THE ROVING EYE.

CALL it the L.A. Summer Uniform, the standard outfit for male Angelenos between the ages of 30 and 45 when off work: khaki shorts and a plain white T-shirt.

The Uniform is so ubiquitous that it's all but impossible to avoid encountering when venturing out on a summer day -- or night.

"Guys find it easy to wear and it doesn't take much imagination," said George White, a salesman at G.B. Harb in Beverly Hills.

Harb has a store in downtown Los Angeles and has made its reputation selling clothes to businessmen. The store sells only Bill's Khaki Ghurka shorts, which go for $75 a pair.

More egalitarian are shops like The Gap and Banana Republic. Jeffrey Alvarado, manager of a Banana Republic store in Beverly Hills, said he sells about 20 pairs of khaki shorts a week, which go for $30 a pair, and about 100 T-shirts, whose prices start at $15.

"It's kind of our trademark," he said, adding that Hollywood films and advertising have created a demand for these classic summer outfits.

The manager of the Gap outlet in Beverly Hills believes the simplicity of The Uniform and its relatively low cost appeals to men. She estimated she sells about 30 pairs of khaki shorts, which come in three styles ranging from $19.99 to $38. A plain white T-shirt goes for $9.99.

"It's easy, it's casual, comfortable, and you can wear any color T-shirt with khaki shorts," she said. But white is the shade that L.A. guys are going for.