Congratulations to the very petite, very pregnant, and very talented NATALIE PORTMAN for her Best Actress Oscar win last night.  Her performance as a ballerina driven to madness in ”Black Swan” is truly one of the best I have ever seen.  Natalie positively glowed in a deep purple silk chiffon gown by Rodarte.  The off-the-shoulder beaded V-neckline and flowing fabric made the dress a glamorous and flattering choice for the 5′3″ Academy Award winning actress. 

   NATALIE PORTMAN IN RODARTE

Natalie’s “Black Swan” co-star MILA KUNIS also looked absolutely fabulous on the red carpet in lavender and lace.  Mila’s lingerie-inspired gown by Elie Saab featured draping, tiered lace , and a vertical chiffon panel down the front to elongate her sexy petite figure.  Kudos to Mila and her style team for pulling off winning red carpet looks throughout the 2011 awards season.  Mila gets my vote for Oscar night’s “Best Dressed Petite.”

 MILA KUNIS IN ELIE SAAB

AND NOW – THE PETITE FASHION MISSES

I wasn’t a big fan of fair skinned, platinum blonde MICHELLE WILLIAMS choice of pale colors again.  HELENA BONHAM CARTER was back to playing the “Red Carpet Fashion Rebel” in her strappy,corseted black dress designed by costume designer Colleen Atwood.  However, the biggest petite fashion disappointment of the night for me was SCARLET JOHANSSON.  I kind of liked her edgy new hairdo, but her amethyst lace dress by Dolce and Gabbana had a definite “bordello” look to it and the color clashed with the red carpet.   

SCARLET JOHANSSON IN DOLCE AND GABBANA 

TINA FEY

Red is certainly her color!  Tina should ditch the dark colors she traditionally wear to awards shows from here on.  This is the absolute best she has ever looked!  The color and cut of her Oscar de la Renta strapless red lace gown perfectly complimented her 5′4″ petite frame. 

MILA KUNIS

Mila Kunis emerges as the hot new petite fashionista after two strong back-to-back appearances on the red carpet.  The 5′3″ actress took some chances in her strapless red print Alexander McQueen gown but they paid off.  Mila gave the dress a modern twist by adding a skinny belt perfectly proportioned for her petite size. 

HELENA BONHAM CARTER

Helena Bonham Carter wins the ”Most Improved” fashion award and clearly listened to the shrill whistles of the Petite Fashion Police after her fashion disaster at the Golden Globes.  She looks simply elegant in her black and white lace Marc Jacobs dress complete with MATCHING black pumps.   

BEST DRESSED – EVA LONGORIA 

Eva Longoria gets my vote for the “Best Dressed Petite.”  The petite bombshell looked absolutely stunning in a black Zac Posen fishtail gown with a flattering sweeetheart neckline and sexy cutout back.  Kudos to Eva and her stylists for setting a shining example for all petite women on how to work the red carpet and stand out in a crowd. 

BEST DRESSED RUNNER-UPS -  MILA KUNIS AND SCARLET JOHANNSON

Mila Kunis, a close runner-up, wore a Vera Wang one-shoulder textured gown in the hot color of the night, emerald green.  The diagonal lines of her draped gown drew the eye upward to perfectly flatter her petite figure. 

Scarlet Johannson also looked gorgeous in Elie Saab’s romantic blush lace gown with a deep V-neckline front and back and embellished butterfly sleeves.  I loved the dress, hated the hair.  Her scruffy updo reminded me a little too much of the Bride of Frankenstein. 

WORST DRESSED – HELENA BONHAM CARTER

  The unanimous winner of my vote for “Worst Dressed Petite” is Helena Bonham Carter.  What was she thinking?  It looked like a bird landed on the chest of her printed Vivienne Westwood printed cocktail dress sprouting with black tulle.  Helena even wore shoes in two different colors.  My theory for her fashion disaster is that she has been living with Tim Burton for way too long. 

 I kicked off my Petite Training Camp today with Dillard’s, a new concept for team building and style coaching.  So I am now waiting for a delayed flight at the New Orleans airport and playing “Petite Fashion Police,’ my own little version of “What Not to Wear.”  Here are my sightings:

 THE GOOD

Sometimes simple is best.  The most chic petite look spotted was a 50ish blonde in black capri pants, a black tank, a boldly striped black and white jacket that was slightly fitted at the waist, and black ballet flats.  Her hair was pulled back in a low ponytail and dazzling pearl drop earrings dangled just below her earlobes.  Here is a woman after my own heart because she is following 4 of my top 10 petite tips:

1. Wear vertical lines or patterns.
2. Wear unbroken lines of color on the body.
3. Match your shoes with your hemline.
4. Choose accessories that flatter rather than overpower. 

THE BAD

The petite lady wearing the black twinset with animal print pants initially looked quite stylish.  Then I saw it – a HUGE jaguar pin on her left shoulder.  It was actually about the size of a teacup Chihuahua.  One very large accessorizing mistake threw her entire look off balance.  Maybe she is a devoted Jacksonville Jaguars fan, but she is also a shining example to petite women that you need to keep proportion in mind at all times.

 THE UGLY

The biggest “fashion victim” of the day was a young Asian girl probably around 4’10” wearing an oversized tie-dyed tee shirt with jeans tucked into thigh high black leather boots, and accessorized with a skinny Missoni-inspired scarf that literally hung down below her knees.  She honestly looked like she was playing dress up in someone else’s clothing.  Warning to all petite women:  Thigh high boots are a guaranteed way to make your legs look shorter.