Shop looks to expand

A steady flow of women hunting for deals on bright-colored tops and trendy earrings scoured through the racks of the Costa Mesa boutique Crush on Newport Boulevard on Friday.

Huntington Beach resident Emily Coffey, a regular at the store, stopped by Crush on her lunch break to browse and came away with a pair of shorts and two dresses that were marked down as buy one, get one free.

“I love this place. I’m a teacher, so I can’t spend a lot but, the prices are great,” she said.

Businesswomen Diane Pratt is slowly building a small clothing empire from the trendy Costa Mesa women’s clothing shop.

While other businesses are shuttering stores, laying off workers and holding liquidation sales, Pratt is expanding. Her first Crush franchise, launched by an 18-year-old and 21-year-old in Riverside, celebrated its first birthday in April.

Now Pratt hopes to open as many as five stores in locations across Orange County, including Huntington Beach and Mission Viejo, by the end of the year.

Many items are priced below $20, which attracts a lot of women in their 20s and 30s shopping on a budget, Pratt said.

“In today’s economic climate, it’s chic to shop savvy,” Pratt said.

There’s a knock-off Marc Jacobs handbag in orange priced below $50 displayed on one rack, along with jeans paired together with light floral summer blouses.

“You’d never know we’re in a bad economy by coming in here,” said Crush manager Becky Jacobson, who has been working at the boutique for about two months, giving Pratt more time to focus on franchising.

“Part of it is price point, but there is something here for every client,” Jacobson said. “There’s women who come in who are used to be able to spend a lot of money but can’t now, but there’s also women who have never had a lot of money. ”

Jacobson said she helps women and their daughters pick out high school graduation dresses, but also gets a lot of business from more mature shoppers looking for deals on outfits to wear to go clubbing.

Pratt started Crush in Costa Mesa six years ago after selling off parts of the surf-themed chain of clothing stores she ran in Northern California called Kaos.

Crush has been at its location on Newport Boulevard for the past two years. She credits part of the success of the store to the close relationships she has with clothing buyers who cut her deals on merchandise that typically goes to high-end boutiques.

“We offer shoppers that boutique shopping experience, but with a better price,” Pratt said. “Women love to shop — it feels good to get a new outfit. Whatever chemical is released when we buy something for ourselves, if we could bottle it, I could retire.”

Crush Clothing

1835 Newport Blvd.

(949) 631-3303

www.crushclothing.us/