Style Beat
Tracking the trends in Orange County
Farm Girls
When a record label begins selling more t-shirts than CDs, you can draw one of two conclusions: either the music is that bad, or the t-shirts are that good.For Cypress-based Tankfarm, it’s clearly the latter. Brother John and Mike Anderson officially launched their clothing brand a year ago – two years after the slim-fit tees hit the market as promotion for the label’s signed acts. Today, the music is history while the t-shirts are heading up an expanding range of tops, jackets and ‘headwear’. The stylishly cut tees are emblazoned with tractors, firearms and punk-style prints. Colours range from burgundy-on-cream and peach-on-light-blue to black and khaki: A pink and green women’s dress (shown) made from two men’s tees stole the show at the second-annual OCDC party at The Camp, where local designers made one-of-a-kind creations for charity auction. “We like to be the perfect accessory to your favourite pair of blue jeans,” John says. Celeb fans include Gwen Stefani, Avril Lavigne, Ashton Kutcher and Winona Ryder. And the best part? After experiencing local success, the brand is now available at Urban Outfitters stores nationally. Available at Urban Outfitters and Brat in Costa Mesa. 949.722.7283
Sassy Style
Sex and The City’s Carrie Bradshaw has worn their fashions and Australian actress Naomi Watts is a fan – already a big hit at home Down Under, Antipodean designers Sarah-Jane Clarke and Heidi Middleton of Sass and Bide are now selling in Orange County. Famed for its hipster jeans (The O.C.’s Mischa Barton lives in them) and rock-star fashions, Sass and Bide received strong attention at London Fashion Week and were placed among the 24 labels to watch by style.com following an appearance at New York Fashion Week. We love their fit-like-a-glove jeans and stylishly mod jackets. Newport’s Lisy B and Erica Dee in Costa Mesa stock a selection of Sass and Bide fashions: “We can’t keep the jeans on the shelves,” says boutique owner Erica Thomas. This summer, the message is glam grunge, with sparkly racer-back singlets, sexy blouson tops and mini kaftan dresses/tunics glittering with large silver sequins or tiny gold sparkles. Just the thing to keep you one step ahead of the fashion pack during this summer’s social whirl. Lisy B, 949.646.5479 and Eria Dee, 949.673.9333.