SHOP TALK : Nights in Black Satin Draw Near : California’s casual chic takes a holiday for seasonal glamour. And dress-up apparel can be found for a low-down price.

Here in sunny Southern California, “The Look” has always been casual. Peoplewear jeans almost everywhere, even to the theater, fine restaurants and parties. If you are one of those women who love to dress up, you’re either terribly frustrated or you’re making plans to move to New York.

But the holiday season does offer a brief window of opportunity for you. These few weeks of holiday parties--and especially New Year’s Eve--are about the only time you can dress in your finery and not draw snickers.

The fashion magazines have been screaming “Glamour Is Back!” throughout this past season. Happily, the stores are full of velvet, silk and mohair. If you look in the right places, you just might find some glamorous clothes at prices low enough to leave room in your budget for more jeans and T-shirts in the new year.

Heeding the call for more glamour, and copying big-name designers, the Gap has truly outdone itself. One personal favorite is a long-sleeved, ankle-length black velvet dress for $68. We also picked out a long black slip-dress in silk for $39.99. This looks great with one of the mohair cardigans (if only we could bear the scratching) for $42.

The Gap also has a great selection of luxe accessories, including velvet hats ($16.50) and silk and velvet scarves ($26). Velvet evening bags and crocheted backpacks are offered at $24 and $38.

At Ross Dress for Less, there were velvet tunic tops by BCBG Paris for just $29.99, down from the original price of $84. Another favorite was a crocheted mohair pullover in silvery gray by the Limited for $19.99 (from $50).

At Marshall’s, we admired velvet coordinates by ABS from $39.99 to $79.99. Silk blouses by KIKIT were $29.99, down from $96.

Say you’ve got a really special occasion coming up . . . like New Year’s Eve with Warren and Annette. Try Designer Labels for Less in the Oxnard Factory Outlet. The men’s store carries drop-dead gorgeous formal wear for men and women. (We’ve even seen black label Giorgio Armani in the past.)

Currently, they’ve got Donna Karan and Ralph Lauren dresses and gowns at 60% to 80% off retail.

Whatever you decide, don’t forget the red lipstick and the high heels. Fabulous, darling!