Checking in with...Masque:

With women out in full force seeking the perfect Valentine’s Day outfit, we checked in with Andrew Ahn, co-owner of the Costa Mesa boutique Masque.

It focuses on modern, affordable clothing for grown-up fashionistas that emulate Sarah Jessica Parker, not Lady Gaga.

How long have you been in business, and what made you decide to open a clothing shop?

My wife has been a buyer in the fashion business for 10 years. I had other businesses, too, so I knew how to work with customers. We opened last year, on July 28. We always looked at this place, and I prayed that I could have it. When the previous store moved out, I contacted the management company. Luckily, we got in.

What types of clothing do you carry?

We have all kinds of clothes, from basic to party dresses. We also sell accessories like hats, underwear and jewelry. Our party dresses are of especially good quality and are very trendy — and we don’t set our prices very high. We also have basics like long T-shirts here. We have a Target store as a neighbor, so we try to compete with Target prices.

What age groups do you cater to?

When we opened, we tried to target juniors, late teens and mid-20s. But after about six months, I knew that our age group is not so young. Our customers want misses clothes; they’re in their mid-20s to mid-40s. So we buy for them.

What’s popular among women in this area?

Around here people like clothing that is very comfortable, with bright colors. We are now going into the springtime, with lighter colors. We also are getting ready for Valentine’s Day.

How do you stand out from your competition?

There are a lot of clothes available at South Coast Plaza, but they’re really, really fancy — and most of them are really, really expensive. My goal is to provide good quality at a good, reasonable price. We try to catch the most recent trends.

My wife works in L.A. every day; she knows what’s hot and what’s not. She brings new clothes almost every day. When our customers come in, they always see new stuff.

And for every $35 customers spend, they get a coupon for $1 back on a future purchase.

Masque Fashion for Ladies

Andrew and Cindy Ahn, proprietors

1450 Baker St. No. A1, at Harbor Boulevard in the Target shopping center, Costa Mesa

(714) 966-1127

masquefashion@yahoo.com

Store Hours:

10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday

11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday