Bikinis are hot as ever for this summer (see new styles in our bikini image gallery), and they're a swimwear solution for petites who may have fitting problems with regular one-piece swimsuits.

Pictured:  Flirty, ruffled,  floral bikini available from Macy's (Buy Direct)

Image Courtesy of Macy's

For short women, some styles of earrings are more flattering than others, either because they're more in proportion with a smaller woman or because they add a touch of verticality, which is helpful to petites.

Here's a pair of earrings that combines features of both chandelier earrings and drop earrings. The length of these Betsey Johnson earrings is five inches, enough to give the illusion of a bit of height, and I think the leopard-spotted flowers add a cute touch of fashion whimsy to these gold-plated earrings, which are available from Nordstrom (Buy Direct).

Image Courtesy of Nordstrom

Short women often have small, or even tiny feet, and it can be quite difficult to find stylish shoes at the mall, so the solution frequently lies in ordering online from a specialty retailer that offers small shoes. I've just added a new source to my list of Small Shoes for Petite Feet, bringing the number of sources listed to eleven.

The new source is Emyloo Shoes (Vendor's Site), which caters to women who wear small shoe sizes 2 - 5.5--a very nice size range. In addition to pumps, sandals, boots, and flats, Emyloo Shoes offers custom-sized shoes (not limited to small sizes), and there's even an option for women whose feet are two different sizes to find a shoe that fits without having to buy two pairs.

Pictured: Claire pump (Vendor's Site)

Image Courtesy of Emyloo Shoes

May's fashion trend of the month takes inspiration from the royal wedding of Prince Charles and Princess Catherine as well as the traditional wearing of white fashion in the summer.

Pictured: Left: Pippa Middleton, sister of the former Kate Middleton, in her gown for the royal wedding; flower hair clip, Nordstrom; chain and faux pearl necklace, Shopbop; minaudiere, Nordstrom; ivory pump, Zappos; long petite dress, Nordstrom

Photo Credits: Photo Credits: Pippa Middleton, Dan Kitwood/Getty Images; necklace, Shopbop; pump, Zappos; others, Nordstrom