Every woman wishes she could have Clinton Kelly on her arm when shopping for clothes, shoes and accessories.

The star of cable channel TLC's hit series "What Not to Wear" has a keen eye and kind word for each woman he helps to wardrobe, and there have been thousands. He is honest but never brutal, businesslike yet empathetic.

Viewers have even seen his eyes well up over a wedding dress — the right wedding dress, of course. (The wrong wedding dress, or wrong clothing choice of any kind, elicits furrows in his forehead.)

Often the straight man to his co-host Stacy London's over-the-top persona, Kelly is like the best friend we all want to shop with: calm, rational and, above all, helpful. In addition to the TV show, Kelly is the author of "Dress Your Best: The Complete Guide to Finding the Style That's Right for Your Body."

Kelly will make his first public appearance in Honolulu at Macy's, Ala Moana Center, this Saturday (see box). He will host a fashion tutorial and runway show that's focused on the petite-sized woman, showcasing spring trends and wardrobe essentials for women sizes 2P to 14P.

Following the presentation, one lucky woman will win a $500 Macy's shopping spree, with Kelly serving as her stylist.

RELUCTANT CELEB

Kelly seems unaccustomed to his celebrity. In fact, he expressed surprise at the popularity of the show and the fame it has brought him. Perhaps that's because he is sort of an accidental celebrity.

He started out as a communications major at Boston College, with a minor in environmental science. During college, he discovered how much he liked writing, so he went on to get a master's in journalism at Northwestern University. He began his career as a freelance writer, working for such respected fashion magazines as Marie Claire, DNR and Mademoiselle.

Then a casting agent approached him about auditioning for "What Not to Wear" and he got the job. "I really thought it wouldn't last. I thought the American audience wouldn't like it, but they did, and now it's in its fifth year. I didn't have faith in the format, but I thought it would be fun," Kelly said during a phone interview from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., during a break in taping.

During his five years of appearing on the show and in venues such as Macy's stores, Kelly has always worked with real women rather than perfect-figure models.

"With a model, you can throw anything on her and it will work; when you're working with real bodies, you figure out the rules of the game right away. OK, so why isn't this flattering? It's almost like a puzzle," Kelly said.

SHARING TIPS

We asked Kelly how he defines a petite woman: "Technically, any woman 5-feet-4 or under. However, you could be a petite if you're up to 5-feet-6, depending on your proportions. Also, if you're short-waisted, you might want to look for a petite top. If you're long-waisted and have shorter legs, petite bottoms might work better on you."

Having dressed thousands of women during his years on the show and appearances at nearly 50 Macy's stores across the country, Kelly has some great tips for petite women, of whom Hawai'i has many. The biggest mistake petite women make, he said, is shopping in the juniors' or kids' departments because of the smaller sizes: "That is where women can go wrong. You look silly as a grown woman when you wear kids' clothes. Juniors' and kids' clothes are also made to be disposable, because kids grow out of them. They are of a lesser quality, and they are not cut for a woman's curves."

Improper proportions can also be an area of fashion indiscretion. "Petite women can go wrong with proportions of prints or bags or accessories. They have to be careful about big prints. A small frame and a big print or a big bag or even oversized sunglasses can make you look like a kid playing dress-up in Mommy's closet."

While many petite Island women prefer to wear long skirts because they think they elongate the legs, Kelly says absolutely not, they've got it all backwards: Petite women should keep skirt lengths just above the knee unless they're a plus size. If they're a plus size, they should keep skirts just below the knee. A long skirt doesn't create a longer silhouette. It's the distance between the hem and the ground that makes legs look longer.

Boxy clothes are another big mistake: "Be careful not to drown in oversize clothes," he cautioned. While they may feel like they are camouflaging flaws, they are actually covering up available assets.

TAKE CARE WITH COLORS

Crayon-bright colors are popular this summer — but can petites wear them?

Kelly's answer is yes, with some caveats.

"Crayon-colored clothes can make petites look like little kids. You can do them but in a sophisticated way. Not, for example, a bright yellow T-shirt and a cropped pant — that can be childlike. Try a cute little heel, a jacket with great seaming, but take caution to grow up your look with your accessories."

How about flat shoes for shorter women? "Any woman can wear a flat shoe," Kelly said. Just make sure you keep the leg line long in another way. A ballet flat or a gladiator sandal can work; just keep the leg as long as possible, for example, with Bermuda shorts cut straight off at the knee."

Another way to elongate the leg, he said, is to raise the visual waistline. A top with an empire seam or an embellishment or belt right under the bust can make legs and torso look longer.

While Kelly's job may sound glamorous, like most jobs in fashion, it is also extremely demanding both physically and mentally. He won't have any beach time at all while in Honolulu. He will be in Boston on Thursday night, make a brief stop in New York on Friday and hit Honolulu on Saturday. On Sunday he's back to New York to tape another episode of "What Not to Wear."

Kelly's bottom line for petite women: "If you don't have fit, you don't have style. End of story."