COLOR THESE GRAMMYS WACKY, WEIRD, WILD.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Daily News Fashion Editor

It was a big night for peacocks.

The 41st annual Grammy Awards at the Shrine Auditorium provided an opportunity for every fashion maven and victim in the music industry to strut their wildest Technicolor clothes, and most looked like extras on the old ``Sonny and Cher Show.'' The trends were myriad, with lots of duster coats, dresses with safety pins (Dixie Chicks did it best), patchwork, hair sparkles, big diamond cuffs on guys, and an array of velvet retro designs that probably came from a Silver Lake thrift store.

Unlike the Oscars, performance groups are a big part of the Grammys, so it takes some effort to coordinate a fashion-savvy look. And the Temptations did their homework; their suits were coordinated in patterned variations of black and white, accented by one member wearing all yellow. The band THEM provided colorful comic relief with complementary costumes trimmed in pink feathers.

Clint Black's wife Lisa wore a blue plaid pantsuit by Moschino with blue sandals that revealed her blue toenail polish, and Shirley Manson of Garbage wore a blue dress that revealed she wasn't wearing undies.

But the real peacocks on the red carpet were the men. There were country-western inspired long rider coats sporting brightly colored satin linings by Manuel of Nashville (fans included the Dust Brothers). Then there was the head-to-toe satin suit that was a fave with younger music men. Ernest Chapman, who arrived with his mom, Beth Nielsen Chapman, wore a red one, while Aaron Carter (younger brother of Nick of the Backstreet Boys), chose canary yellow. His suit was accented with a huge clunky ID necklace with his name in rhinestones. ``My brother got it for me,'' he said of the jewelry that turned out to be the hottest men's accessory trend of the evening.

Sure, there were plenty of folks in leather, fur and feathers, but a few nominees went for pure elegance. Among them were Celine Dion in a beaded gown by Carolina Herrera; Shania Twain in a dazzling white sequined gown by Marc Bouwer; Jennifer Lopez in a Versace minidress; and Alanis Morissette, who looked like a modern-day Juliet in her Elizabethan gown of brown chiffon.

Brandy and Monica went for the class act, too, wearing coordinating champagne satin ensembles.

For the label-conscious, Sheryl Crow wore a black bustier and shrug (a blend of stole and a sweater) with a slim skirt by Dolce & Gabbana; Jennifer Love Hewitt wore a strapless black number by Donna Karan; John Tesh's wife, Connie Sellecca, wore a purple sari-inspired outfit by Barcie Waite; Regina Bell chose a Pamela Dennis gown with huge diamonds by David Orgel; and Jada Pinkett Smith wore a gold knit gown by Los Angeles designer Eduardo Lucero.

Men who went for the suave-and-sophisticated look over fun-and-funky were Lyle Lovett in Armani, Jerry Seinfeld in Prada and Shawn Mullins in Hugo Boss.

CAPTION(S):

5 Photos

Photo: (1--Color) Best dressed: Shania Twain

She looked like Oscar material in her white sequined gown by Marc Bouwer.

(2--Color) Skimpiest dress: Shirley Manson of Garbage

Not only was the dress held together with safety pins in back, but it was so sheer you could see she wasn't wearing undies.

(3--Color) Most tacky and tasteless: THEM (Three Human Ego Maniacs)

Their pink-feathered ensembles looked like a weekend craft project.

(4--Color) Biggest hair: Christine Setzer

Everybody was buzzing about the beehive 'do that topped her leopard print dress by L.E.

(5--Color) Most original ensemble: Dixie Chicks

Amazing what you can do with a 10-pound box of safety pins and design tips from Todd Oldham.

Photos by John Lazar