FASHION / FALL IN THE CITY : The Single Hottest Cut : * Hair: Bridget Fonda spawned a legion of imitators with her short sexy do. Its appeal, says a stylist, is that it “focuses on the unique beauty of each person’s face.”

Not since “Klute” was the must-see movie of ’71 has a Fonda caused such a hairstyle sensation. When Jane sported her longer, layered cut on-screen, men and women rushed to mimic the look. Now, Jane’s niece Bridget is causing scissors to spin with her short feathered do for “Single White Female.”

It was costume designer Milena Canonero’s concept, says Candace Neal, the film’s hairdresser.

“Milena is so aware of what’s going on in the streets, as well as in fashion. She came to me with this idea for a sexy, easy haircut that would fit Bridget’s character of a sexy, but very career-oriented, busy contemporary female.

“We both thought it would be great,” says Neal, “but I never expected it to spark such a trend.”

Supercuts’ artistic director Karla Betcher agrees the movie is a strong influence, but she cites others. Singer Chynna Phillips of the Wilson Phillips trio set off a trend two years ago with a boxier version of Fonda’s cut that included heavier bangs.

Betcher also gives credit to actress Janine Turner of TV’s “Northern Exposure.” Turner’s look is closer to Phillips’s than Fonda’s.

“It’s really an updated bob with softer lines,” says Betcher. “To avoid any flatness, the ends need to be cut in so they don’t weigh the look down. Then the hair really moves. That’s what makes it sexy even though it’s short.

Carrie White, of Tova’s Body, Mind and Spirit Salon in Beverly Hills, gave herself the cut a few months ago.

The cut, she says, “focuses on the unique beauty of each person’s face--the whole direction of the cut frames the face. It’s subtly sexy. It’s not about competition for attention, it’s about individuality, freedom and energy.”