Good things arrive in threes at Corona del Mar Plaza

GREER WYLDER

Corona del Mar Plaza has opened three new great stores -- White

House/Black Market, Lingerie et Chocolat and Antonia, A Shoe

Boutique.

White House/Black Market is a women’s apparel boutique that

specializes in classic black and white fashions for day and evening.

Sizes range from 0 to 14. In addition to its clothing, White

House/Black Market carries lingerie, handbags, jewelry and other

accessories and gifts. (949) 721-6740. www.whiteandblack.com.

Lingerie et Chocolat carries select fine European lingerie and

specialty chocolates. The selection ranges from casual day wear to

sexy and elegant pieces for special occasions. Italian and French

collections include Lise Charmel, Argentovivo, Princess Tam Tam,

Ritratti and others. Lingerie et Chocolat also offers gourmet

chocolate gifts, presented in lovely boxes. They carry one of the

world’s top chocolatiers, Z Chocolate from France, that’s handmade,

preservative-free and uses natural and top-quality ingredients. (949)

718-3623.

Antonia, A Shoe Boutique carries women’s designer shoes and

handbags and features everyday glamour looks. Antonia’s selections of

footwear designers include Guiseppe Zanotti, Casadi, Emma Hope, Miss

Trish of Capri, Beverly Feldman, Cynthia Rowley and Bette Muller. The

boutique also offers handbags by Luella and Mitzi Baker. Some lines

are exclusive to the area. (949) 644-6910.

ENJOY A LITTLE BUBBLY

Beach ‘N Backyards Warehouse has a new Newport Beach outlet for

its East 17th Street store in Costa Mesa. The store carries the

ultimate in portable spas -- Jacuzzi’s premium spa system. It offers

a patented hydrotherapy system that’s incredibly soothing. The

red-tag Jacuzzi spas are offered at discount prices. They have minor

flaws, such as hairline fractures, so they’re priced less. Prices

range from $3,200 to $7,500 and all Jacuzzi premium spas still come

with warranties. The outlet store also carries home furnishings at

reduced prices. Find a little bit of everything here, from Indonesian

furniture to upscale patio furniture to hand-dyed Asian umbrellas to

barbecues. It’s a mix of Mediterranean, Mexican, Spanish and Asian

decor items that work well with coastal living. Open 10 a.m. to 5

p.m. Tuesday to Saturday. 2101 Dove St. in Newport Beach. (949)

645-7727.

A BAG OF GOODIES

Long before Hermes was a fashion must-have brand, it was a

saddlery company founded in 1837 by Thierry Hermes. Many Hermes

products still feature equestrian themes, including boots, jewelry,

home decor and apparel. Hermes handbags are in demand -- there’s an

incredible three-year waiting list for the Hermes Birkin Bag (named

after 1970’s actress Jane Birkin) that sells for around $6,000. And

if that’s not enough, 2004 marks the 20th anniversary of the Birkin

bag. For this special occasion, Hermes introduced the Birkin 25

limited edition bag. It’s available in four colors of fine crocodile

skins, and details include pure white or yellow gold with almost six

carats of full cut diamond-encrusted fittings. It retails for

$75,300. There’s also a painfully long wait for classic “Kelly” bags

(named after Grace Kelly), which start at $5,000. The Herbag

collection is much easier to find and more affordable with a median

price handbag running $1,275. Hermes has an exciting new women’s

ready-to-wear designed by Jean-Paul Gaultier, and the new

bright-colored H blankets are a huge hit. In addition to Hermes

men’s, women’s and home collection, this boutique has two attached

stores for two other French luxury companies, Cristal Saint-Louis,

founded in 1586, and sterling flatware by Puiforcat. Exquisite

Saint-Louis offers handblown crystal, favored by royalty and

connoisseurs for centuries. Artisans shape and gild each piece by

hand -- the colored stemware is especially striking. Puiforcat

flatware is also made by master craftsmen. It offers an excellent

selection of modern to traditional patterns in sterling, silver-plate

and one in stainless steel. Level 1 at South Coast Plaza. Open 10

a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Friday; 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday; 11 a.m.

to 6:30 p.m. Sunday. (714) 437-1725. www.hermes.com.

PRETTY ON THE INSIDE

Les Interieurs, one of Newport’s most popular home-furnishing

stores, also offers excellent design services. The store features a

British colonial look, combined with an elegant beach-living feel.

Owner Brenda Eastman has a flair for choosing wonderful Asian

antiques, Moroccan lanterns, sofas, beds, armoires and dining sets.

Shop here for specialty china from England and France, wicker

furniture, garden accessories, vintage fabrics, modern-style

furniture and Jamie Young lamps. Open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday to

Saturday. 1701 Westcliff Drive in Newport Beach. (949) 650-7603.

* BEST BUYS appears Thursdays. Send information to Greer Wylder at

[email protected]; at 330 W. Bay St., Costa Mesa, CA 92627; or by

fax at (949) 646-4170.