HOT TIPS : FOR `OZ' COSTUMES, THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE ...

Byline: Barbara De Witt 

Dorothy's ruby slippers are clicking citywide again, and fans eagerly are skipping down the yellow brick road to buy, buy, buy.

With the re-release of ``The Wizard of Oz,'' the Warner Bros. store in Topanga Plaza in Canoga Park already is sold out of those ruby slippers. However, it has other items, such as a ``Wizard of Oz'' theme cookie jar for $45.

But if the shoes are what you're really after, don't despair. Miz Hot Tips hunted them down at Neiman Marcus in Beverly Hills for $26.50, as well as the Good Witch Glinda's crown for $20, and children's costumes of each of the major characters. The store also has a life-size stuffed Toto, and a cool vintage-inspired purse in purple sequins with a ruby slippers motif. The purse, $30, could be used by adult Dorothy fans.

You'll also find Dorothy's famous slippers covered in red glitter at Nordstrom for $24.95, and similarly priced styles at Mervyn's.

Now, if all you want is a little dose of nostalgia, Nicole by OPI has the ticket. The North Hollywood-based company has created Ruby Dooby Doo nail lacquer in a deep ruby hue with a little sparkle, available for about $7 a bottle at Saks Fifth Avenue, and J.C. Penney hair salons. Best of all, part of the proceeds benefit local charities such as Gilda's Club, Rock the Vote and Starbright Foundation.

New shopping venues: Miz Hot Tips went on mall patrol and discovered that Northridge Fashion Center now has a new Border's Bookstore with a coffee and pastry bar. The grand opening hoopla is scheduled throughout the weekend.

Century City Shopping Center also has a new store to try. It's Joan Vass, a boutique specializing in sporty women's knitwear, with leopard spots and pin stripes.

Over in hipsterville, a k a Melrose Avenue, British designer Liza Bruce is opening her first store. You'll find her trademark silk bikinis, futuristic fashions and plenty of cruisewear clothing that works so well for the SoCal scene.

And in Santa Monica, look for Sur La Table, which opens Monday at 301 Wilshire Blvd., across from the Third Street Promenade. It's a cook's haven, with state-of-the-art kitchen equipment and hard-to-find cook's tools, with lots of celebrity chefs making personal appearances.

How ornamental: Stores already are decked out for the holidays with tree ornaments galore, but most of the designs are ho-hum. For something sure to start a conversation around the tree, consider Kathie Lee Gifford's elegant Lenox china ornament with three cherubs on the front to represent the ideals of childhood: beauty, innocence and joy. It's $30 at department stores everywhere, and proceeds benefit Cassidy's Place, an organization for needy children.

Earlier in the week, Miz Hot Tips spotted patriotic red-white-and-blue ornaments, as well as a few shaped like Faberge eggs at the Reagan Library in Simi Valley. They're $7 and up.

New additions to the family: Kathy Ireland has added yet another category to her fashion collections at Kmart, and this time it's golf fashions. The line has some bright red and yellow styles so you'll be easily spotted on the green.

Victoria's Secret stores have added something new, too. It's Liquid Lingerie cosmetics, with some special-effects products to make you more glam, giving a boost much like their push-up bras. Most items are priced from $10 to $20.

And over at Sears, they have new Santa suits for all those holiday parties coming up. There are three styles (all red, of course), priced from $59.99 to $200, plus belly boosters and beard sets.