BARGAINS : GOOD BUYS COME IN PAIRS AT OUTLET.

Byline: Trisha King & Deborah Newmark

If you love the styles but hate the price tags in Wild Pair shoe stores, you will be delighted to learn there's an outlet store where prices usually run 50 percent to 70 percent or more below retail.

For example, a pair of black leather ankle boots with stiletto heels that normally sell for $89 in regular Wild Pair stores were tagged at $79. At the register, the boots are further discounted, dropping the price to $30.

The prices on the shoes themselves don't reflect much of a discount. Most were tagged at about $10 less than regular retail. The real discounts are reflected in whatever the running special is, which is always at least 50 percent off the last ticketed price. Through the end of February the extra discounts amount to 70 percent.

There are more than 300 Wild Pair stores and only two outlets nationwide. Plus, whenever a Wild Pair store closes or moves to a new location, the entire inventory goes to the outlets. This results in five shipments a week, including a selection of last season's merchandise combined with current items.

If you've never shopped at Wild Pair, you should know that the goods are geared toward teens and 20-somethings. The selection of platforms range from patent leather pumps in white or black for $17.70 or $26.70 ($69 and $89 retail), to glittery pink and purple slides for $3, instead of the original price of $59.

For men, a kind of platform loafer that retailed for $159 were $23.85; heavy soled lace-up shoes in black leather were $23.70 ($89 retail) and $69 brown leather sandals were $17.70.

Sizes for women run 5 to 10 (best selection in 7 and 8) and men's sizes run 7 to 13 (most in sizes 10 and 11). Accessories, such as purses and backpacks, are all 50 percent below retail.

Wild Pair Outlet is located at 1731 Wilshire Blvd. (at 18th Street), Santa Monica; [phone]. Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday. American Express, Discover, MasterCard and Visa are accepted. All sales are final; no returns or exchanges.

Inside info

Experience the health benefits and fun of exercising in the water with Privacy Plus Aquatics. With a maximum of five people per class, it offers total body workouts through water-fitness classes in a heated pool. Until March 31, Privacy Plus Aquatics is offering a special for first-time clients. Enroll in six one-hour classes for $69 (normally $84); 12 one-hour classes for $120 (normally $168) or 24 one-hour classes for $220 (normally $336). Classes are held Monday through Saturday. Call Privacy Plus Aquatics for information and to schedule a class; [phone]. Hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday.

Tahitian Import/Export mail-order company sells a 10-pack of Tahitian vanilla beans for $22 (vanilla beans run as high as $5.59 for one bean in the supermarkets). Tahitian Import/Export mail-order company can be reached at P.O. Box 35327, Los Angeles, Calif. 90035, or by calling [phone]. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday.