No Longer Merely an Afterthought, Accessories Are Fashion Focal Point : Jewelry, belts, hats and scarves can put an individual stamp on a look and can maximize the versatility of an outfit.

When June Cleaver wore pearls, she chose a small, tasteful strand that would not interfere with her housework.

Those were different times, before “accessorize” had become a common household verb.

Today women have turned to bigger, bolder baubles to adorn their outfits. If they’re going to wear pearls, they’re likely to wear ones the size of golf balls.

No longer fashion’s afterthought, accessories have become the focal point of one’s attire.

“They’re very important,” says Mary Jane Borden, owner of A La Mode Fashions in Irvine. “They can make an outfit look 100 times better.”

With a beaded belt, felt hat or pin, one can change a garment’s entire look.

“You can take a basic black dress you wore to a funeral that morning, change from pearls into rhinestones, and wear it to a formal wedding that night,” Borden says.

She’s only half-kidding.

Baubles and bangles have become so prominent, they’ve taken over entire stores. Brea Mall has three boutiques devoted primarily to accessories--Xtras, Etcetera and the Icing, the first in a chain of upscale accessory stores in Southern California.

“Women are definitely spending more money on accessories and buying more extravagant things,” says Carol Suda, regional manager for the Icing.

This fall they’re buying long “shoulder duster” earrings with dangling coins and beads, necklaces with huge “pearls” made of spun cotton and wide-cuff bracelets made of gleaming silver or gold.

“Giant jewels are real popular,” Suda says. “They’re even wearing crystals for daytime now, when they never would have before.” Earrings made from clusters of crystals have proven especially popular.

Women are attracted to all that glitters. Most have abandoned scarves with small paisley prints for large chiffon squares shot through with metallic thread.

A purple suede belt becomes the centerpiece of any outfit when lined with gold studs and bearing a clasp encrusted with beads and rhinestones, available for $89. Even an ordinary baseball cap looks glamorous when made of rhinestone-studded black velvet and doused with beads on its front flap. The velvet cap also costs a bit more than a standard Angels’ cap--$50 at the Icing.

Women don’t care that their glitz is artificial--most of the big shield-style earrings are obvious fakes, handcrafted out of paper, resin, plastic or clay. One pair features shredded ribbons formed into miniature pompons for $28.

“Big earrings show the gypsy in all women,” Suda says.

Accessories have grown in size and stature because they allow women to express themselves, no easy feat in an age of mass-produced, cookie-cutter clothes.

“Women need to make a statement about themselves,” Suda says. “Clothing has gotten a little boring, so women are using accessories to show their personality.”

That explains the current rage for ring watches, the hottest novelty item at the Icing. Suda stocks rings with small watch faces embedded in huge crystals.

“Customers are looking for something different,” she says. “It’s a conversation piece.”

While Borden’s shop carries fashions for big women, she stocks so much fun jewelry that her “skinny girls” are her best accessory customers.

Her hottest-selling accessory of the moment: bubble bottles.

Bubble bottles look like perfume bottles worn on a cord around the neck, but the wearer can untwist the cap and pull out an “itty-bitty bubble wand and blow itty-bitty bubbles,” Borden says. They’re selling at accessory counters everywhere, from Target to Nordstrom.

Borden’s customers have also been snapping up big plastic whistles, painted gold and covered with fake jewels.

“If your husband’s across the room at a party, you can whistle for him,” Borden says.

At Etcetera, one can find everything from a timeless Chanel-style chain with faux pearls and gems to a ‘60s-style “thong necklace”--a leather or silk cord with a large medallion, cross, crystal or tassel for decoration.

At a recent fashion show, Etcetera took five basic black dresses from Ann Taylor and gave each a different look--from ethnic with long strands of colored beads to evening with a gold metallic hair bow and gold jewelry.

“Clothing is getting so expensive and women want value for their dollar,” says Robin Roberts, co-manager of Etcetera in Brea Mall.

“We can take a basic black dinner dress and make it look new with earrings and a necklace. For a little money, you can have more versatility.”

Some women have trouble coordinating jewelry with an outfit.

“Many tend to buy accessories without having the outfit with them,” Borden says. “That’s a mistake. There could be 100 different shades of blue. It’s better to do the outfit when you buy it.”

She suggests shopping for accessories with the outfit in tow and soliciting second opinions from employees.

“Women bring me clothes and ask me to accessorize them,” Borden says.

Customers should consider the shape of their face, length of their hair and their build when buying accessories, Suda says. Someone with a round face probably should stay away from round earrings, she says, and big earrings don’t belong on a small person.

“But there are no rules,” Suda says. “Try things that you’ve never worn before. It makes it more fun.”