Summer Stylin’

Amy R. Spurgeon

Fourth of July weekend isn’t just for barbecuing hot dogs and taking that

much-needed break from the office. It’s also the unofficial kickoff to

summer, when fashion trends take a dramatic turn.

And hot items on this year’s lineup -- including board shorts, skimpy

bathing suits, fashionable eye wear and the latest in hi-tech flip-flops

-- can be found in the surf shops and retail stores that dot the streets

of the Balboa Peninsula.

“If it sells in Newport Beach, it’s going to sell anywhere,” said Julie

McMackin, a Costa Mesa resident and owner of Molly Brown’s Swimwear on

the peninsula. “Newport sets the trends.”

And it’s not just the females who are doing the shopping.

Guys of all ages will be flocking to stores this summer to pick up the

latest designs in brightly colored knits and checkered woven tops and

sturdy yet stylish footwear.

Being fashionable is a main ingredient in the teen social scene, said

Keith Daniels and Matt Sales, both 14. The two friends, both from Norco,

were cruising the boardwalk this week, and blended into the beach crowd

with spiked hair, board shorts and sunglasses.

“The better you look, the more chicks you can get,” Keith said. “The

more, the better.”

“It’s all about getting the girls,” Matt agreed.

Another must-have for guys this year is a visor, said Duke Edukas,

co-owner of Surfside Sports on the peninsula.

But trends are fickle. What’s hot now will be tossed out of the closet in

a few months, Edukas said.

“We have about five months to sell this stuff. It’s very seasonal,” he

said. “We’ve got to go for the gusto.”

But summer items, even those with very little fabric, don’t come cheap.

The tiniest of bikinis usually cost more than $50.

And sometimes it’s worth the price. One very brave 17-year-old girl strolled down Newport Boulevard wearing only a bright blue and orange

string bikini and flip-flops on her feet.

“Everybody does it,” said Shannon Smith, of Highland, as a motorist

driving by honked his horn. “But if I was at home, I’d be in shorts and a

T-shirt. But everybody is really friendly here. Lots of good-looking

people. Just the whole atmosphere.”

But looking good on the beach isn’t limited to the young, said McMackin,

who has seen beach fashions change for more than two decades.

“Age doesn’t matter anymore,” McMackin said. “People are looking good at

all ages.”