We were a little short on Inspiration Boards this year first due to the demise of polyvore (I’m still crying)  and my search to find a replacement and then my epidemic lack of time (much sorries, loves…I have some new plans for next year to hopefully remedy that!), but there were a handful that still got your creative juices flowing!
1. Nikki – Camo Color Story…the runaway fave of the year, with five times the views of the runner up. Dang – y’all love you some camo! :) I loved the way Nikki combined brilliant color with the classic, tough print. Firing it up with red or giving it a dose of sweetener with still-everywhere blush seemed a rather amazing thought to me…and you agreed :)
2. Alicia – Gray & Blush …the first of our Sport Up series that accompanied the Olympics was your fave, as we brought Foxy’s casual take on style into the cool seasons. Contrasting cool shades with warm tones is a color story I always love. Here, blush acted as the yummy shot of warmth that fired up a chill look, accented with an outfit-making pair of earrings.
3. Charlotte – Transitional Florals…hot on the heels of Alicia’s look was one that rocked my world: Char’s paring of a floaty floral wrap dress toughened up with a fab pair of biker boots for a femme-grunge take on style that kept me living.
4. Brandi – Physically Fierce…the second look from the Sport Up series that earned your love, this rendition of Brandi’s sleek graphic skirt+sweatshirt combo was the perfect cataclysm of athleisure and sophistication. Oh so right for oh so many occasions, it just needed a cute pair of boots and a backpack to go from lunch dates to day classes to shopping excursions to movie nights. On-trend themes done in neutrals = style winning!
5. Cathy – Fancy Blouse, Chill Everything Else…the last of the Sport Up series to capture your fashionable hearts was this fun look from Cathy that elevated a relaxed outfit of leggings and sneakers with a formal blouse. Cathy’s version included a glitter-embellished bodysuit; we envisioned it with gardeny, on-trend florals  or crisp stripes. You envisioned it as one of your faves. Cheers to your good taste, loves!
And here’s to a fierce 2019! :)

Natalya and Alexa attended the Make-A-Wish gala earlier this year, looking stunning in black. Nattie chose a lace mid dress with a sweetheart neckline. The sheer sleeves created a pretty variation in texture and allowed the beauty of the lace to be appreciated. I’m a little surprised that she completed this look with boots, thereby dressing it down. I would ordinarily imagine a more formal finisher. That said, the combination looks lovely, adding a hint of tougher attitude to the delicate lace. I also love her smooth, straight hair; the touch of volume looks so gorge!
Alexa chose a short party dress with cap sleeves and a tulle skirt with a nude underlay.  I adore this dress, especially the exquisite artistry of the appliqué. It’s a fabulous choice, beautiful, appropriately formal and it looks incredible on Alexa, both chic and in keeping with her. As with Natalya, I could imagine different shoes. Although it’s hard to see all the details, these classic pumps feel a little bland for this dress (*if the detail on the pumps that’s very hard to make out happens to be a fur accent, this comment is withdrawn). I would have leaned toward black leather sandal-booties or simple, classic ankle straps here.

Barbie was looking cool and fierce in this off-shoulder cropped top! She paired it with leather leggings for a nice textural contrast that upped the fierce quotient significantly. White pointed boots provide  a sharp contrast and complete the look with a punch. It’s a perfect example of Barbie’s trademark sexy-chic style!
I am wild over Cathy’s stunning choice for the Kids’ Choice awards – this coral dress is just gorgeous! I love the glorious color, the unique shape of the strapless neckline (the higher sides and low, slow scoop), the beautiful origami-like folds and the asymmetric hemline. Perhaps my favorite aspect of the piece is the substantial faille fabric (silk perhaps?), which gives the piece drama and presence. Everything about this is stunning. I wish she had done something a touch more intricate with her hair: a messy side braid or braided headband. I like the casualness of the long and loose style, but a little extra polish would have sealed the deal. Her nude strappy sandals keep the look light for spring, which was an excellent choice. I’d have loved to see that idea repeated with her bag.
Overalls can be tricky to style in a non-farming vibe, but Brie rocks them here by layering a gray thermal underneath this unique pair. The denim piece eschews the classic square front and goes with a deep v instead which gives them a casual sophistication that works fabulously with the textured under-layer. Brie enhances the silhouette by leaving several buttons of the thermal undone, echoing the overall’s neckline. She reiterates the casually chic vibe by adding a massive silver statement necklace with handmade feel that’s perfect blend of bold, stylish and laidback. Suede mules or leather ankle booties would be my pick to round out this ensemble.

I can’t resist the buoyant spirit of this spring look from Alicia, which pairs a black tulle skirt with a multi-glittered star-embellished tank.  The dark main hue prevents the look from feeling too youthful or silly; instead, it comes off quirky and fun! With the shot’s forest backdrop and her free-spirited pose, Foxy reminds me of a modern sprite, frolicking about in her woodland home. This kind of expressive risk-taking is something I absolutely adore about her style! From there, she swings into 70’s summer style, pairing cut-off jean shorts first with a graphic tank and leather vest and then with a caramel patched and fur-trimmed one. In each case, she add interest to the mix with a colorful printed silk scarf and layers of accessories: multiple pendant necklaces, oversize sunnies, a statement ring. Her reading of the genre feels both authentic and modern at the same time – a real fashion feat!  She follows the current trend loosely, but her personal sense of artistic expression predominates and here, as elsewhere, it keeps me endlessly fascinated and appreciative. I particularly love her layering of accessories, as that aspect of the look could easily translate to other genres, from boho, to minimalist to being the twist in a classic look.

Even though this snap was from the spring, it works pretty perfectly for right now, since we’re in the seasonal transition again. Barbie paired a cropped, striped sweater with cropped boyfriend jeans. Despite its superficial simplicity, the proportion play between the slim top and slouchy jeans gives this look a subtle complexity. I’m also loving the Hilfiger-esque vibes. Ankle strap sandals completed the ensemble as we went from winter spring. Right now, I’d complete it with ankle boots :). Barbie showcased mysterious, sensual vibes with this sheer-meets-geometric-lace confection she wore for a March event. She has a talent for pulling off the most daring looks and she slays this piece, looking both beautiful and edgy. A sleek up-do featuring  a braided headband adds subtle interest, while giving the dress center stage. Simple black sandals round out the styling. How about these gold-sequin embellished jeans from Fashion Nova?  Anyone would be tough to miss with all that glitter! :) With their slim fit and high shine, these have such a so-right now 80’s feel (*resists urge to sing “Stop! Hammer time!”*). Barbie smartly pairs them with the simplest of white tanks, which tempers their big, bold statement. Nude sandals follow suit. As the weather cools, the tank could be easily swapped over to a cream cable sweater to mimic the soft, bright color scheme, or an equally plain black turtleneck for a darker, luxe vibe. Barbie channels the 80’s again with this hot-pink and black bikini that proudly proclaims her “Barbie” status. I love that she embraces that! I also love how cool and fun this look is, with the color combo and the high side-ties. It walks the perfect line between throwback and of-the-moment. Lace-up sandal-booties complete the look with a welcome shot of fierceness.

OMG this blouse from Barbie! I’ve been crushing on floral appliqué pieces like this for about a year now and this one will fit right in to my fantasies! I love the color scheme, the gorgeous mix of sizes in the flowers and the off-shoulder silhouette. Barbie paired it with a black mini skirt that highlights the fact that she has legs for days…months actually. Her wide choker makes a strong, solid counterpoint ot the delicacy of her top and loosely echoes the fabric of her skirt, tying the look together perfectly. Barbie finished off the fabulosity with beautiful, delicate ankle-tie sandals that I would take home in a heartbeat. So basically, this is a total win.
Cathy attended New York Fashion Week, looking every bit like a fashion editor in this velvet tee and cropped dot-hem cropped pants. I love the play on textures here – it gives extra depth to this nearly monochrome look. She added a black and white chain-handled bag which echoed the polka dots on her pants and completed the outfit with strappy black sandals that had just the right balance of softness and structure. I’m not generally big on red eyeshadow – I feel like its really tough to pull off and can just make you look like you’ve been crying – but here, I’m enjoying the fashion-forward vibe it adds to this styling. Note: she also wore a red-rose-on-white printed mini dress from Chi Chi London, paired with red snake ankle booties and it looked amazing! Check out the snap here at fashionofthedivas.tumblr.com).
Charlotte shared this snap of her simple but impactful monochrome outfit on Instagram. As with Cathy’s look, a textural play gives interest and power to this all-black look. Instead of luxe velvet on top, it’s fierce and sexy latex on the bottom that serves as the contrast piece. Char paired the statement leggings with a shoulder-baring minimalist black halter top and added a shot of attitude with her studded Jeffrey Campbell Lita boots. This is simple done just right!
Wearing yellow is a great way to catch my eye and Liv sure did with this rendition of her gear. The highlighter shade gives a fun 80’s pop to her black and white graphic tee – which sports fierce slashed shoulders! –and star-lined leggings. The destroyed aspect just adds to the punk attitude. She completed the look with white sneakers that featured black laces and a streak of canary yellow to tie everything together. I love this from head to toe! And speaking of heads, how super cute is Liv’s hair here?! Love it!

I’m kind of in love with Carmella’s totally fierce look involving this black mini dress from Hstlr. The piece features lace-up detailing at the sides that serves to create a dramatic shape. The style also includes a hoodie, but I like Carmella’s choice to style the look without using it. The hoodie would have made the vibe much more casual and I’m head-over-heels for this exactly as is! It has that perfect blend of attitude, sportiness and fashionable edge that’s just everything. Carmella finished the look with mid-calf booties, which work just as well as OTKs for creating that powerful shot of stylish dynamism that makes a look brilliant and memorable.
Cathy’s style sensibilities cover a wide range of genres. She began January with this beautiful and feminine blue floral lace mini dress. I love the fabric of this piece so much -it’s just divine! This large, pieced lace has been super on-trend over the last few seasons, but this kind of classic material will remain a perfectly wearable statement for years. The colors – a spectrum of blues – are lovely as well and look wonderful on Cathy. If I could wish for anything, it would be that she had pulled her hair back and given the dress an uninterrupted moment. From there, she swings into casual mode, donning a pair of medium wash denim overalls. She layered a high-neck top underneath and completed the look with black pointy ankle booties. This look is another gem – casual, but with a slouchy, unstudied feel to it that slays me. She has the overalls rolled to the precisely the right height to create enviably breezy chic. I’d have been tempted to go with a messy bun here, instead of the center-parted low pony, but the latter works excellently. She then moved on to some rock n’ roll vibes with these barn red leather pants. They bring a unique and intriguing attitude to the off-shoulder black top she styled them with. Black pointy ankle booties are her go-to finisher again and they look just as fab here. It’s back to casual with this next look, a distinctly off-duty ensemble that paired a cropped black top with medium-wash blue denim for a simple canvas.  She then gives the outfit a dose of on-trend elevation via a beige car coat. She echoes its light tones with her block-heeled ankle booties, while reprising her top color via her bag. The color balance she created here appeals to me - I would tend to do the same.