HOLIDAYS IN THE VALLEY : Clips Add Zip : Fashion: Accessories like zipper pulls can reinvent last year’s wardrobe--at a reasonable cost.

Earrings, bracelets, necklaces, rings--teen-agers have been receiving these accessories as gifts for years. But this holiday season, San Fernando Valley retailers are hoping jewelry for clothing will tempt gift givers, since jacket clips and zipper pulls seem to be the fads of the moment.

Jacket clips are one of the hottest clothing accessories being worn and sold in the Valley. Available in a variety of accessory stores and clothing boutiques, these waist-cinching, pinless accessories feature two clamp-style clips joined by fabric-covered elastic or stretch wire. These clips attach to the back of a jacket for a more tailored look, resembling the back of a vest.

At Contempo Casuals in Media City Center, Burbank’s new mall, jacket clips are packaged and sold under the store’s own label, Contempo Clothes Clips. Most are $5.50 to $7. There are clips with tiny rosettes, houndstooth fabric-covered styles and a set of clips with elasticized pearl strands. The store also sells long, flowing floral dresses equipped with the clips for $58. The clips, which have been around since the spring of ‘91, are so popular that the store is constantly sold out and is expecting a reorder shipment.

At Flair boutique in Encino, the clips are often purchased to secure the over-the-knee portion of thigh-high boots in the back and to cinch the back of oversized T-shirts, says owner Cissy Wechter. Her store is filled with under-$20 clips enhanced with gold lame fabric, black tassels and rosettes.

Another gift idea, available at Nordstrom in Topanga Plaza, are zipper pulls, which are another new way to add interest to a zip-up jacket. These clip-on ornaments attach to the end of a zipper, functioning somewhat like an earring.

“We’ve done very well with them; anything that adds newness without costing a lot and makes something look new is destined to be a hot seller,” says June Rau, Nordstrom fashion director of the stores in the Los Angeles region.

“Wearing a zipper pull is a novel, no-fuss way to give apparel more of a designer look and take a daytime outfit into evening,” she says, citing the use of elegant zipper pulls on designer sportswear in such upscale collections as Anne Klein. The French Pulls, manufactured by Lieba Inc. in Baltimore, are priced from $11 to $16. There are gold and silver pulls, some in animal shapes with multicolored stones for eyes, as well as other with pearls in geometric and swirl shapes.

They are extremely versatile. Rau says she’s also seen them worn as necklaces, dangling from a silk or leather cord or from a gold or silver chain. They are also cropping up on handbag zippers or loops. She’s also seen them dangling from a belt buckle and boot zippers.

Another hot item designed to accompany boots are boot chains. These chains, functioning as ankle bracelets for the boots, add interest for little money. At Thieves Market in Studio City, customers regularly wear a chain or two on their western-style boots. Most are fashioned of black leather and gunmetal-tone hardware, and sell for $19 to $39.

At Leeds Shoes in Topanga Plaza, customers receive a $5 discount if they purchase two chains instead of one. In this moderately priced shoe store, silver- and gold-toned single chains by Inspiration sell for $11.99 to $15.99. Some are plain chains, while others feature dangling bell charms that jingle with every step or glitzy rhinestones. The fancier styles are popular with customers who purchase dressy suede boots, says store manager Fernando Martinez.

The number of chains worn, says employee Gregg Buchwalter, depends on the person.

“Flashier types wear two--one on each boot--but the real statement-makers wear only one.”