First, I apologize for the extreme tardiness of this review...and I take back every griping thing I ever said about Joey Styles. Then again, he gets paid to get the pics up and I don't earn zip from this labor of love I fit in around life, animals and a real job. So, actually, I don't take back anything I said about him after all :). Second, I'm laughing at myself as I'm posting this review. You would never believe how many times I've re-done the collages because my placements keep changing as I analyze and weight the looks. This is HARD, babes! Every year, so many ladies come out here and slay and somehow I have to distill it all into some kind of order. It's cray! And it's also fun. And I'm usually hella proud of the list when I finally get done, probably because I fight so hard to make it accurate and justify each placing. As always, I feel the need to mention that I madly adore each of these divas and root for all of them to rock the ravishing red lane of fame. I love it every time they do! That being said...
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I said there'd more Cathy, soooo: more Cathy!
First up is a styling that inevitably makes the fashionista in my brain jump up and down and clap: femme-meets-rocker. Cathy tops a gorgeous bodycon lace mini dress, done in black, with a leather moto jacket. I always ALWYS love the punch that this kind of genre contrast creates. The tough gets a dose of beauty and the femme gets a shot of edge. It's just yummy! Also fun is the way Cathy brings in a touch of beige via her bag. The black and beige pairing is an iconic color combo and with beige/nude/blush tones being the literally rage that they are right now, this was a fab way and time to do this pairing. She goes trendily chic with her look, choosing a navy dress in the scalding hot off-shoulder style. This is a minimalist version of the silhouette that foregoes any embellishment. Cathy finishes is it with black pointy pumps, a classy but unexciting choice that requires all the drama of this dress's neckline to keep the look from nudging into bland territory. I'd have loved to see her add one more special detail - fancy hair, a bright lip, statement earrings. One more in the dress pantheon: this lovely ivory mini that makes wonderful use of chiffon and lace. As per her usual, Cathy has kept the styling quite minimal here, but you could have a lot of fun with a piece like this, dressing it down with a biker jacket (as she did above), giving it a hint of bohemericana with a denim topper, or going 90's grunge-girl with black sneakers. We got a look at some of Cathy's more casual style in this shot from her visit to the Alamo. She noted on Instagram how hard she worked to get her shoes into this snap and I'm so glad she did! The bold embellishments on this Western-style ankle boots add just right touch of panache to her black monochrome combo. Of note: she re-uses the moto jacket from Look #1 in a much more laidback rendition, demonstrating how versatile a classic piece always is. If you love Cathy's fashion (oo oo my hand's up! :)), you are in for a treat! We have a boatload of it to review for you, so buckle up, Lovelies!
We kick it off with this easy breezy texturally-contrasting combo that pairs a knit (and ever so slightly cropped) top with a leather mini. It's a classic Cathy match-up that would have been TV-appropriate with strappy ankle booties or pointy heels. Instead, though, Cathy chose to play up the sporty side of the look and finish it with sneakers. I love this take on the athleisure trend - it's polished without being fussy. We don't get to see her shoe choice for this LBD (little blue dress), but there's a lot to love all the same! The firlty pleats, the adorable and trendy off-shoulder silhouette and especially the COLOR! An intense electric blue like this always catches my attention. Not only is it a mesmerizing color, but it's one that looks wonderful with nearly every skin tone, including on Cathy's! We've seen her use sneakers to dress down a look, but they would be a smidgeon too informal with this dress. I'd love to see hr give a pair of flats a try though! Also on the list of colors I adore is this snappy coral shade Cathy uses in her next outfit. She pairs it with staple black (note: I love it paired with beige, also), but she keeps the look fresh by choosing shorts with fabulous lace detailing - so pretty! It brings out the femininity of the coral and makes this pairing much more interesting! Cathy keeps the rest of look chill with simple, straight hair and a coordinating lip shade. I'm loving this graphic tee and leather A-line skirt match-up too! Can Cathy do no wrong? :) The zipper accents on the skirt enhance the urban-hipster vibe of her tee. She dresses up the look nicely with pointy pumps. I could also see strappy ankle booties here. The only aspect of this styling I'm kind of meh about is her hair - this particular version of the pieced-hair-as-a-headband look just isn't as flattering on her as some other styles of seen. Oh well. I'll live :) It's hard to beat a lace dress for gorgeousness and this one is a classic, stunning rendition. A piece like this will be in style literally until the end of time. I'm a huge fan of the way the hem follows the pattern of the ace instead of being cut straight - it's so delicate and beautiful! Cathy wears the bright scarlet shade with confidence - I'm pretty sure there isn't a s single color I've seen her be unable to pull off. It's the classic standby black pointy pump for the finish. I thought I'd take a little break from FashionHap Catch-ups (huff huff puff puff) and do some Inspiration Board before we gte too far into summer for them to be workable. Besides, I miss writing them :) So...here ya go!
I do a lot of living in pants. But, sometimes, it's just fun to change things up and wear a skirt now and again - you know, to keep your fans guessing ;)...or just to amuse yourself, push your boundaries or stave off boredom. It's hard to find a simpler or cuter rendition of a skirt than this one that Cathy wore to the Wrestlemania Golf Tournament. Firstly, pleats have made a serious comeback lately, so the trend box gets checked off. (No pleats? Don't freak. Keep calm and reach for ruffles instead - like pleats, they add volume and movement on the bottom. Or skip all the folding and frills and just go with a classic A-line silhouette.) Next important detail: the color combo! Black with light beige is an iconic combo (so feel free to use it liberally :)). This warmer caramel hue adds a rich, earthy new twist to that pairing. Chocolate, bittersweet and tan will all give you a similar vibe. Thirdly: note the texture mix. Cathy pairs the softness of a knit tee with smooth leather, which creates in interesting visual contrast. Suede will do something similar, albeit with a more luxe feel. Twill will work as well, giving a polished, classic vibe. Lastly, your shoe choice will say a lot with this simple outfit. Cute and sporty? Do sneakers. Chic and casual? Go with block-heeled mules or flat slides (no flip-flops puuuhleaase ;)). Quirky starlet? Reach for an ankle booty. There are lots of functional options to make this one your own, lovelies. So, pick your passion and do you...Cathyily...Cathyesquely....Cathy-like-ly....whatever. You, with inspiration from Cathy. :) Happy styling! The Wrestlemania Golf Tournament always turns up some interesting fashion. It can be a bit tricky to have functional athletic gear that's still cute too :). Dana goes for ultra trendy sage green with her tee and pairs it with wild mixed-print leggings. I like the way her tee coordinates with the dusty green tones in the marble patterning. Mickie earns some props by bringing color into her look as well. I can't say I'd immediately reach for these plum knee socks with their cobalt stripes, but I love the way they add a big punch of color to her look - as well as coordinating quite nicely with her playful polka dot polo (I get points every time I use alliteration :)). Set against the look's major hue of bright white, the color really works fabulously. Also, how cute is Mickie with glasses? So cute, right?! I wish she had put her hair in a ponytail and really showed them off! Naturally, Alicia slays her golf tourney look - pretty sure she does this by habit now :). Her checked pants are whimsical and so so fun! She pairs them with a classic black tee and then tops it all with a luxe fur vest - how often you see one of those on the golf course?! The texture is fantastic, but the surprise of the inclusion of such a piece is even more so. Oh, and she's not done: Foxy finishes the outfit with a black fedora embellished with a massive burgundy peony. That piece is completely aaaaaaaahmazing! This whole look is fabulous...and totally Foxy - relaxed, unusual, bold, creative and pulled together. Girlfriend is slaying that golf course like a catwalk! This killer causal look would be equally at home in a coffeehouse, shopping, a girl squad lunch,..so many places! Cathy gives Foxy a lil' style competition with her look - she pairs a black v-neck tee and a caramel leather skirt with oh-so-trendy pleats. I'm guessing she finished her outfit with the black sneakers each of the other ladies were sporting as well, which works perfectly in my book, picking up on the athleisure trend, as well as being functional for actual athletics. Like Foxy's ensemble, Cathy's look would be quite fab off the course as well. Nicely done, ladies!
This simple outfit from Barbie packed a lot of impact, so much that we did an Inspiration Board look with it. There's just something cool and chic about the combo of gray with black! The gray cropped sweater exudes coziness, with the shorter silhouette providing just a hint of flirtation. Even more fun is the foldover detail at the collar - I love distinctive touches like that! Barbie paired this Intermix piece with Frame denim jeans. Her OTKs, which add the shot of fierceness to this look -as they always do! - are from Sam Edelman, a surprisingly budget-friendly choice from Barbie, but which is a jazz. I always get a thrill to realize that I can own the same piece as a favorite diva, without mortgaging my first-born for it ;).
Vests were the order of this particular autumn day in the Bellaverse. Brie combined a fur one (since it's Brie, I have no doubt of it's being faux fur!) with black leggings and black suede OTKs. There's a pleasing simplicity to this monochromatic look, which she breaks up with her burgundy leather choker (I could have been perfectly happy to have that in black as well) and her desert rose lip, which brings a lovely flush of warmth to this ensemble, without the harshness of red. Nikki went for a similar shade, with the same gorgeous effect, as she paired a ruffled cropped vest with studded leather pants. The contrast of the feminine (and spot on-trend) ruffles with the tougher vibe of the studs is stellar and gives the outfit its je ne se quoi. Like Brie, she includes a choker (barely visible in this shot - sorry ;(). Hers is black and works flawlessly. I'm also a fan of the way her dark nails bring a gothic edge to the look. It's wonderful to see Brooke back on our scene, this time repping autumn-hot houndstooth via this cropped top, which we also saw her wear in Dec 2015. While she matched it with a skirt then, this time, she re-styled it with leggings and a tuxedo jacket. the whole look had a modern, graphic vibe, with the houndstooth creating an almost pixelated quality. It's a very different feel from the sexy, schoolgirl-esque aura she drew from the piece last time! This is such a great demo in how to re-use and re-work wardrobe items - something I am a huge fan of! Her metallic pumps add a perfect contrasting hint of flash. Cathy attended NXT Takeover in this stunning blue-meet-sheer mini dress. The intricate, delicate pattern is beautiful, especially done in this incredible electric blue! She paired it with OTKs, which have become a fashion staple over the last few years, with a particular resurgence this season. They bring a nice twist of attitude to this sweet-n-chic frock. Jumpsuits and risky pants seem to have reached consensus-status among the divas this fall. Cathy, along with Barbie, gave us a pair of them and handled both excellently. Her first was a navy square-neck piece with wide straps (I LOVE those for hiding bra straps!) and a subtly sexy front notch. The matte fabric of this piece keeps it slightly to the casual side, so Cathy ramped up the look by pairing it with strappy nude sandals. If you thought that was good, her next choice was even better: a stunning forest green satin piece, chosen for the Heroes Gala. First, I’m in love with this color right now – it’s luxe, elegant and looks stunning! Second, the high cross design of this piece is dramatic and sexy, especially with the little peekaboo situation just about her waist. The side buttons add just a touch of flash, which Cathy accentuated with jeweled fan earrings that make just enough of a statement. Her bright cranberry lip brings a festive touch to this fantastic look.
Carmella hopped on board the daring-pants-plus-neutrals vehicle and, as with both other ladies who have tried it, the pairing succeeds nicely. These windowpane-printed pants could get too busy in a hurry, but matched with this deep-v top and black leather jacket (I love how she got in a touch of her trademark leopard print via the collar!), they come off funky and experimentally modern. If I could swap anything, it would be her boots. I’m giving her a bye on this one because I suspect this was a rainy day (I would probably lean toward a knee-height version myself for a bit more polish), but for non-inclement weather, ankle booties with a block heel or flat OTK’s would give this pairing a little fiercer finish. We know Brandi for many of her more formal looks, but she also rocks casual style. This simple pairing of an ivory peplum sweater with black leggings and flat ankle boots has just the kind of laidback, confident femininity that’s perfect for fall…or the post-holiday winter chill ;). On a more familiar note is this blush dress, paired with nude platform pumps. Brandi is a master at picking chic classics with a twist and this piece is a #HowItsDone101. This iconic silhouette gets an update from the wrap effect and the crossed front detail, which has the added benefit of accentuating the waist and creating the hourglass shape. Her color story of mixed pale neutrals keeps this fresh and modern. Maryse also explored the wrap-look option with this Want My Look piece. (Aside: the wrap dress reflects the current 70’s trend, as that was the decade in which designer Diane von Furstenberg brought it to the forefront of fashion). This low scoop-neck silhouette pushes sexy to its limits, while Maryse adds attitude by finishing it with black suede OTKs from Sam Edelman. She brings an extra touch of attitude and drama by topping it with a metallic trench, a twisted-classic piece from Femme LA, which I love her use of! The sheen adds interest and chic to a simply sexy black monochrome look and gives it a powerful flair. Her blackberry lip brings a darker vibe to the look, which, while it might be harsh for day-time wear, works well for the drama of an evening ensemble. |
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AuthorBrie: shoe-lover :) fashion-lover and generally glamorous semi-dork Archives
July 2019
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