Instead of an all-out, no-holds-barred return to extravagance, designers have boosted baubles, handbags, shoes and scarves to the level of exclusive jewelry. Bay Area stores offer a great array of choices that are a far cry from the understated black and beige period of the minimalist '90s. Colorful, cute, girlie and fun merchandise claim the lion's share of sales.

"Accessories are so hot right now," says Desiree Alexander, owner of Dish, a cool, hip fashion store in Berkeley. Rows of color-coded merchandise attract more than just a local crowd. "When we first opened, accessories were not important - I carried maybe one or two local jewelry lines just because I liked them," she says. "But today my accessories account for about 35 percent of sales, and will probably grow. In fact, I am putting in a new display case for jewelry that will be twice the size of the existing one."

Viv & Ingrid, a company that designs everything from decorative bags-within-bags, beaded hair slides in miniature totes, hair bobbles expertly packaged, kimono-style, to reversible "headkerchiefs" in coordinating pouches, are much-admired by Dish's clientele. Alexander also stocks Woo, another popular label, which makes vintage Hawaiian print bags, shoes and coin purses; and Sage, which specializes in one-off, turn-of-the-century-style pendants on beaded chains.

Shoes are another big winner this season and Dish has plenty of them. "We transformed the upstairs at the end of 1999 from menswear into a shoe and men's section," says Alexander, who changed the whole display area and installed new track lighting to improve the store's flow. Now snakeskin mules and pink sandals line the walls like books on mini-shelves, and are flanked by fuchsia suede handbags, straw totes and assorted men's shirts.

Opened on a shoestring, Dish's interior is in ironic contrast to its high-style merchandise. Alexander picked up vintage fixtures, clothing racks and display cases at estate sales and salvage yards; a welder friend made the decorative wrought-iron crowns. Ornate metal baskets display socks and beaded thongs, '50s diner signage flanks the walls and an old suitcase houses the pricey British underwear by Shop Girl.

Industrial aluminum, galvanized siding and black-painted metal set off against pistachio walls. But it never loses sight of its principal conceit: dog treats sit firmly next to human treats on the front counter; the dog graphic appears, well, doggedly, on business cards, swing tags, boxes, stickers and even the floor. "I wanted a Norman Rockwell-type design," says Hickey, slyly.

Hickey's years of retail experience (as a buyer for Bebe) have obviously paid off as she knows how a store should look and what works within a budget. Expensive-looking, comfortable pea green chairs and photograph frames that double as shelving on the walls are both from Ikea; floral vinyl shower curtains screen changing rooms; and in the entrance is a fabulous glass-top circular table with a classical pedestal that used to serve as Hickey's kitchen table.

"I want to be able to change the layout of the store as frequently as I like," says the store owner. And since the cases and furniture are all on casters (the fitting rooms are the only non-movable parts), it means she can do just that.

Hickey also likes to create dramatic displays. Fan-shaped aluminum holders filled with dried split peas house sunglasses by Selima Optique, and assorted beaded and leather jewelry. Handbags line the walls on removable silver hooks that resemble car door handles by New Zealand designer Alan Rondel.

"Accessories are really fun again," said Hickey. "Gone are the days when a woman had one handbag each season. There are so many different styles out there, but they really fit in with the clothes."

Hickey's accessories range from printed hand-held bags by Patch NYC, beaded slippers by Ipa Nima, alphabet earrings by Lena Wald and one-of-a-kind hand-painted clogs by Los Angeles-based Gretel's Clogs. Surprisingly, while this inventive mix of color, texture, beading and prints seems original, none of the designs are Hickey's own. To get her signature look, "I don't buy complete outfits," Hickey says. "I buy separates and piece them together myself with different accessories."

Danielle Bourhis' new San Francisco store, Brown Eyed Girl, which opened Valentine's Day, is also thematically cute. Wandering around you might notice a few umbrellas and robes that feature a blue-eyed girl. If the 24-year-old Bourhis is the authentic Brown Eyed Girl, who is this Blue Eyed Girl? It's Bourhis' new partner, Tiffany Wendel.

With two women at the helm, the store is less industrial, softer and more feminine in feeling than A Girl and Her Dog. Housed in a Pacific Heights Victorian, the interior sports heavy silk canopies, luxurious drapes and deep sofas.

"We wanted to create an environment that was like going into your best friend's closet," says Bourhis.

Actually more house than closet, its entrance is a living room with books scattered on a table and comfortable sofas piled high with pillows. To the left is the chandelier-clad dining room flooded with cute Cynthia Rowley china; the baby's room next door boasts an antique crib, rocker and clothing. In the bedroom, Tocca sheets and candles are mixed with luxurious pajamas by Love Letters and fluffy slippers by Steve Madden; and the bathroom area, filled with soaps, headbands, spa party kits and logo-ed Brown Eyed Girl robes, is such a sales center that T-shirts and makeup are probably next on the list.

Last but not least is the day room, with an overstuffed chaise and closets full of work clothes, ultra-cool Tracy Watts cowboy hats and assorted handbags in turquoise patent leather and lilac and orange snake. Shoes are in the corner on a mini spiral staircase and range from heels to flats, with jewelry displayed next door in a pint-sized cabinet.

Buying across so many categories is a feat in itself. "I source for unique, unusual merchandise that you can't find in the department stores or elsewhere," says Bourhis. "And it's great fun. I actually have my best friends in mind: I think Chrissy would love that or Jen would look gorgeous in this or Beth would have that framed," she says.

Meanwhile, Pearl, in quiet Larkspur, is former interior designer Linda Bradshaw Allen's new gem of a store, where she brings together a lifelong love of fashion with a strong design aesthetic. "It is intended to be cozy, inviting and comfortable," she says.

But nothing too homey, of course. Decorated with antiques, chandeliers, framed mirrors and unique finds such as a leopard print and wrought iron doggy bed for Penny, (Allen's King Charles spaniel), the store seems less eclectic than city stores but equally upscale and luxurious.

Allen loves the clean, classic American look, and as a result is one of the largest stockers of Michael Kors' Kors line in the Bay Area (a trunk show for the fall collection is being planned for high summer).

Once again, accessories are high on the Pearl agenda. Allen scours Europe and the East Coast for unusual finds and Cynthia Rose, who converts vintage fabrics (an example is a pastel Chanel tweed) into fabulous shawls, is one of Allen's great discoveries. Delphinium-covered mini bags and coin purses by Mary J are a highlight for special occasions, and Mitzi Baker's Audrey bag in camel, red and black is a classic that Pearl can't keep in stock. Rose-trimmed slippers by Bonjour Fleurette are displayed in terra-cotta pots; beaded leather and velvet slides by Lava Mandel are a must-have.

Allen likes to play with visual puns at her store. Inside, shoes and bags by Chelsea Textiles are a nod to Allen's former career. Outside, a magnolia-covered trellis alongside a series of double globe topiaries echo the store's Magnolia Street address; a peacock topiary stationed proudly by the front door is accessorized with multi-strand pearl necklaces - a big vote for extravagance!

Serena Marler, the former fashion editor of London's Sunday Express newspaper, is now a Bay Area-based freelance fashion writer and stylist.