The Lady Superstars has the fierce out in full force for mid-July's ESPY awards. It's so much fun to see them have another red carpet opportunity to rock edgier looks!
Black was definitely the color of the night. The divas showed juts how much variation is possible, though, within a single color.  Maryse was all about the glam and the sexy in this sequin-fringed confection by Abyss by Abby (all IDs by fashionofthedivas.tumblr.com). The sheer overlay give this gown the effect of a skirt over a bodysuit, making it incredibly daring, while the glitter made it appropriately formal. Maryse paired it with subtler shoes: black strappy sandals that accented the gown beautifully, while usurping none of the focus from it.
Summer chose a magnificent sheer and cutout graphic gown piece by Bao Tranchi, a designer currently making waves for her modern-art-meets-body approach to fashion. The fierce and forward-looking aesthetic combines the seductiveness of lingerie with bold, clean lines that work as everyday style. She has made pieces for Jennifer  Lopez, Britney Spears and Gigi Hadid, so Summer is in great company with her choice! I applaud her choice of simple stud earrings to accent this incredible dress.
If this House of CB dress looks familiar to you, you're spot-on. Charlotte's choice for the awards show was this cutout bandage piece also worn by Maryse. Her shoes brought out yet another facet of this piece, one of daring chic, as she paired it with simple ankle strap sandals. A gold statement ring added a luxurious touch.
Nikki has developed a trademark of taking massive fashion risks at major events, something perhaps to be expected from a lady whose key phrase is "Fearless" :). I looooove that she goes for looks 110%; it keeps fashion exciting ..and me on my toes! For the ESPYs, she went with a latex dress (!!), the Newmar by Syren. The bodycon silhouette hugs every curve and the shiny has a distinctly fetish-meets-femme fatale vibe. Nikki enhanced that with a minimalist Eddie Borgo choker with a chain detail. His pieces are fab; they always have a piercing, edgy aspect to them. She completed the look with thoroughly fierce studded ankle cuff sandals. I'm not sure how to feel about this look. The latex definitely throws me, but her other pieces are so amazing and the look holds together wonderfully. What do you think? Can you overlook the latex? Does it rock your world?
From daring Nikki to refined and chic Brie we go: Bella 2.0 slays subtly in this black gown from Halston. The powerful gold metallic belt is echoed by the gold shoulder detail of this classic high-necked halter piece. This dress is heaven; I would wear it in a heartbeat. She completes it with a polished, pulled-back hairstyle which works flawlessly. We don't get much of a look at her shoes, unfortunately, but black looks to have been her color of choice. That would likely be my bent as well, though gold metallic heels could seduce me too ;)
Finds Edit: A couple of sizes of this gown are available at Lord And Taylor, if you're craving one.

Lana has been gracing us with gobs of hot bikinis lately...such a win, right? :) And she always has the thoughtfulness to pair them with heels for a little extra sultriness. (She mentioned heels+bikinis as being one of her fav combos one day on Instagram; we wholeheartedly second that motion!) String bikinis - especially with side ties - are one of my choice silhouettes so this one already has a lot going for it in my book. I also love the wild mix of bright color in the print.  The multi-colored print formula also works beautifully in Lana's next offering, a floral romper done in soft blush. She paired it with nude heels for a thoroughly femme and of-the-moment look.
Stephanie's black monochrome combination of a tunic with skinny pants has exactly the polished, professional trendy vibe we'd expect from a managerial style queen. I love the hint of shine and formality brought in by her patent leather t-strap sandals, but what really gives this outfit its pizzazz is that gorgeous crystal statement necklace! It adds a big shot of glam to this look, giving the ensemble some attitude and providing just right kind of exclamation point to a simple canvas.
Maryse is at it again - this black bandage dress from House of CB (ID by fashionofthedivas.tumblr.com) is a jaw-dropper! Between the cutouts and the hardware, this piece warrants your undivided attention for some -likely lengthy- amount of time. Marsye wore it on two occasions. For the first, she paired it with classic nude, pointy-toe pumps for a slightly more demure look. For the second, she went for full-on fierce with lace-up peeptoe booties, which I slightly prefer. If you're going to slay any which way, why hold back? ;) Which look do you like best?

There's a new face on FashionHap :). It belongs to Asuka, the current NXT Women's Champion. Having already earned rep in the ring as a stellar worker, the Japanese superstar is now heading toward earning a style rep as well. She wore this embellished black dress during the WWE's tour of Japan earlier this month. I love how the mix of metallic takes this dress out the realm of the classic LBD into something more vibrant and interesting. She finished it with chunky tan sandals which echo the gold tones of her dress. I could see strappy black sandals or pumps working here as well.
From a newbie to an icon: Maryse combined a bunch of familiar elements (black bodysuit, lace tights, patterned OTKs (by Isabelle Marant) and sleeveless trench), but took them to new heights via a single piece of stop-the-world-in-its-tracks jewelry. There's a better look at this piece coming in future FashionHaps, but it is a crystal bedecked bodychain and was created by DeMode Jewelry, a brand new company headed by a young Serbian designer with an amazing vision. I'm not even sure how Maryse got this piece, because the collection can not yet be shopped online. I guess when you're Maryse, you just attract things like this. Another day, another piece of crave-worthy, unavailable-to-the-public fashion.  Hum-ho, NBD. ;) Maryse had the slayage in full force this month. From that ring outfit, she glided into a simple, sophisticated LBD (little blush dress ;) ), paired with Louboutin Cataclou studded espadrilles. The metallic sheen and confident attitude of the heels add just right dash of toughness to this spare, minimalist dress. Next up is a capri romper done in navy and white color blocking that takes the idea of athleisure off the street and on to the couture runways. Maryse elevated the look to something from a Gaga-video-meets-Vogue-shoot by completing it with transparent cap-toe booties. Oh. My. This is literally scaling hot and haute at the same time. I may not be able to go on after this.  ... *regroups*
Ok and then this happened: Natalya. In. BALMAIN. *keels over*. There will be no future FashionHaps because Brie can not officially form words anymore. ...J/K. But ssly, I'm having trouble keeping it together. Please, please tell me this is from a future shoot?! Please! I will beg, if need be. There's this and the Maryse and amazing Renee-snippets. I'm a masochist, really...'cuz I will prob not survive reviewing such a shoot, but go on, ladies..slay me. I'm in. :) Just...Balmain. efifjdiuoyglqipojhoiuogtgn.  That bodysuit (and note, there was some debate as to whether Nat should go with black or white. Imagine..two versions of this. Or maybe be safe..and don't.) And this. JACKET. #WantIt. Cropped leather? Oversized grommets? Yaaaaaaaassss. More, please.

Eva Marie is following the Bella's lead. She recently teased her upcoming fashion line via an Instagram snap of her photoshoot for the new brand. It will be called NEM Fashion and, like the Bella's Birdiebee lingerie line, it will feature a pay-it-forward marketing concept. If these pics are indicative of the line's vibe, it should be straight up Eva Marie style: on-trend and super sexy! We can't wait for more info...and the launch :)

Let's talk about summer suits! Solid navy, black and gray are the classics, but the warm months lend themselves to lightening things up a bit. White and ivory are tough to wear in winter snow and mud, but this time of year, they're do-able...for some of us brave folks :). Maryse and Charlotte both showed off light-colored suit combos recently, and both ladies used the same super-trendy pairing of white and blush. Charlotte's version, put together for a speaking engagement, was a bit more professional - as one would expect, given the event-, and incorporated pants and pointy toe pumps. Maryse's day-out-with-her-girls look was styled with shorts and her Rockstud pumps. Note: you can probably get away with shorts at the office in certain industries (creative and artistic fields = yes, law and finance = most likely not),  if styled in certain ways: done in formal fabric (chino, silk), paired with a blazer or oxford shirt, and if kept to certain lengths (mid-thigh at the shortest). If you're in one of those fields where it's frowned upon, do it Char's way and go for the pants. What pants? Well, white suiting pants or chinos would be high the list. Also an option are cotton or poly blend woven (not knit) fabrics. (Trivia: woven fabrics stretch in only one direction, as opposed to all over, as a knit does. A woven fabric tends to be more substantial (think "not yoga pant"), making it work-appropriate). White denim  is a can-do if your office/event leans t the casual side. The critical aspect of all white pants is opacity. Non-see-through only, please! Linings are helpful, but not a guarantee. I strongly encourage checking out all white pants under bright light while holding/wearing first a bright and then a skin-tone fabric underneath to see exactly how much everyone else will see. Recreate Charlotte's look by adding a cami in blush, nude or pale peach (I don't recommend ivory under white as it tends to make the ivory look stained).  I'm a big fan of mixing various levels of formality; try a casual tank with a true suit, or a dressier cami with denim and/or linen. Top it with a polished blazer. Charlotte chose a cropped suiting jacket, but a longer length blazer is also fabulous. Definitely consider beautiful, textural linen blazers here! Finish with classic pumps or pointy toe flats. Also, for those of you who, like me, could get dirty in a washing machine, think about doing this combo with tan, sand, or camel; those shades convey the pale freshness of this color combo, while being a bit more forgiving of stainage ;).

Yeah, I know it's a bit odd to be celebrating Independence Day spirit at the end of July. But...in my defense...uh...actually I have no defense, I'm just running behind 'cuz life is BUSY, y'all. Still, any day can be a day of independence and a little extra celebrating never hurt anyone, right? ;) So, light up your sparklers (a sparkling smile will suffice :)) and let's get to it!
Maryse wows us on a continual basis by coming up with ever-evolving interpretations of a chic formula. The statement-coat-over-bodysuit look, paired with OTK's is her current slay-us-via-style genre. Lately, she has taken to ramping up the glam in the look by finishing it with massive, jaw-dropping necklaces. This one, a symphony of layered black stones set in a raindrop pattern gives this black monochrome look - already fabulous due to the complexity of her sleeveless trench- to a new level of bold elegance. I always enjoy seeing where Maryse leads us on her fashion journeys! She goes from dark glamour to red hot in her next look: a bodycon dress accented with some seriously daring cutouts, which are filled in with crisscross straps. Holy! The Sexiest Of The Sexy rides again. After we pop our eyeballs back in, can we talk about this ponytail? I love the juxtaposition of sleek with sexy!
Lana went for a sand-colored bodycon with an empire waist. This color has been all over fashion lately (especially paired with blush pink), and, even though it isn't red, white, or blue, I still love the soft warmth of the color for a summer picnic. Pop it with red or navy shoes and/or bag and/or jewels for a super classic look.
Renee's lace-up romper hits all the right color notes and is suitably free-spirited with its exotic paisley print. Her chunky camel shoes nod to both boho and the 90's and ground this look perfectly. The pairing is trademark Renee: lighthearted, functional and FUN. Adding it to the "To Borrow" list now.
Sasha's cutout pantsuit has a modern, architectural vibe that immediately caught my attention. It's simple, but strong - defintitely the kind of piece that makes an impression!  Her "Boss" jewelry and bedazzled sunnies bring her personal spin to the look...but not nearly as much as her wedge sneakers do! They're a unique pairing with the jumpsuit and reiterates Sasha's claim on the sporty-street style territory she is carving out for herself.  It's a theme that's different, interesting and makes her stand out.

This magnificent outfit from Barbie definitely is worth stealing some inspiration from...and on more than one occasion!  It's formal leanings make it a potential office outfit, but the sexy use of lace nudges it into date night territory. It's harder to get more classic than black monochrome, but Barbie made this combo a bit more 90's-meets-modern with a choker accent ..as well as ramping up the risk by incorporating a lacy brassiere. It's that piece which makes the look complicated to replicate for the rest of us. If you're a starlet promoting your tv show, it's exactly what you need to get the world talking. If you're not, being a shade more circumspect is indicated. On the flip side, who doesn't want to have the sultry, racy thrill of spicing up a black outfit with some look-twice lace?  To make this into a wear-to-work version, grab your slim, high-waisted suit pants (or chinos or slim (dark wash! Faded wash won't be polished enough) denim for more casual offices). Pair them with a cropped, suiting jacket. Tuxedo-style is fine, subtle embellishment is fine, even finely-woven cotton is fine. Don't be afraid to appropriate the jacket from a suit if you're doing the chino or denim thing; just make sure the shades of black match. A formal jacket like this works with all three types of pants and is especially crucial with non-suit pants to elevate those fabrics to office-level formality. Avoid knit jackets, biker/motorcycle jackets, and denim. Instead of the brassiere, make the look more subtle by choosing a cami with lace (or crochet) detailing that can peek out from under the jacket. The one caveat here is to not ever, no way, no how, NEVER (are you HEARING me? :)) wear a cami/tank made with charmeuse (shiny satin) fabric for this look. Much too bedroom. Stay away. Turn back. Retreat. :) Another, somewhat bolder option is to use an all-over lace black lace cami, lined in a lighter color to make the lace more visible, like this one (DIY this look by using an unlined/see-through all-over lace piece atop a neutral tank.). For work looks, keep adjectives like  "artisanal" and "feminine" in your inspiration palette, as opposed to "seductive". Finish with pointy toe pumps... and a choker! The choker is super important to this look as a work look, especially when you're using a lace-accented cami or tank. You need that one additional chic, trendy detail to give the look the right style quotient. Be free with it: velvet, leather ( and even charmeuse satin! ;)) is fabulous here. Again, DIY can be your friend; use a piece of ribbon, or knot  a slim chain necklace to make an instant choker if you don't own one already.