No, Caramel Soup is not a recipe for the calorie
unconscious. It is a charming retail store in Lake Forest, offering a “delicious collection of clothing,” says owner Sandi Steele.

The boutique prides itself on its unique collection of intricate pieces, including all types of accessories, signature lotions, home décor and gift ideas, and yes, even packaged caramels.

Caramel Soup, located in an unassuming strip mall, is in definite contrast to its beige surroundings. Despite the store’s intimate size, Steele has managed to pack in colorful clothing, jewelry, belts, bags, watches, fragrances and so much more.

She tells customers to “look high and low because there are things tucked everywhere.”

This fun atmosphere has introduced cutting-edge fashion with unique details to customers in sizes three to 24. The store is famous for jeans that are hand painted, embroidered and/or sequined. “There are no plain jeans here,” Steele says proudly.

She ventures out into the fashion world to acquire the store’s distinctive pieces.By traveling to trade shows in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, as well as having personal designers in New York and buyers in Atlanta and Dallas, Steele is able to put a personal touch on every outfit sold. She also acts as a personal shopper, going to fashion showcases with customer requests in mind.

“We spend days shopping multiple markets so that you can one-stop shop,” Steele says.

The store manages to base all of its advertising on word of mouth and maintains loyal customers who are viewed as friends, evident by the yearly party Steele throws to thank her satisfied clientele. The store’s staff has worked with Steele since she purchased the store almost two years ago. They range in age from 19 to 72, and Steele says they view each other as family.

Caramel Soup has participated in many fashion shows for the Lake Forest Chamber of Commerce and a variety of church groups, where she dresses models in outfits that they might not have considered wearing. This often leads the models to return to Steele’s shop to buy the outfits they had worn in the show after realizing the fashion possibilities. The store also participates in the Orange County Junior League and the Pasadena Showcase for the Arts, where Steele and her manager, Florence Webb, set up mini-boutiques.

The goal of the store is to provide clothing options to mix and match, so shoppers can take one piece and create ten different outfits. On any holiday, such as Valentine’s Day, or a birthday, men can come into the store and buy outfits Steele has ready and coordinated for the perfect look. Steele’s fashion vision, she says, is that you can take the base outfit and make it your own with different accessories.

The style of the store, Steele notes, is geared towards “fun activities,” and is not career wear or eveningwear but for activities in-between. Caramel Soup caters to the “mature woman with a young attitude.”

Customer Barb Colitz, on her first shopping trip to Caramel Soup, agreed. “It is very cute, very inviting, very attractive and fun. It is nicely priced with a lot of chic.”

The store also insists on putting tissue paper and ribbon on every bag that goes out the door because even if it is not a gift to a friend, says Steele, it is a gift for you.

Says store manager Florence Webb, “all shapes and sizes can come in and look chic, dressed up and put together.”

Visit Caramel Soup at the Heritage Hill Plaza in Lake Forest, 25432 Trabuco Road. Store hours are from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m., Monday to Friday. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday.

Text provided by Pamela Zuckerman of Today's Woman