 10 a.m.-2 p.m.

RVCA Moving Sale, 919 Sunset Dr., Costa Mesa, (949) 548-6223; www.rvcaclothing.com. Sat., 9 a.m.- 5 p.m.

We don't get too many (good) sample/warehouse sales around these parts, so prepare yourselves: It's time again for RVCA and OBEY's respective giant holiday sample sales.

Starting this Friday, the masses will once again line up around the block at OBEY's Santa Ana warehouse and RVCA's Costa Mesa headquarters. Grab some bold graphic Tees, jackets, accessories and more for dramatically slashed prices--great for holiday shopping. Or yourself.

RVCA will actually be re-locating to a larger facility--still in Costa Mesa, of course--in the new year in order to cater to the brand's expansion and growth so the sale will also be a moving sale for them. RVCA also has speed passes up for sale; for $20, you and a friend can jet ahead to the front of the line. Speed passes are available for purchase online here. The passes are limited to 50 passes per hour. Just bring a photo ID and a copy of your PayPal receipt to verify your purchase.

Again, same warehouse sale madness protocol: Show up early, credit cards are accepted, all sales are final, no backpacks or giant bags, and don't wear any OBEY or RVCA to the sales!

Flyers for both sales with respective addresses, times and more info after the jump.

OBEY Sample Sale, 3500 W. Carriage Dr., Santa Ana, obeyclothing.com, obeygiant.com. Fri., 8 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 8 a.m.-3 p.m.

RVCA Holiday Warehouse & Moving Sale, 919 Sunset Dr., Costa Mesa, (949) 548-6223; www.rvcaclothing.com. Fri., 9 a.m.-5 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m.; Sat., Dec. 13, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

It's Cyber Monday! That means you can get all the great deals of Black Friday today--and with all the comforts of shopping online.

Long Beach Craft Mafia member and local artist Steph Calvert is offering 20% off everything in her online storefront, Hearts and Laserbeams, which features all sorts of fun stuff like handmade aprons, original art, popular prints of robots doing everything from eating cupcakes to shoe shopping, stationery and housewares.

And, in accordance with the holidays, Calvert will also be offering free shipping through the end of December.

Just enter coupon code "turkey08" at checkout for your discount.

Visit Hearts and Laserbeams here, sale ends today!

For the young or just young-at-heart on your holiday gift list, Irvine-based Etsy shop Atomic Dog (go ahead, sing the rest) has the perfect fun and inexpensive gifts or stocking stuffers in the shape of Smurfs, donuts, ice cream cones, artist palettes, roller skates, cupcakes and yes, in case you were wondering, ballerina hippos. 

Favorite Huntington Beach-based website, 80spurple.com, has announced their Purple Friday sale with everything at 25% off with the coupon code: "the purps."

Use your discount to finally get those designer shades you've been lusting after (80s Purple carries everything from Tom Ford and Ray-Bans to Chloe and Dior) or even the now iconic Obama tee from Obey. My personal favorites include this fancy little Converse by John Varvatos wool coat with a faux fur collar and any of the super comfortable Toms shoes available.

Full flyer after the jump.

Fan of pricey designer denim? This Saturday and Sunday, Citizens of Humanity will be hosting their sample sale at the OC Fairgrounds in Costa Mesa. The sale will feature over 15,000 items, including denim, tops, skirts, jackets, hoodies—for men and women. And up to 80% off.

Jeans will be $85 each, or four for $300 on Saturday. On Sunday, jeans will be $75 each or three for $200. A warning: Show up early for the best selection. And expect a line.

A flyer with all the info after the jump.

Citizens of Humanity Sample Sale, OC Fair - Bldg. 12, 88 Fair Dr., Costa Mesa, www.thewarehousesale.com. Sat.-Sun., 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Visit website for more info and to RSVP.

For those literary enthusiasts on your Christmas/Hanukkah/whatever lists—and for those people with, you know, just good taste—out there, McSweeney's online store has just announced a fantastic sale with prices slashed as high as 77% off.

I just received this item on my Facebook (seriously!) feed: You feel poor. We feel poor. Let’s feel poor together. This week only, almost everything is half-price on our store site. Escape the holiday rush and cross every name off your list in one cheap swoop. Angsty cousin? All Known Metal Bands. New fan? The Better of McSweeney's. Paleontologist in the family? "What Happens in La Brea Tar Pits Stays in La Brea Tar Pits" t-shirt. Newlyweds spending their first winter together? The Secret Language of Sleep. Michael Cera fan? Wholphin No. 6. And so on — we've got all your bases covered, and it's all excessively discounted, all right here.

Okay, so what I'd really like (a McSweeney's subscription, hint hint) isn't on sale, but it's still not that expensive anyway ($35), but they've got past issues at half-price ($11) and even books are on sale.

Their share of witty T-shirts has even been discounted, my own favorite being the one with the pirate ship emblem (reminiscent of Dave Eggers' kids' writing workshop underneath the guise of a pirate supply store in San Francisco) that reads "Impossible you say? Nothing is impossible when you work for the circus." ($14)

My thoughts exactly.

Visit the McSweeney's Store at store.mcsweeneys.net. Spend over $60 and receive a free copy of Nick Hornby's Shakespeare Wrote for Money (promo code: NH05) or Michael Chabon's Maps and Legends (promo code: MC01). Sale ends Fri., Nov. 21!

Those $1.80 daily cups of Starbucks coffee not only add up after a while—that's $54 a month and $648 a year—but those disposable paper cups do, too.

Now you can bring in a totally reusable and totally eco-friendly coffee cup to the shop everyday, without worrying about plastic toxins and the loss of aesthetic. The $22 "I am Not a Paper Cup" is made of porcelain with a silicone top and is even dishwasher-safe. Now if only you can start making coffee every morning instead...

Purchase the "I am Not a Paper Cup" at FredFlare.com, $22.

Let's get your mind off of you-know-what for a few minutes here and focus on the vain and banal (but fun?): Mascara.

Every gal I know has purchased one of every kind of mascara out there, hoping to find the perfect fit: One that doesn't run, one that accentuates and lengthens lashes, one that conditions lashes, one that curls lashes, one that thickens lashes, one that's completely natural-looking. Problem is, this quest can get pretty expensive pretty fast.

Mascara's probably the make-up product to keep an eye on, with a shelf life significantly shorter than other cosmetic items—that wand can be a breeding ground for bacteria and all sorts of other nasty things you don't want near your eyeballs. Though most (decent) mascara products come with an antibacterial agent that will last around six weeks, you'll probably only be "safe" for about four months.

So with such a short time line and your budget and patience on the line, Sephora has come up with the perfect assortment of mascara products for you to find that one (cough).

The Lash Stash ($35) is the monster cosmetics store's best-selling mascara sampler set, with 10 of Sephora's most-wanted mascaras in a convenient travel size.

The kit includes some of your favorite brands: a 0.12 oz Smashbox Bionic Mascara; a 0.10 oz Sephora Atomic Volume Mascara; a 0.11 oz Vincent Longo The Curl Mascara; a 0.10 Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes 4-in-1 Mascara; a 0.13 oz Too Faced Lash Injection Pin Point Mascara; a 0.10oz Make Up For Ever Smoky Lash Mascara; a .32 oz Urban decay Big Fatty Mascara; a 0.13 oz DuWop Lash Venom Mascara; a 0.13 oz Korres Deep Colour Mascara; and a 0.17 oz Cargo Texas Lash Mascara and is available exclusively from Sephora.

Purchase the Great Lash Stash online Sephora at Sephora.com or visit a location near you.

No, your eyes do not deceive you—that is indeed an apple cozy.

Hand-knit by San Clemente-based Handamade, I can't exactly say fruit cozies—pear cozies and coffee cup cozies are also up for sale—are entirely necessary, but they sure are reeeeeeeal freaking adorable. The cozies might ward off a few bruises that could be suffered from, I don't know, a tumble or two, but they would probably just make for really great and inexpensive holiday gifts for your child's teacher.

The apple and pear jackets are $6 a pop and come in a variety of colors and fun button shapes. Coffee cup sleeves are $8. Be kind to your produce this fall!

Purchase your fruit cozies and coffee sleeves here at HandaMade's Etsy shop.

There's no satisfaction like the satisfaction you get when exploiting your child's cuteness. Holidays, it seems, proves to be the the perfect time to do this. So what do you have planned for your little ones this Halloween?

What's that? A $7.99 plastic costume from Target that the Joneses surely will have for their kid that's definitely not as cute as yours?

Look no further than Baby Style for the very best in child exploitation. There's a round-bellied dinosaur (my favorite!), a peacock (my second favorite!), a "pandorable" (!), elephant, lion, shark, chicken and more.

The costumes range from sizes for newborns to toddlers, aaand yes: they're 50% off when you enter the code BOO50 at checkout.

Yooou're welcome.

What are you wearing Nov. 4? Or, hey, to watch tonight's debate on your couch, even?

Harveys, the Santa Ana-based creator of the original seatbelt bag, has something for you: Tote Your Vote! Available now on seatbeltbags.com and in retail stores, their red, white and blue (what else?) Tote Your Vote bags are personalized featuring your presidential nominee of choice in mind with three badges and a star-shaped key chain.

Sure, the red, white and blue color scheme is actually kind of atrocious and should be reserved only for those delegates in the crazy-ass hats at their respective conventions, but I might let you have a pass for this one—if you choose the uh, right tote, that is. Heh.

Right now, seatbeltbags.com's poll shows the McCain tote in the lead at 61 percent, with Obama trailing far, far behind at 39 percent—but at least we all know that's not exactly reflective of real life.

Tote Your Vote! medium tote bags, $138, available at seatbeltbags.com or at the Harveys retail store, 3011 N. Main St., Santa Ana, (714) 550-7105.

If your trips to London always had to include a visit to the very large, very lovely multi-floored flagship Topshop store in Oxford Circus, I've got some good news: Some weeks ago, Topshop finally launched their American storefronts, both online and retail. Sure the actual store—the very first stateside—is in Manhattan, but I'll take it anyway. Before the debut of the US Topshop.com, S&H cost something like $20 USD. Flat.

So Topshop: What is it? Many think of its American equivalent as Forever 21 or H&M (...not that H&M is American, but uh, you know), but Topshop isn't quite as affordable as either fast fashion chain, with many of its pieces often reaching into the three-digit range. While it's true that Topshop shares the same disposable cheap-and-fast fashion mantra, many of the pieces the UK chain has to offer are a direct reflection of both the runway and what's in the wardrobes of many of "it-girls" splashed in the socialite pages and gossip rags. It's really not too rare at all to spot Peaches Geldof and Alexa Chung in Topshop clothing—that even you and I could afford. When's the last time you saw Cory Kennedy in Forever 21?

Topshop's first introduction to the United States was through Kate Moss' much anticipated and ongoing eponymous line, which we discussed here previously, sold (and sold out) through Barneys New York locations.

It's also good to know that Topshop quality surpasses that of Forever 21—just take a look at their accessories and footwear... in real leather?

Some standouts currently on Topshop.com are the Wonderland (a shameless rip-off of Miu Miu S/S 2008 , but hey, a good a rip-off) and Alice McCall collections.

No word yet on any more US locations opening up, but in the meantime, you can get your dose of Topshop here.

Personally, we prefer Sexy Pope, Sexy Lobster and Sexy 1900s Steel Conglomerate Tycoon this year.

Okay, so I admit I never did get to dissect a lab rat or frog for high school biology—though, I did have my go at a formaldehyde-soaked mink and fetal pig, which wasn't nearly as disgusting as I thought it'd be—and I never did opt for the conscientious alternate assignment to write a 50-page research paper on the classification of insects instead. But Etsy seller CraftyHedgehog is giving you another chance to explore the twisty innards of a rat—ethically.

The Knitting in Biology Lab Rat and Lab Frog are hand knit by from an acrylic mohair blend, while their cute little guts are needle-felted out of 100% wool. One of the coolest features is that the rat and frog are only pinned down to their framed cork boards thus rendering them totally removable cuddly dolls in addition to slightly grotesque wall art!

The Rat will run you $62 (remember—it's handmade!) while the Frog costs $59. But if you yourself are handy with the needles, CraftyHedgehog also sells PDF pattern files of both the Knitting in Biology 101 Rat and Frog for $4 each.

Purchase the Knitting in Biology 101: Rat and Frog from CraftyHedgehog's Etsy store here. Be sure to also check out the store's (other non-grotesque/totally adorable) hand knit stuffed animals and PDF patterns!

I've long been an inteeense fan of Shu Uemura's skin care line—I don't wear much makeup but I'll buy the hell out of some good face cream. And I don't care what clothes you wear or how much of that stifling foundation and powder you slather on your face: good skin's always going to be pretty important. (Especially when you're 40.)

In October, Shu Uemura will introduce two special eye treatments as a solution to fine lines, dark circles and puffiness to their outstanding line of skin care products. Shu Uemura's skin care line has long been known for their depsea component: a moisture formula made with ingredients found in the deep seas below a depth of 200 meters—or so they say.

I recently tested out their depsea moisture replenishing eye gel ($45), a fresh watery gel that's supposed to moisturize and reduce puffiness and signs of fatigue. While I'm not so sure it succeeded in making me look, say, un-tired, it did feel great on the the eyes, a tender area that tends to feel tight and dried out no matter how many eye creams (and I have many) I layer on. Best part is, you can slap on the eye gel over make-up for a quick pick up.

The other product I've yet to try out, is the depsea moisture replenishing eye mask ($45). It basically resembles two moist cotton pads aimed at replenishing the skin that you place over your eyes for five minutes.

Along with these two eye products, Shu Uemura introduces their rouge unlimited creme matte ($23). While you usually think of matte lipstick as dry, powdery and creased, Shu Uemura's new rouge unlimited is both creamy and has a fine matte finish. The line comes in ten beautiful shades of pinks, wines, reds and browns, that all the gals in the office loved.

If you're still not sure, ease yourself into the wonders of Shu Uemura with their highly-acclaimed lash curler (I have NO. LASHES. And this worked wonders on me) and luxurious feeling cleansing oils.

Visit the Shu Uemura store in South Coast Plaza (right across from the MAC store in the downstairs Saks Fifth Avenue wing), 3333 Bristol, Costa Mesa, (714) 957-0521; www.shu-uemura.com.

It's not everyday one receives a press release on green sex toys in their inbox.

Lisa S. Lawless, the CEO and founder of internet-based company Holistic Wisdom, Inc., has been pushing for an environmentally conscious movement in the sex toy industry. She stresses the importance on knowing what sex toys are made of in addition to the ingredients in personal lubricants—and yes, it is apparently possible to recycle your worn out vibrator. Or... butt plug. Or what have you.

Holistic Wisdom's official website has tons of sexual health articles (mostly linking holistic health with sexuality) and care guides on how to make the most of your favorite toys.

And an added bonus after the jump, lucky reader: an AIM discourse between Calendar Editor Tom Child and I on environmentally responsible sex toys.

It's never too early to start raising your little anarchist. Baby Wit has been selling its unique range of baby and toddler clothing since 2003, with their offerings of Sonic Youth, Billy Bragg, Edgar Allan Poe, the Smiths, Hitchcock and the Clash onesies and even some pieces by artists Meomi and Neko-Chan. Ever wanted to find a Lizzie Borden, Bukowski or Basquiat—all great role models!—shirt for your kid? Look to Baby Wit.

But it's Baby Wit's political tees that have been receiving the most attention and press as of late—one bright yellow romper declares "Obamarama!" while another features a bust of George W. Bush along with the tag line, "President Poopyhead." Some other favorites include, "My Parents Are Big Gay Liberals," "No Blood for Mohel!," and a horned Palin graphic that reads "Pro-Woman, Anti-Palin." Others feature a hammer and sickle, the ABCs with the A replaced by the anarchy symbol, one that simply reads "Question Authority," while another says "Another Dissatisfied Customer of the United States of America"—along with a barcode.

Using your kids as your own personal bulletin board? Maybe. But at least everyone'll know your kids' (obviously very liberal and very hip) parents have great taste in music, art and literature.

It's no secret that high heels are terrible for you and your feet—squishing your feet into a slanted position while keeping the toes up can cause your Achilles tendon to shorten, causing discomfort when wearing flatter shoes. Not to mention all sorts of lower back pressure that results from extensive heel wear.

Some doctors recommend you keep the high heel wear to no more than 12 hours a day, and most of us know this. We just choose to ignore it anyway—what's some knee, posture, ankle, ball of foot and calf pain when your legs can look a mile high in some Miu Mius?

Check out this extensive look into just what those overpriced heels are doing to you from Gizmodiva.com.

Just when you thought it was over—or that it couldn't get any worse—Ugg releases its new line for Fall/Winter 2008.

So other than the traditional sheepskin we're all too familiar with in the short, medium and tall lengths (ranging from $130-$200), you've got a few more options to cringe at now: There's the "Classic Cardy Boot," a $140 knit boot with a three-button closure and suede heel cap. There's what I just might deem the most appalling of the range, the $230 "Whitley Lace Up Boot," a suede lace-up with a seam and peek-a-boo shearling lining. And don't forget the $200 "Gissella Wedge Bootie" where "cozy meets chic" with a wedge heel, buckles, studs and zipper closures, but it kind of just ends up looking like a high-heeled clog. Oh, and then there's this for $144.

Uggs, those shearling-lined sheepskin boots from Australia and New Zealand, were originally called ug or ugh boots—short for, well, ugly. And there, Uggs are commonly associated with “bogans,” a derogatory Australian and New Zealand slang term for those belonging to a poorly educated, unrefined lower class—basically the trailer trash of Down Under. Let's take a hint and move on.

Taking a break from the usual format of a Because You're Ugly post, this week's offering is a mere link to a mere blog.

It's called The Clothes that Got me Laid, and it's pretty funny. Peruse the entries as you learn of sordid tales of what both men and women were wearing the night they got some—scroll an entry or two down to relish in the account of a woman, her (married) boss and some procured thigh-high black suede Louboutins.

If it sounds hilarious and superficial and arrogant, that's 'cause it totally is—but don't forget that everybody owns an item or two of clothing that possesses some strange, inexplicable ability to boost your mood, your confidence. I'm not talking about an especially low, cleavage-revealing top, but a moldy Yankees cap, a paper-thin pair of Levi's or a seven-year-old dress rescued from the Dillard's clearance rack that has some enigmatic talismanic vibe to it. Clothes that let you look and somehow act how you want to be—a high-powered sophisticate about town, not a frumpy college kid that's been turned down by your last three crushes.

Most notably, the entries feature everything from a Smashing Pumpkins "ZERO" Tee and Via Spiga ankle boots to pink striped kneesocks (that were, er, asked to be kept on).