GOING TO GREAT LENGTHS DUSTERS ARE VERSATILE, FASHIONABLE AND DEFINITELY NOT THE WEAKEST LINK IN YOUR FALL WARDROBE.

Dusters are divine. They make you look taller and thinner and keep you warm in chilly cubicles.

After a long hiatus from the fashion scene, dusters have returned for a fall lineup with Anne Robinson, host of NBC's ``Weakest Link,'' leading the parade.

``Dusters are dramatic, and I like the look of the duster as it spins on the podium of the 'Weakest Link' set,'' says Robinson, who has a preference for dusters by Armani, Max Mara and Jasper Conran.

Others call dusters the new jacket or blazer.

``They freshen up a career wardrobe as we're stepping away from business casual. And it looks good with pants or skirts,'' observes Kate Rice, spokeswoman for Mervyn's stores. She adds that dusters also work well with knee-length shift dresses, as long as they're the same length or slightly longer than the dress.

And while the younger generation (under 30) are the primary fans of dusters, Charlotte Russe fashion director Harriet Sustarsic says everybody's wearing them. ``We saw them first in Europe a couple of years ago ... and I think they're catching on in Southern California so well because of our mild winters and cold offices.''

Worn as a lengthy sweater with a hood, fringe or fur, dusters can create a casually chic look, while those in tweed or leather create a more classic stance. Either way, they play a key role in fall wardrobes that reflect the menswear trend that translates to crisp white shirts, pinstriped pantsuits, equestrian details and elegant tuxedo dressing.

Dusters actually originated from menswear. Called summer overcoats, men during the late 1800s wore them in lightweight fabrics such as silk.

Then, when America went car-crazy, the summer overcoat was called a driving coat before eventually becoming known as the ``duster,'' says Maggie Murray, costume curator for the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles.

``In those days cars didn't have windshields and people drove on unpaved roads in giant clouds of dust, so they protected themselves with hats and veils and these all-enveloping coats that were close to the ankle - hence the name,'' Murray said.

Dusters disappeared for several years and made a comeback as a staple of the hippie chick wardrobe in the late '60s and early '70s, and then by the mid '80s they returned as elegant wrappers for evening in luxe silk prints.

But long jackets and sweaters aren't a fashion cure-all. They can get caught in car doors and in the wheels of desk chairs and knit types can easily lose their shape.

Luckily, there are plenty of other options for fall.

Designers have once again spun the dial-a-decade wheel, stopping this year at the Pearl Harbor-era to bring back tweed suits with '40s two-tone pumps with perforated detailing as well as the decadent styles of the '80s that included sheer ruffled blouses and hefty costume jewelry with large logos a la Chanel or Gucci and snakeskin shoes. And we're not finished with the novelty shirts and navel-baring pants of the Sonny and Cher era.

Whatever decade you dial, there's always something in denim. Even denim dusters.

Dressing up again

Take along our cheat sheet on trends as you shop for a fresh fall wardrobe.

--Dusters

--Boots

--Black, red and camel tones

--Tuxedo looks

--Ruffled blouses

--Ladylike suits

--'40s pumps and fishnet hose

--Boucle, tweed, plaid

--Graphic, pop art prints

--Large logos (Chanel, Gucci)

CAPTION

Photo:

(1 -- cover -- color) As jacket hemlines drop, so do sweaters. This blue and brown open weave design is from Charlotte Russe.

(2 -- color) Camel-colored coats with leather pants from The Gap are fresh for fall.

(3 -- color) Novelty print shirts are hot again, inspired by this Chanel design.

(4 -- color) Boots are a key accessory, especially in red, like these by Celine. Fashion experts say the shorter the skirt, the taller the boot.

(5 -- color) Cartier tank watches represent the return to traditional values.

(6 -- color) Fishnet stockings have gone mainstream this season, available at The Limited.

(7 -- color) Anne Robinson of NBC's ``Weakest Link'' is a tower of power in her black duster.

(8 -- color) Dusters add elegance to a tank dress for work or dinner, available at Chico's in Encino.

(9 -- color) Frisky fringe gives the duster a new twist, from Charlotte Russe.

John McCoy/Staff Photographer

(10 -- color) Menswear-inspired tuxedos are back for fall, with duster- length jackets, courtesy of Marina Rinaldi.

(11) Two new ideas for the season are longer jackets and tweed, shown in this pantsuit from Anne Taylor.

Box: TIME TO DRESS UP (see text)

CAPTION(S):

11 photos, box