Although no surprise, Tony-Award-winning Marissa Janet Winokur's departure this week from Dancing with the Stars leaves the popular show with a bit less pizazz. Winokur's high energy level and trooper's attitude kept her performances fresh, even when the judges panned her dancing.

As a short woman of a certain size, Winokur could have been served better had her costume designers not routinely dressed her in form-fitting, stretchy outfits of the type that look great on petite Kristi Yamaguchi, but not so good on Marissa Janet Winokur.

One of her costumes was so tight that it emphasized her tummy. However, she did have an exceptional costume that really flattered her once. It was a flowing white chiffon gown cinched by a dark braid, which created the illusion of a defined waistline, while the costume's chiffon fabric floated gently away from her body.

We wish that all of her costumes had looked as good as the white chiffon gown. Marissa Janet Winokur put a stellar effort into each performance, and she deserved to have more flattering costumes.

Pictured: Marissa Janet Winokur at the 100th show party of Dancing with the Stars, May 6, 2008
Photo Credit: Frederick M. Brown/Getty Images

Are hats back? Sarah Jessica Parker wore a hat at the world premiere in London of the Sex and the City movie scheduled for U.S. release on May 30. And what a hat! The vertical green creation, which featured a large flower and butterfies among smaller flowers, easily added several inches to the petite star's height. British millinery designer Philip Treacy, known for his flamboyant creations, designed the hat, which coordinated with Sarah Jessica Parker's green dress by Alexander McQueen. Who says fashion isn't fun?

Pictured: Sarah Jessica Parker at London premiere of Sex and the City
Photo Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Stars posing on the red carpet at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Annual Gala on May 5 wore evening gowns that reflected the trends of the season, and the fashion story of the event was the long gown with a train. Whether long and ruffled or short and simple, most of the celebrity attendees' gowns had trains. Here's a recap of the season's trends seen at the Gala:

Trains

Transparency

Ruffles

Bright colors

One-shoulder gowns.

Pictured: Kate Mara at the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Costume Institute Annual Gala, May 5, 2008, in New York.
Photo Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

I've always liked the retro polka dot look, and designers have updated it for this spring/summer season with all sorts of cute interpretations in black and white. These canvas slides from Coldwater Creek are a great example of the trend, and I especially like the shape of the heel. Marked down from $59.50, they're now on sale for $23.99.

Pictured: Polka Dot Slides (Buy Direct)
Photo Credit: Coldwater Creek

With the release of the Sex and the City movie scheduled for May 30, Sarah Jessica Parker, who plays Carrie Bradshaw, is back in the news. But she hasn't been resting since the popular HBO show ended. In addition to her acting career, Sarah Jessica Parker entered the world of fashion design a year ago, joining many other celebrities who have launched lines of clothing and fashion accessories.

Bitten, Sarah Jessica Parker's line of budget-priced clothing (nothing costs more than $19.98), is sold exclusively at Steve & Barry's, a rapidly expanding retailer. Unfortunately, Steve & Barry's doesn't sell online, so many shoppers have no way of checking out the Bitten line for themselves. However, with its expansion schedule, Steve & Barry's may be coming to a mall near you soon. I just checked Steve & Barry's store locator and found that there will be a local store near me soon.

Although Bitten is not a petites line, Sarah Jessica Parker is on the tall end of the petites spectrum, and she has appeared in Bitten garments, so it will be interesting to find out how they fit petites. If you have purchased any Bitten clothing, please post a comment, and let everyone know what you thought of the fit. I'll check it out personally when the local Steve & Barry's store opens.

Pictured: Sarah Jessica Parker
Photo Credit: Stephen Lovekin/Getty Images

Although mothers like traditional gifts of flowers, jewelry, and candy, busy moms on the go will also appreciate a gift that's both pretty and practical. Watches can double as bracelets and save moms the few seconds that it takes to flip open their cell phones to check the time. Trendy flower watches (Compare Prices) come in all price ranges and are right in style with the spring floral trend.

Item Pictured: Fossil Women's Leather Watch with Pink Face and Flower Design (Compare Prices)
Photo Credit: PriceGrabber

It's a fashion fact - if we look thinner, we'll look taller. So any style tricks that help us look thinner do double duty for short women. Wearing garments with V-necklines makes a petite woman look both thinner and taller, and short celebrities often use this method to create an illusion of more height.

Here's a petite silk top that works hard for the wearer. Whether they're pointing up or down, V-lines create height. On this top, the chevron design continually repeats the V-motif, and the skinny belt emphasizes and defines the waistline for a shapely look.

Pictured: Calvin Klein petite V-neck top (Buy Direct)
Photo Courtesy of Macy's

As a 5'2" woman who weighs just 100 pounds, petite race car driver Danica Patrick stands out in the male-dominated world of IndyCar racing. With her first win at the Indy Japan 300 on Sunday, April 20, Danica Patrick finally proved that she could beat the guys. Because she's an attractive woman who successfully capitalizes on her beauty, - she's the only IndyCar winner who's ever posed in a swimsuit for Sports Illustrated - many people didn't take her racing career too seriously. Danica Patrick takes it seriously though. Now that she's won a major race, Patrick wants to continue her winning ways. According to USA Today, Danica Patrick said of her victory, "I needed to get over that hurdle. Now I just need to win more."

Pictured: Danica Patrick poses with her Japan Indy winner's trophy, April 20, 2008.
Photo Credit: Jonathon Ferrey/Getty Images

Do you like watching makeovers? If so, then tune in Friday evenings at 9 p.m. to TLC's What Not to Wear sometime.

Although most makeovers concentrate on giving an individual one new look, Stacy London and Clinton Kelly, the style gurus of What Not to Wear, pull out all the stops and help a woman choose a new $5000 wardrobe and a new look with different hairstyle and makeup. Just one catch though - the woman who will be made over must allow Stacy and Clinton to go through her closet and throw away anything they don't think will work with her new look. Normally that means that everything in the closet has to go.

It's funny to see how many of the women selecting a new wardrobe really don't seem to like shopping. I guess they missed the female shopping gene somehow. Other women who do like to shop have problems selecting appropriate clothing for their lifestyles or ages. The show's all in good fun, and although I don't always agree with Stacy and Clinton, most of their advice is sound, and everyone ends up with a much improved new look by the end of the show.

Pictured: Stacy London at DIFFA's Dining by Design Gala Dinner, April 1, 2008, in New York.
Photo Credit: Bryan Bedder/Getty Images

Although she's over 60, Betsey Johnson's designs remain ever youthful, full of life, fun, and frivolity. Of her clothing and accessories, Betsey Johnson posts that they "...wake up and brighten and bring the wearer to life…drawing attention to her beauty and specialness…her moods and movements…her dreams and fantasies.”

These cute shoes are no exception. With four-inch heels, these peep-toe Betsey Johnson shoes will make make any petite woman look that much taller. They're right on trend too with their bright pink and yellow colors and a floral motif.

Pictured: Betsey Johnson Felicia shoes (Compare Prices)
Photo Courtesy of PriceGrabber