RETAIL ROUNDUP:Colorful prints grace the stores

Who said Newport-Mesa doesn’t have seasons?

OK, admittedly I’ve never experienced living in a place where there were four distinct seasons, and I wear flip-flops just as happily during the winter as I do during summer — but Newport-Mesa certainly has its seasons.

Of course, these so-called seasons I speak of follow fashion trends, and what this area lacks in temperature and precipitation differences in seasons, it most certainly makes up for with the fashion-forward minds of retailers and shoppers.

And so we embark on another Newport-Mesa season: summer. This summer, much like spring, it’s all about colorful dresses and flowing blouses for women and laid-back California-casual for men.

The 1970s are back. But never fear, 2007 fashions aren’t all bell bottoms and tie-dyed shirts.

Designers are using the decade as a muse for their current fashions, taking what Emily Rollins, manager of Habit at the Lab in Costa Mesa, called the best of the time.

“I think summer fashion is very fun and very Bohemian,” Rollins said. “It has that very ‘70s-chic feel to it.”

At the Goat Boutique on East 16th Street and Old Newport Boulevard, women are into mini-dresses. Although they’re short, that doesn’t mean the dress should be too form-fitting, manager Matthew Thomas said.

“Definitely the dress is the hottest trend, and the shorter the better,” Thomas said. “But it’s more of an A-line or trapeze-style dress” that women are looking for.

And the great thing about dresses is having the ability to make them looked dressed up or dressed down, depending on accessories and footwear.

“Going from day to night, any of the styles you can wear during the day — mini-dresses, shorts and trousers — are great to wear during the day with sandals or they can be worn with heels to go out at night,” Rollins said.

Shirts are similar to dresses — colorful, fun and blousy.

“Yellow is the really big color right now, and purple is still a big color from last season,” Rollins said.

High-waisted denim is making a comeback. And after a few years of having low-low-low being tapped in our brains, we could probably all do without seeing everyone’s underwear when they bend over.

But if you’re like me and you’re apprehensive about trying on those paints with the high-waist, Rollins offers this advice: “It really contours your mid-section, it holds you in,” she said. “A lot of people are afraid to try high-waisted jeans, they think it’ll make them look larger, but it really doesn’t — it grabs you in and shows more of a silhouette.”

She said the important thing is to find the right size — get that and you’re set.

Ah, shoes — I love shoes. I’m a woman — I think it’s just built into our nature.

But for some reason, despite having a closet full of them, I rarely break out anything other than my Havaiana flip-flops.

But Weaver said that’s OK in Southern California.

“We live here in Southern California, and especially [for] us down here by the beach, a pair of flip-flops can be worn with just about anything, as long as its not formal or dressy,” Weaver said.

But if you want to stray from the classic, and Weaver and Rollins suggested people might like to try that, strappy sandals are the way to go. Whether they’re Romanesque or like the sandals girls wore as a kid — with a leather band across the toes and a strap around the ankles — check out alternatives to flip-flops that might add another element to your look.

If you’re looking for a deal, check out the Goat, which will start a big sale offering 25% to 50% off selected styles, including super-cute flats and wedge heels, as well as some of its cutting-edge styles.

Happy summer. I’ll see you at the beach — and maybe I’ll even try some new footwear.