`GET ME WARDROBE!' FASHION TRENDS REMAIN IN ORBIT AROUND STARS.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Fashion Editor

Talk about a major retailer.

Hollywood has been selling fashion since its silent-film era.

While Bullock's, I. Magnin and Buffums have left the shopping scene, the entertainment industry continues its stylish parade before our eyes. And we just keep buying.

That relationship between Hollywood and the fashion industry has been so strong and long that it has inspired a weekly documentary series, ``Hollywood Fashion Machine'' (8 p.m. Mondays), on the American Movie Classics channel.

``Since its early days, movies have shaped our dreams and aspirations ... defining what was considered fashionable,'' said Marc Juris, executive producer of the series.

That's how a film with mediocre reviews (``Austin Powers'' is a case in point) can still launch a fashion trend quicker than a designer runway show. Sure, we'll always have Paris for haute couture, but even there you'll see movie star mannequins strutting the catwalk. So popular is the blending of celebrity and style that for the second year, ABC is making room on its prime-time schedule for ``Paris Fashion Collections'' (9 p.m. July 29), a fall fashion preview hosted by film star Isabella Rossellini.

The comfortable marriage between fashion and entertainment came without prompting.

In the '50s, everyday housewives watched ``I Love Lucy'' and promptly dyed their hair red and started wearing frivolous aprons over their housedresses. And they bought their husbands colorful cabana outfits for patio parties.

On the big screen, ``Roman Holiday'' was responsible for numerous women cutting their hair and buying Capri pants, and 40 years later Cameron Diaz brought the cropped pants back in ``There's Something About Mary.''

More recently, ``Titanic'' sent women overboard with blue sapphire pendants, while ``Ever After'' launched a glitter trend that continued through ``Midsummer Night's Dream,'' and onto cosmetic counters across the country.

``Wild Wild West'' may not spur a black hat comeback, but those Coke-bottle glasses worn by Will Smith are already cool with kids - and accessible, since they're sold at Burger King fast-food eateries.

Deborah Scott, the film's costume designer, isn't too surprised. The Studio City designer won an Oscar for the clothes in ``Titanic,'' so she knows how trends work.

``Fashion is always recycled. Those glasses were typical of the 1870s, then they were popular with John Lennon of the Beatles (in the 1960s and '70s), and they're a perfect example of an item from the past that's very hip today,'' said Scott, who's now working on ``The Patriot,'' a film set in the Revolutionary War period.

Scott expects the film also will drum up interest in such early Victoriana accessories as corset-type gowns, hair ornaments and ribbon chokers. She doubts pocket watches and chains will make a comeback soon, as vests are required, and they're becoming passe.

But cowboy boots are walking tall for fall. Scott says she noticed the trend taking off last year soon after ``Wild, Wild West'' finished filming, and California Designer of the Year Max Azria has added them to his fall BCBG collection, which includes long, sweeping skirts.

Then there's the remake of the ``The Thomas Crown Affair,'' scheduled to open Aug. 6. The ever-dapper Pierce Brosnan wearing high-tech sportswear could set off a natty yachting fashion trend that Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills is ready to sell. Designed by Paul & Sharke, the Italian sportswear firm, the ``Thomas Crown'' collection (priced at $565 and up) will include a floating jacket styled after a life vest, a bulletproof Kevlar jacket, and a self-heating jacket for extreme weather conditions.

Sometimes it's the film star who sets the trends in his or her off-screen life and keeps them fresh through reruns and video rentals.

After all these years, the late Grace Kelly is still linked to charm bracelets and a particular Hermes purse design that was officially renamed the ``Kelly bag'' on her wedding day.

This year, the star vehicle is Gwyneth Paltrow, who's also been known to sport a charm bracelet (hers is by Cartier). But it's that pink Ralph Lauren gown that she wore to the Oscars that everybody wants.

And that's where Allen Schwartz, owner of the L.A.-based ABS company, comes into focus. For several years, the party-dress maker has knocked off all of the hottest gowns on Oscar's red carpet, and this month, stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, Bloomingdale's and Macy's will be carrying the fair Gwyneth's gown for a mere $290.

Schwartz says he's also made copies of Helen Hunt's Gucci gown, Jennifer Lopez's Badgley Mischka design, Cate Blanchett's dress by John Galliano and the sexy strapless number by Versace for Catherine Zeta-Jones, all for under $600 each.

ABS didn't copy Camryn Manheim's red carpet gown, but no matter. The size-20 star of TV's ``The Practice,'' who is known for multi-pierced ears and Kmart earrings, has become a fashion role model for full-figured women. Not only has she modeled for Lane Bryant's new Venezia collection of jeans (you can see her modeling on the Web at www.veneziajeans.com), but she's helped influence designers such as Anne Klein to expand into the plus-size category.

Long hair the easy way

Shake your hair, baby.

Thanks to retro-inspired films like ``Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me,'' and the upcoming ``Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dream Coat,'' wild manes of hair are back.

Oh, you just had a buzz? Your bob is still growing out?

Hairstylist-to-the-stars Chrissy Vittallo of Santa Clarita can turn your limp locks into an awesome head of hair in a mere two hours.

Real hair, not synthetic. Hair that doesn't need to be removed at night and kept in a box. Or the kind that once put in, won't come out for six months.

Vittallo, who recently added 12 inches to Donny Osmond's boyishly short hair for his film role in ``Joseph,'' developed a new bonding and bonding-remover system of hair extensions that's much quicker than previous methods such as sewing, braiding or fusing.

She calls it the Chrissy V Hair Extension System, and says that the patented procedure is similar to acrylic nails. According to Vittallo, ``The extensions simply grow out with your own hair. And unlike other extensions that can damage natural hair because of the hard glue, these extensions have some `give.' If pulled hard, they slide down the hair shaft instead of breaking your hair off. And they can also be easily removed in about an hour.''

The initial process can cost as much as $400, she says, but once you've purchased the human hair extensions, they can be used and reused for about two years.

Maintenance, which is the chemical removal of the extension and reapplication that's done every five to seven weeks, costs about $35 a row. Usually, says Vittallo, it takes three rows for a fairly full head of hair.

Since the bonding system requires hair to bond to it, this isn't a panacea for balding men. However, it does work well on radiation patients whose own hair has gotten fine and thin and needs some help, she says.

For more information, contact Vittallo at the Concerto Salon and Spa at [phone], or at her Web site, www.chrissyv.com.

- Barbara De Witt

CAPTION(S):

8 Photos, Box

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) Isabella Rossellini will host ``Paris Fashion Collections.'' July 29 on ABC.

(2--Color) Isabella Rossellini takes viewers to the world of Emanuel Ungaro and other designers for ABC's ``Paris Fashion Collections.''

(3--Color) The high-tech luxury yachting jackets in ``The Thomas Crown Affair'' will be available this fall by Paul & Shark at Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills.

(4--Color) Those Coke-bottle-shaped sunglasses sported by Will Smith in ``Wild, Wild West'' are available at sunglass shops and Burger King.

(5--7--Color) Want that movie-star look but can't afford designer prices? L.A. manufacturer Allen Schwartz of ABS has copies of the designer gowns worn by Cate Blanchett, Gwyneth Paltrow and Catherine Zeta-Jones at Macy's and Bloomingdale's, priced below $500.

(8) Camryn Manheim of ``The Practice'' has made large-size fashions fashionable. Now she models Venezia Jeans for Lane Bryant stores.

Box: Get long hair the easy way (See text)