Best Buys -- Greer Wylder

South Coast Plaza will host a Thanksgiving celebration weekend

Saturday and Sunday to benefit Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange County.

The center is accepting canned food donations at the concierge desks and

giving a holiday gift to each child donating canned food items. Canned

food donations will be given to the Second Harvest Food Bank of Orange

County, the largest hunger-relief organization in the county. Second

Harvest Food Bank collects and distributes food to an estimated 190,000

people monthly through more than 370 local member charities feeding the

needy. It also develops programs to increase local hunger problems and

provides opportunities for community involvement. Events and activities

throughout the weekend will include free family photos, carousel rides,

Thanksgiving crafts, balloon artists, live entertainment and more. Also,

South Coast Plaza retailers and restaurants are giving special offers.

For more information, visit o7 https://www.foodfest.orgf7 or call (714)

771-1343.

Fashion Island is opening new stores this fall, including Shabby Chic,

Claire’s, Girl Mania and The Body Shop. NIKEgoddess opened its first-ever

location at Fashion Island last month. NIKEgoddess carries a large

assortment of Nike women’s apparel, footwear and equipment. And it asks

customers for feedback on styles, design, performance and comfort of all

of its products. The 6,000-square-foot store is near Robinsons-May.

Shabby Chic opened its first Orange County store at Fashion Island in

mid-October. Shabby Chic, started in 1989 by founder Rachel Ashwell,

offers slipcover furniture, bedding, fabrics and accessories. Some say

that Ashwell is credited for introducing slipcover furniture -- popular

in her native England -- to American decor. The new 1,942-square-foot

store is in the courtyard adjacent to Neiman Marcus.

Also new to Fashion Island is Claire’s, an accessories store for girls

that opened last month. Claire’s carries jewelry, sunglasses, rhinestone

belts, messenger bags and nail polish. A few of the latest looks Claire’s

is carrying for fall are denim, camouflage, marabou and flame-accented

accessories. The 706-square-foot store is in the paseo between the Iris

Fountain and Robinsons-May.

A girl’s clothing paradise is the new Girl Mania store that opened

last weekend at Fashion Island. It’s a specialty apparel shop for girls

ages 4 to 12, and it’s designed to let girls choose their own look by

combining clothes with shoes, bags and jewelry. The store is embellished

with pink and designed as a dreamlike bedroom, complete with a karaoke

dance stage, smart bar with computers and a makeup room. The clothing

labels available are the private Girl Mania, as well as Hot Kiss, Paris

Blues, Squeeze, Revolt Jeans and Bubble Gum. For its grand opening

celebration, you’ll get a 20% discount when you spend $50, and with a

$100 purchase, you’ll get a free Girl Mania T-shirt. Information: (949)

721-5709.

Wolford, which carries the best in women’s hosiery, is having a fall

special on leg wear and bodywear through Nov. 30. If you buy any two pair

of hosiery from Wolford’s “classic range,” you’ll get the third free. If

you buy any bodywear item from Wolford’s “classic collection” at the full

price, you’ll get the second style at 50% off the regular price. Wolford

is at South Coast Plaza in Costa Mesa.

The Closet is having its biggest sale of the year on almost everything

in the store. There are package deals on all 2002 snowboard gear and a

footwear blowout sale. The Closet carries such popular name brands as

Paul Frank, Stussy, Rusty, Oakley, Quiksilver, Levis Ltd., Michael Stars,

Juicy, Diesel and Arnette. The Closet has two locations at Triangle

Square -- one is on Harbor Boulevard, the other on Newport Boulevard.

* BEST BUYS appears Thursdays and Saturdays. Send information to Greer

Wylder at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627, or via fax at (949)

646-4170.