FASHION FINDS: LOOKING FOR THE NEXT GREAT TREND? HERE'S WHAT DAILY NEWS FASHION EDITOR BARBARA DE WITT FOUND ON THE CUTTING EDGE : SPARKLE APLENTY.

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

Toluca Lake twins Cynthia and Cathleen Kennedy are typical Vals. They saw stars with rhinestones in their hair and rushed out to buy them, but they found the kind that required glue were a bit cruel to their fab tresses. And the Velcro type eventually slipped out.

So they designed Twinkle Gems with a snap-and-close fastener that keeps the Swarovski crystals in place.

According to Cynthia, who's been designing jewelry for several years, their new hair ornaments include little iridescent daisies with crystal centers that have caught the fancy of Alanis Morissette, Terri Nunn of Berlin, Moon and Diva Zappa, and Susan Sarandon. Since she says she gets design ideas by studying what stars wear to the Oscars and other galas, start looking for her mirror ornaments to match the mirror-trimmed clothing that Prada recently inspired.

Twinkle Gems are priced from $12 to $30 at hair salons and also Fred Segal on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles and Fair Oaks Pharmacy and Soda Fountain in Pasadena.

Watches

Ticked off? Don't get your wristbands in a knot over it, but some of the most statusy watches have had a face lift.

As the millennium gets closer, everything seems to be getting more streamlined, more modern, and in some cases more old-fashioned - such as chrome toasters and Hamilton's famous Everest wristwatch.

The Hamilton watch designed in 1958 and noted for its offset dial and off-center crown, is now back on the market and selling well, according to Linda Passaro, president of Hamilton.

Cartier's tank watch that was designed in 1917 for World War I tank commanders is still around, but its newest design has a really wide futuristic band and a smaller face that will require closer scrutiny to be impressed by the label.

And the Gucci ``G'' model that was so easy to spot across a crowded club has been updated with a more subtle, rounder face. Classier looking, yes. Easily identifiable, no.

Anne Klein watches, those super affordable fashion-forward timepieces that are usually in stainless steel or sterling silver are now made of ultra-modern and colorful plastic.

Even Timex has a timely new face called the Flix. It's a sporty watch for athletes and wanna-bes with bells, whistles, memo space and a night light that turns on with a flick of the wrist.

Companies that never thought of wristwatches in the past are eagerly producing watches, and the front runners are Coach (known for fine leather goods) and St. John (known for snooty knit suits).

If you're looking for a new face to keep time with, note that cutesy watches, diamond-trims and dainty bracelets are looking dated. The newest faces are square or rectangular with stainless steel or crocodile straps. If it's got a round face - such as Tag Heuer's newest model - look for a brilliant color such as red or blue on the dial. Yeah, it's sort of '70s retro, but after a while everything looks new again.

How tubular

Tube tops have found their way back into fashion, looking new again under cardigans and shrugs.

And somehow they've managed to stretch themselves from tiny crop-tops into long skirts or short dresses for unlimited fashion possibilities.

You'll find variations in all designer levels, from Guess? to Donna Karan, but one of the most innovative is StarckNakedHot from Wolford, available at the Wolford boutique on Rodeo Drive and also Neiman Marcus stores.

First, there's the tube dress with a built-in panty for $325, that also can double as a skirt to be stretched to any length. Then there's the accessory kit for an additional $180, that includes a bandeau tube top, two tube sleeves, and a collar, plus a clip to secure straps or accessories to the dress.

So many options. A strapless mini-dress with sleeves and a neck piece, a miniskirt with a halter top, an elegantly slinky gown with sleeves to slip on when the evening turns cool. The seamless Lycra tubes come in sizes extra-small, small and medium and are available in black, charcoal, gray and orange.

Walkin' the dogs

Sandals are back, exposing well-polished heels and toes while setting the pace for the warm weather ahead.

The shoes of choice?

Running ankle-to-ankle in the popularity polls are thongs and slides. Thongs show more foot, but some women can't stand that little piece of leather between the toes...so they slip into a slide, the dainty high-heeled sandal that movie stars wore in the '50s and '60s.

Both are available in a variety of heel styles, from flat-as-a-pancake to squishy little sabrina styles, as well as higher heels. The trend stepped into the limelight in April when designers such as Gucci and Prada presented them in exotic leathers and feathers, but now you'll see them all over town. Even Birkenstock, known for sturdy ergonomically correct shoes, has stepped up to the fashion plate with a comfy slide featuring reggae print and wedge heel, while edgier Evelyn Ungavri is selling silver slides trimmed with feathers or faux leopard print to celebs like Drew Barrymore at Diavolina in Beverly Hills.

For chic shoes on the cheap, Mimi A La Mode has simply wrapped marabou feathers around the straps of its rubber thongs for the pool or spa, available at Fred Segal in Santa Monica.

Now, for those who hate hanging 10 in public, the mule's got a powerful kick.

It's one of the oldest shoes in history - dating back to the 16th century - and is similar to a slide, except the toes are covered. Hmmm. That's something to think about before running off to a big sale or other event with heavy foot traffic.

Doll clothes

Really stylin' stuff just for you, babe. Capri pants, boy shorts, clear sandals and tinted shades, all designed with the essence of Barbie, the world's best-dressed doll.

The new Barbie apparel and accessories collection from Mattel is for the lunch box crowd and it's ultra girlie - but moms needn't worry. There aren't any stiletto heels or other big-girl styles, unless you think the Kelly bag is a tad too mature for somebody who probably doesn't even know who Grace Kelly was or why she had a purse named after her...

Barbie fashions for girls are sold at cheap chic depots such as Target.

Hula-happy

It started out as a small trend to help Hawaii celebrate its 40th anniversary, but the aloha style has hit the mainland hard, so you may as well indulge.

And it's not just the clothes.

To recapture Hawaii's early days, consider a black ink tattoo like the kind World War II sailors had - only make it temporary.

One of the most retro-looking is by Courtney Dosch Regali of Granada Hills, whose Glamour Girl fake tattoos are sold at Nordstrom, Wet Seal and Miller's Outpost. The 17-year-old says her business was inspired by the mendhi tattoos worn by No Doubt singer Gwen Stefani. With the help of her mother, Carol Regali, she created a nifty pen with mendhi patterns for do-it-yourselfers. And now she's expanded her business to include tattoo transfers with tiny rhinestone accents in a kit, plus colorful butterflies, elegant art nouveau designs, and the hula girls in black ink or full color.

And coming soon, says Courtney, are full-body temporary tattoos inspired by fashion ads featuring models wearing clothes that are painted on.

For another souvenir of the islands, splash on Hula, the new scent of the surf in a bottle. It's by the womenswear manufacturer Roxy, and sold at surf shops around the country.

Or just tie a palm tree around your neck.

Menswear designer Tommy Bahama has made aloha shirts for years, but now he's added a neckwear collection of '40s-inspired tropical prints suitable for the office and beyond. You'll find them at most department stores.

Bathing beauty

First it was poodle skirts, then Fiestaware and twinsets. Now, the latest blast from the past is shower caps.

Not those boring numbers sold at drugstores (usually in the same aisle as other beauty antiquities such as pin curl clips and rollers), but shower caps decorated with flowers, ribbons and butterflies like Grandma used to wear when she came to visit.

Go ahead and giggle, but San Francisco designer Mimi Basseri discovered a new market for them. Hoping to brighten her customers' lives in a small way, Basseri makes all kinds of shower caps with bugs, flowers and rhinestones for glamorous bathing, with matching spa sandals, terry cloth wraps and sleep masks. She even names them. For instance, the Fifi shower cap has a wreath of ribbon roses for former flower children.

Other designs are accented with faux birthstones, silk pansies, Chanel-inspired gardenias with black satin bows, and the currently popular dragonfly. Manly designs include tool themes, khaki leopard print and regimental stripes.

Prices start at $19.95 and are available through her Mimi A La Mode catalog by calling [phone]; on the Internet at www.mimi al amode.com, and also Fred Segal's Essentials store in Santa Monica.

Sock it to ya

Fashion flashbacks are getting scary. Girdles - now called body shapers - are returning to lingerie departments, and stockings with seams up the back are on the cutting edge.

Apparently the timing is right for a fresh look at Peds footies, first developed in 1932 as an alternative to gartered stockings. They're that stretchy socklike thing the shoe salesman gives you to try on new shoes - the very same item that teens in the '60s wouldn't be caught dead wearing because they were sooo square.

But don't take our word for it. Shoe designers such as Nickels and Via Spiga are showing them in white, clearly visible under white sandals in fashion mags such as Vogue. With such an eyebrow-raising trend emerging, we put in a call to Bob Froeber, CEO of the North Carolina-based Peds company, who confirmed our suspicions. ``With the growing popularity of bare legs and casual dressing, they make sense for today's women ... especially our new Peds Toe Savers, designed to be worn with mules and other open-back shoes,'' he said.

Froeber also commented that Peds actually were designed in Hollywood by the Richard Paul Co. for women to wear with their high-heeled shoes at home (imagine!), but they became ultra popular during World War II when women didn't have stockings. They wore Peds to protect their shoes, and then painted seams up the back of their legs to look like they were wearing hose.

Peds can be found in the hosiery departments of major retailers, priced at $1 to $2, depending on the style. They come in the original beige tone, as well as the trendier black and white styles.

CAPTION(S):

12 Photos

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) A SCARF?

A SLEEVE?

A TUBE TOP?

A DRESS!

(2--Color) no caption (Cartier watch)

(3--Color) no caption (Twinkle Gems)

(4--Color) no caption (Barbie apparel)

(5--Color) no caption (Aloha style neckties)

(6--7--Color) no caption (Glamour Girl tattoos)

(8--Color) no caption (Tube tops)

(9--Color) Marabou-trimmed rubber thongs, $24.95 by Mimi A La Mode at Fred Segal in Santa Monica.

John Lazar/Daily News

(10--Color) Birkenstock's new reggae-print slide, $55.

(11) no caption (Peds footies)

(12) Old-fashioned shower caps by Mimi Basseri are the newest bathtub buddy.

John Lazar/Daily News