HOT TIPS : FASHION SQUARE EXHIBIT COVERS HALF-CENTURY OF STYLES.

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

Perky little hats, suits with long, narrow skirts, gowns that look like slips and feature beadwork ...

They're all part of our past. And our present.

To see how they fit into our current fashion stance, take a gander at the special exhibit from the Fashion Institute of Design and Merchandising in Los Angeles that is currently on display at Fashion Square mall in Sherman Oaks.

The tribute to 50 years of fashion will be held on the lower level of the mall, along with current designs from local retailers. There's also a clothing drive at the mall to benefit the Discovery Shops of the American Cancer Society in Toluca Lake.

If you've got something to donate, take it to the concierge desk in the center of the mall and they'll give you some shopper's coupons as a thank you.

And while you're there, check out the Judith Leiber evening bag exhibit at Bloomingdale's. They've got oldies on loan from shoppers, as well as new designs on display through Thursday.

Still on mall patrol? There's a free fashion show sponsored by the Acrylic Council at 12:30 and 2:30 p.m. today at the Glendale Galleria.

And at all Kmart or Sears stores, you can find Martha Stewart's new house paint collection. The decorating maven has 256 colors available, each packaged like an ice cream container.

And just so you won't commit a fashion faux pas, the paint chips feature complementary shades on the back of each chip.

Lost and found: You're off the beaten track, can't find your way and refuse to ask somebody for directions. Miz Hot Tips knows all about men who would rather take the scenic route than ask for help, so she was thrilled to hear about two new auto navigation gadgets that are quicker to read than a map.

For the budget-conscious there's Road Whiz, a small high-tech gadget for $29.95 with limited directions. And for those who are direct descendants of Christopher Columbus, there's UltraFinder, a hand-held electronic device with mega-sized memory chips to give you complete directions, turn-by-turn. It'll even calculate the nearest restaurant, hotel and gas stations for you.

For that kind of service, expect to pay the price: $99.95.

It's good manners: You've finally been invited to the boss's house for dinner - and there's that little fork at the top of the plate (it's for dessert), plus two forks on the left.

If only you'd listened to the latest installment of the Instant Genius cassettes by etiquette expert Letita Baldrige. It's a 60-minute tape to keep you from making all kinds of social faux pas in the areas of table manners, introductions, thank you notes, and even body language. The cassette is $12 and the CD is $13 at Barnes & Noble and Borders Books & Music stores.

Star-struck products: Miz Hot Tips wonders how many celebs who endorse products actually use them. For instance, she's seen Jaclyn Smith shopping at Neiman Marcus a couple of times, and she knows the store does not sell her line of clothing.

Anyway, for those who do follow the stars, Cybill Shepherd is the newest Ultima II spokesperson and is now hawking Glowtion skin brightening moisturizer on TV. You can find the moisturizer at J.C. Penney and several upscale drugstores.

Now, to appeal to those not yet worried about wrinkles or age spots, Cover Girl cosmetics has hired pop icon Brandy as its spokesgirl. And she's even singing the company's praises in television commercials already airing.

Meanwhile, Jane Seymour is busy advertising do-it-yourself hair color. It apparently improved her appearance, as the Dallas International Apparel Mart is going to honor her on Oct. 16 with its annual Personal Style Award.

And thanks in part to Monica Lewinsky and the prez, Zegna ties are now a household name. On Oct. 11, the Italian menswear company will be in the spotlight again, but this time as the presenting sponsor of the eighth annual Environmental Media Association Awards. They'll be held at Will Rogers State Historic Park in Pacific Palisades.

Romantic one-liners: So, you're in love and can't think of a single romantic thing to say to him or her? You'll get plenty of help from the new book ``Happily Ever After'' by Helene and Jim McMullan ($16.95; Angel City Press). The authors, who have been married 28 years, quote the best of the world's love lines, from philosopher Nietzsche's comment that ``the best friend is likely to acquire the best wife,'' to actress Jill Clayburgh's mother's suggestion: ``Marry a man with good teeth and high arches.'' Think of it for wedding and anniversary gifts.