STARS TAKE A SHINE TO GLAMOUR SPARKLING JEWELS, SATINY SHEENS, PALE PASTELS MARK RETURN TO ELEGANCE.

Byline: Barbara De Witt Daily News Staff Writer

It was prom night at the Oscars. Instead of all that play-it-safe basic black that Hollywood has been wearing for years, stars finally shined again in colorful Cinderella gowns accented with regal jewels and dyed-to-match stoles, gloves, purses and shoes.

Best Actress nominee Sharon Stone even wore a gardenia corsage, which helped freshen up a black velvet dress. Asked who designed it, she laughed and said ``The Gap,'' but insiders think it was from Valentino.

Pastels were popular, and Halle Berry looked like old Hollywood in her elegant lilac gown by Herve Leger, accented with pink diamond earrings from Henry Winston. Best Supporting Actress nominee Kate Winslet (``Sense and Sensibility'') was stunning in an Empire-style gown with matching hot-pink stole by British designer Vivian Westwood, but she was almost upstaged by a little pink pig purse carried by ``Babe'' star Christine Cavanaugh. The perky actress with the childlike voice wore a strapless pink satin gown by Nolan Miller as a backdrop for her jeweled evening bag, designed by Judith Lieber.

While Nicole Kidman's lilac sheath with black beading by Prada was an attention-getter, the belle of the ball was Mira Sorvino, who floated down the red carpet at the Dorothy Chandler Pavilion in a romantic silver gown by Armani that featured exquisite crystal beading on the bodice and a silver-striped organza skirt. With her blond hair swept up and coiffed in a '50s twist, the star of ``Mighty Aphrodite'' looked like a reincarnation of Grace Kelly.

Many stars passed on the sequins and glitz for simple satin, a fabric noted for its heavy drape and dazzling sheen popularized by Calvin Klein last fall. Standouts included Laura Dern, who almost fell out of her low-cut sea-foam green gown by Richard Tyler; supermodel Claudia Schiffer in a two-tone gold Valentino gown; Christine Lahti in a pink mermaid silhouette; Mare Winningham in a lime-green Vera Wang halter dress; Elisabeth Shue in ivory by Felicia Farrar; Joan Allen in a frosty green gown by Timothy Dunleavy; and ``Clueless'' star Alicia Silverstone, who wore an icy blue Vera Wang design with a tulle stole - a major fashion item this year.

Best Actress winner Susan Sarandon passed on the pastels and opted for a reddish-brown number that matched her hair. Her Dolce & Gabbana gown was even more dazzling, thanks to a pair of diamond ear clips (13.42 carats) and bangle bracelet (37.80 carats) from Van Cleef & Arpels.

The guys were stylin', too. A few arrived in kilts as a nod to ``Braveheart'' and ``Rob Roy.'' Setting the fashion pace were Mel Gibson, wearing a plaid vest with his Armani tuxedo; Kevin Spacey in a white linen tuxedo, also by Armani; and Roddy McDowall in a Victorian-style ruffled shirt with pearl buttons and a long red scarf. The fashion rebel of the evening was Steven Seagal in an Edwardian-style top coat by Versace with sparkly buttons - which Seagal confided were not real diamonds.

It was a quiet night for the fashion police. There wasn't much fur, hardly anybody exposed themselves with cutouts or cleavage, and the only celebs who should have taken a second look in the mirror were a couple of fashion models. Tyra Banks, fans whispered, should have known that horizontal stripes make one look broad - even if they are on a sexy Herve Leger dress. At least she had a dress. The Victoria's Secret model, Frederique, left hers at home and showed up in a John Galliano slip.

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11 Photos

Photo: (1--color) Halle Berry dazzled the crowd in her lilac Herve Leger gown with pink diamond earrings by Harry Winston. Her old Hollywood glam was superb.

(2--color) ``Clueless'' star Alicia Silverstone was dressed like a prom queen in an icy blue satin gown by Vera Wang with a tulle stole. Too bad she didn't give her hair a twist. (3--color) Best Supporting Actress nominee Mare Winningham set the fashion pace in lime-green satin by Vera Wang - with matching purse, shoes and stole. (4--color) Sharon Stone, always a class act, wore a gardenia corsage with her black velvet dress. It looked very Valentino, but Stone jokingly swore it came from the Gap. (5--color) Best Actress Nominee Emma Thompson went for the Grace Kelly look in a creamy beaded cardigan with matching silk skirt. Very swank. (6--color) Hollywood royal couple Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman wore designs by Prada, but her lilac Empire dress edged with black beads scored highest with the fans. (7--color) Mira Sorvino reigned over the Oscars with a golden statuette for Best Supporting Actress and a silvery Armani gown. Her entourage included family members plus Quentin Tarantino. (8--color) Steven Seagal passed on the traditional tuxedo and suited up in an Edwardian top coat with rhinestone buttons by Versace. His date wore an equally costumy design. (9--color) Kissing her pink pig purse is Christine Cavanaugh, the voice of ``Babe.'' The purse was designed by Judith Lieber to accompany her Nolan Miller gown and matching gloves. (10--color) Kate Winslett's hot-pink gown and stole by Vivian Westwood shined almost as bright as her diamond and platinum garland-style necklace from Martin Katz. (11-color) Laura Dern could have used a bigger dress, but she still looked swell in her Richard Tyler satin gown accented with a dainty cross pendant.