Walk through any mall and you still see them: the flag T-shirts, the patriotic picnicware, the USA-emblazoned tongue rings. In post-Sept. 11 America, there are enough bright-starred, broad-striped products to stretch from sea to shining sea.

But if you're tired of Old Glory being used as a marketing tool -- or stuck on people's backsides or dangling from key rings -- take heart. Although the stores are filled with red, white and blue for the fourth of July holiday, the public's interest in outward signs of patriotism may be waning -- being replaced, perhaps, by a more enduring interest in things American.

"I have a 'flag-o-meter,' and I'm seeing a lot fewer these days," says Tom Holliday, president of the Washington-based Retail Advertising and Marketing Association. "I've been seeing a lot of patriotic merchandise marked down." The flag decal in the back of Holliday's car is beginning to curl because of the sunlight, he says, and he won't replace it. "But that's not because I'm feeling any less patriotic."

Interestingly enough, there's been no real effort to "buy American" since Sept. 11, in spite of people's newfound patriotism. "We realize globalization is here to stay," says Cary Silvers, vice president of Roper Reports, a New York-based consumer trend service. If nothing else, it's hard to buy American. The four-poster bed you've fallen in love with may be made in North Carolina, but the bedposts came from South America.

So what about all the fashion and furniture with American themes we've been seeing in the last nine months? What about the meatloaf and garlic mashed potatoes that can now be found on the menus of cutting-edge restaurants?

Many things can be attributed to the terrorist attacks, but probably not these. Take the retro American dishes that have become so trendy. While some argue that Americans turned to comfort food in response to war and terrorism, its popularity really took off in the '90s. In a survey conducted for Advertising Age, published in March, 84 percent of respondents said their buying patterns for food and staples have remained the same since Sept. 11, while 77 percent reported eating the same amount of comfort food as before.

The events of Sept. 11 seem to have simply accelerated a trend toward Americana in home, fashion and food that was already on a roll. Even the enormous amount of patriotic material we're seeing in the stores this fourth of July may only partly be a result of Sept. 11. After all, Americans have been decorating their homes more and more for the holidays in the past few years.

Target's blowout "AmericaLand" -- a flag-inspired collection of clothing, accessories, home goods and sporting gear by designer Stephen Sprouse -- has been in the works for two years. It's unclear whether the collection will end up selling better because of consumers' heightened feelings of patriotism or worse than it would have if there had been no Sept. 11. Sprouse's edgy, graffiti-inspired designs may have lost some of their impact in the flood of red, white and blue since the attacks.

"There was a lot of Americana out there pre-9-11," says Diane Daly, director of fashion and communications at Hecht's, pointing out that popular designers like Tommy Hilfiger and Ralph Lauren have always specialized in it. Items like a flag-inspired beaded evening bag were in the stores before the tragedy. White -- often with red accents -- was the fashion color for spring, something that had nothing to do with patriotism.

These products resonate with consumers because of their patriotic message, says Tom Julian, fashion analyst for the ad agency Fallon Worldwide, but he thinks more shoppers will choose indirect references to America this season -- gauzy white peasant tops rather than denim boots decorated with stars and stripes, for instance, although both are in the stores. And the look is already starting to evolve. Designers might, for instance, re-create stars and stripes in pink, white and black.

"It's Americana with a new twist," Julian says.

The biggest retail news since September, Hecht's Diane Daly says, hasn't been the overtly patriotic products, but heightened interest in home furnishings as Americans decided to stay at home and spend more time with their family and friends.

"Furniture is such a long-term purchase it's not very faddy, but interest in American themes has accelerated since 9-11," says Jerry Epperson, furniture analyst for Ferris, Baker Watts. On the other hand, more people are investing in second homes, he points out; and those are best furnished with the casual lodge looks and beach looks that are quintessentially American. Those styles would probably have sold well if Sept. 11 had never happened. "So much French country and [ornate] Italian has gone by the way. There's a lot of good old American [look] furniture out there."

One month after the terrorist attacks, several companies at the October wholesale home furnishings market in High Point, N.C., introduced lines of furniture with an American theme -- clearly a coincidence, given the time it takes to design and produce a collection. But at the April market six months later, comfort and nostalgia were bigger news than overtly American styles. Broyhill's Attic Heirlooms line had a warm, antiquey feel; and Vaughan-Bassett's retro Elvis Collection was the hit of the market.

Perhaps it all comes down to a different definition of patriotism than the experts first thought of post-9-11. Cary Silvers at Roper believes that one of the most lasting lifestyle changes of the Sept. 11 attacks may be that patriotism is having us look at our American roots. Hence the interest in the Elvis Collection is as much patriotism-inspired as the purchase of a new flag. A recent Roper survey showed that more people are traveling within the United States this summer for safety reasons, but Silvers believes Americans are also newly interested in visiting historic sites.

"When you tell the rest of the world you're proud to be an American," he says, "You have to know what you stand for."

Oddly American

Stars-and-stripes T-shirts and flag-decorated travel mugs merely scratch the surface of the patriotic products out there. Here are some of the more off-the-wall ones:

* Paragon Trade Brand's Little Patriots disposable diapers with red, white and blue stars

* Stainless steel tongue ring with "USA" and flag

* Topps "Enduring Freedom" trading cards featuring Colin Powell et al. But no bubble gum

* PetSmart's Patriotic Cat Toy Value Pack, featuring a stars and stripes catnip mouse, among other patriotic toys

* Renuzit Patriotic Candles in scents like Star-Spangled Berry

* Marshmallow Peeps. White stars with blue and red glitter

* Beretta "United We Stand" 9-mm pistol

* Frederick's of Hollywood Patriotic Panty (a cotton thong)

* Breathe Right Nasal Strips, decorated with stars and stripes

* USA Flag-Shaped Stress Reliever (made of foam, it's relaxing to squeeze)