BY DESIGN : THE REAL WORLD : The Hot Zone : Cool Accessories Add Sizzle to Summer

It’s 90 degrees in the shade.

But it’s never too hot for accessories, as the woman who pairs her tiny white satin halter with an oversized belly necklace can attest. And the tinkling of silver bracelets on another Melrose Avenue passerby almost has an icy effect.

Itsy-bitsy shifts, little overalls jumpers, midriff-baring tops and shorts are still the stay-cool summer staples, combined with those big honking shoes that have been around for years--the current incarnations being thick-strapped sandals and high-heel sneakers. And backpacks remain the handbag of the moment for anyone under 30, preferably not in leather but in crocheted cotton, metallics or vinyl.

The only delicate things in these dog days, it seems, are those barely there necklaces. Whether just a few little crystal drops that resemble melting ice on a string, or crosses or beach beads on a cord, they show up best on men and women when everything else is stripped away.