It's that most wonderful time of the year again, Fancies: the time when we give the gift of recognition to the very best photoshoots of the year! We pick the nominees, but to narrow it down to the sole, ultimate, number one of the year, your help is required! We need you. We can't do it without you. So, help us choose...The One.
This year presented some unprecedented challenges. First, in the Knockouts category, there were very few full photoshoots at all. We therefore had to make use of a couple that were one-shot 'shoots, which I have always preferred not to include, but this year simply have so few other options that it's the most reasonable solution. In a similar vein, many of the Divas snaps this year were part of combo 'shoots, so I've made the decision to consider each lady superstar's set as an individual 'shoot. All that being acknowledged, there were plenty of moments which wowed us, inspired us, sent us reeling into transports of delight. Who, may you ask, accomplished all this? I'm thrilled to announce this year's list of Silver Snap Awards Nominees:
0 Comments
It’s not every day that a new lady debuts wrestling gear that’s as well executed and stylish as Brandi’s is. Plenty of ladies do amazing gear, but often it occurs later in their evolution as wrestlers. Brandi’s precociousness is attributable to her love of, and thorough immersion in, fashion but it’s still both noteworthy and commendable. So, we’re going to take a special look at her and break it down, layer by layer.
The first thing you notice at her entrance in her fantastic duster coat. We’ve seen capes, we’ve seen trenches, but this piece is completely unique and it’s definitely something special! The cutaway silhouette at the top gives it a very clean, chic vibe, almost like a men’s Edwardian swallow-tail coat. Women have been appropriating what were once men’s fashions for ages – probably since the dawn of fashion ;) – but it’s really fun to see the way Brandi’s done it here, making a fierce, modern coat out of a vintage formal haberdashery. She does bring it right up to the present day, adding a spike of glamour via gorgeous and unusual square crystal buttons. I couldn’t resist including a close-up so you can truly appreciate the complexity and beauty of this choice. Her gear has that quality of just-right minimalism, with enough detail to be interesting, but edited enough to be immediately accessible. The sheer inset in her top reminds me of the design Madison uses, but Brandi makes hers distinctive with a tiny strap across the top which creates a slight keyhole effect. It's a bespoke-type of detail which has the added benefit of practicality, something I'm always on board for! Shorts and matching knee pads complete her silhouette nicely and carry the color all the way through her outfit. Perhaps the most unpredictable aspect of her gear is the snake motif that Brandi has sprinkled throughout her ensemble. -add meanings from note by laptop. I really love the glittering-eye detail on the creatures; it's beautiful and lends a magical, "come-alive" quality to the appliqué. Lastly, Brandi's color choices have been unerringly solid. The white gear, with its steely-black accents, might be my favorite because of its eye-catching and dramatic contrast. Her amethyst-purple gear is a close runner-up though - that rich jewel tone looks stunning on her! When I see this deep, luxurious shade, I can't help thinking of her Hall Of Fame Fashion Review winning gown from 2015 and it makes me hope Brandi will grace us with a similar tourmaline green or deep teal variation of her gear sometime soon! :) I wouldn't say no to cobalt either ;). I look forward to seeing what further variations of this superb gear she has in store! Are you ready for a fashion blast? I can not even believe that I have so much catching up to do; would you think that there could be stuff from October I haven’t reviewed yet?! Omg. And we have all the exciting year end things this month too, lovelies. So, hang on to your stilettos because my plan is a giant, whirlwind catch-up which means tooonnnnnnnnsssss of fashion coming your way.
We’ll start it with Gail, who looks fierce and fab in this pretty pink dress, toughened up with a leather moto jacket. She gives it a trendy and casual touch with a scarf twisted at her neck and then ramps up the fierce quotient with mid-calf peeptoe booties. I love how Gail balanced the sweet, feminine of pink with strong, mature accessories. This combo feels confident and polished. She goes from strength to strength, as her next offering is this emerald green gown, chosen for this year’s SkyBall, an American Airlines fundraiser for military families at which her husband was cooking. This piece is a magnificent choice: the lattice-work details make is current and sexy, the sheer insets keep it classy and the color takes it over the top into an absolute smash! It’s an amazing shade on Gail and I hope we see her try more of it soon! Everything about this styling is flawless, including her sideswept hair. It’s so much fun seeing her completely nail a red carpet look! Pink was front and center a lot in October, as Lana reached for some during her trial of plaid. This is an unusual and vibrant variation of the classic and often mellow-colored pattern and it was a surprise to me to see it on Lana. It seems to be a sign of her more laidback tv aesthetic, also suggested by her long and loose hair style. I’m on board with the hair for sure; the jury’s still out on the plaid ;) Mandy made us look twice with this Instagram shot, which paired a sporty cropped v-neck tee, bedecked with black graphic accents, with a leather mini skirt. OTK boots completed the ensemble. There’s a lot that great about this look: the classic color combo, the athletic-meets-fierce vibe, the play on knit vs. smooth texture. Between the deep v and the super-short skirt, though, Mandy’s pushing the sexy on all fronts. It’s a bit too much for my taste; I’d tend toward choosing one or the other, as it’s very easy to get into trashtastic territory when you’re skimming so close to that line. With a knee-length skirt (and shorter boots) or a higher neck cropped top, this look would be more balanced. As ubiquitous as chokers are getting at the moment, I like Mandy’s use of it here; it helps to harmonize the look. How about this killer shot from Emma? She has been tearing it up lately during her time off for an injury, so stick around for a bunch more amazing snaps from her. In the meantime, I am loving this square-studded long-sleeved crop top paired with boy shorts –this is about as sexy as workout wear gets!! Give me studs I promise you, I will get waaaay more serious about gym time! ;) Emma’s pose is slayage overdrive. Her hair is on point. The black-on-black color palette, echoed by her dark nails, has a bring-it-on attitude that’s just flawless (and motivating!) for weights, cardio or what have you. The amazing pic is one of the first teasers of Emma’s makeover into Emmalina, an athletic vixen with a very old-school diva vibe – a blend of sex and athleticism. If this is typical of the style of girlfriend’s new persona, Emmalina’s fashion is going to eclipse Emma’s in no time. Wow - I did not expect a look like this from Eva Marie! This billowy printed blouse paired with a sheen-y satin pencil skirt is a huge change from the sexy bodycon and lace-up styles she often gravitates to, but I really enjoy the polish and refinement of this look. It's sexy, but in a subtler, softer way. Her pensive gaze echoes the vibe of the outfit perfectly. She throws in a dash of inelegance by placing her hand so as to make the skirt almost look like shorts and it adds that little offbeat note that makes you really look deeper into the shot for the character created within it, in this case, the irrepressible badass tomboy peeking out from within her fancy ensemble. Wonderful snap on so many levels!
Nikki gives us a pair of fab looks, both utilizing skirts. The first pairs a white Adidas crop top with an Alice and Olivia side-slit midi pencil skirt. The look is simple, but modern, clean and sexy. She really takes it up a notch though with her Vince Camuto lace-up OTKs (the Felana)! These statement boots crank up the chic hard on this look by adding a textural element that just reeks of fierce. Well styled, Nik! Her second look is equally good: a boxy cropped top with a pleated flared skirt with a wonderful woven texture and a hint of metallic (this piece is by Devlin. Thx to fashionofthedivas.tumblr.com for the ID). What makes this look work is the high, wide waistband of the skirt: it creates a super-defined waist that necessary with the blocky shape of her tee. Along with the exaggerated flare, it creates the classic hourglass shape. With a smaller or waistband-less style, or one with less volume, this look could get very straight and clunky in a hurry. This is a place where paying attention to silhouettes really helps! Nikki finished the look with her CL Berlinissimo caged booties for an extra dose of fierceness, and a de riguer choker in a fun wide style. Renee showed off her casual style chops with this movie night look. She combined a drape-y Free People sweater - worn off the shoulder for a coquettish twist - with destroyed Asos jeans. Doc Martens sneakers completed the totally chill outfit. This kind of look can be difficult to pull off - it's easy to have it look disheveled, or haphazard, but Renee gets the perfect balance of boxy and slim to make it all come together. Hot on the heels of a pair of KOs group shots, we get a massive collection of snaps of nearly every Knockout, with one pic apiece..except Jade, who wrangled two ;).
Allie kicked things off with this sweet shot, in the same look we saw her in when she accompanied Maria about her business back in September. This time, she's accessorized the black peplum top+pencil skirt look with a pretty flowered statement necklace instead of pearls. I'm wild over this color - it makes me think of summer! And this necklace would spark a casual turtleneck and jean just as well as it does this pairing. I wonder if she echoed it with peach heels? ;) Next up is Sienna. This is the first we've gotten to see of her in photo and I'm not quite sure what to make of this leather and lace melange of a look. It kind of gives me goth-hot-mess vibes - especially with the addition of the feather boa-collar, but I'm happy to wait and see what else she has to offer. Maybe it will make her style intentions clearer. I love the white block streak in her hair -the look is distinctive and super cool! I'm also loving her brandy lip shade! And speaking of Brandi :) (nice segue, huh? :)), she gives us a peek at her ring gear, done in spectacular white, with a shimmering snake appliqué. For anyone who wondered why I chose the basilisk for her in our Fierce Beasts feature, this was my inspiration. I'm curious as to why she chose this unique symbol and what it means to her. Maybe she'll blog about it someday and tell us! This shot is simply fabulous - Brandi's pose, the classic juxtaposition of black and white. I love everything about it , right down to her gorgeous half up-do. I would happily take a whole 'shoot of these. And then we come to Rosemary, who is very unique! She reminds me of a throwback to characters like WWE's Ariel and Katarina Waters' Winter persona for Impact. Her look is vampire-grunge and seems to have a lot of theatricality involved. It makes it a challenge to apply as street fashion (but I'll see what I can do ;)), but it's still wicked fun to enjoy. The red and black combo does its job flawlessly and the boots+dress pairing is an interesting combo. The modern dress with the almost-Victorian boots feels a little offbeat, but if you re-imagine this concept through the lens of McQueen, it's easy to see how it could work. Then again, this could totally go early-Hole too, so we'll see where she takes it. Should be a wild ride! One amazing thing about fashion: it’s always there for you. It never lets you down. No matter what’s going on in your life, you can escape to fashion. It can be your solace when times are tough, your way to celebrate when they’re good and your personal form of expression and comfort every day in between. And, we’ve got a special treat today! After a big drought of Knockouts’ fashion, we’ve got a boatload of it to review! So, settle in and enjoy :-)
When Gail was inducted into the Knockouts’ Hall Of Fame, Christy and Taryn were on hand to congratulate her. Gail looked aaaamazing in her coral gown with its daring front slit. I love this color on her, as well as the chic simplicity of this piece. The color and hint of sex appeal bring just enough drama to the look, which she completed with gorgeous metallic gold strappy sandals. Everything about this look is spot on. We have a bonanza’s worth of fashion to cover over the next couple of days, so hang to your fedoras, honeys! We’ve got boatloads of Bellas, and bits of so much more.
We’re kicking it off with Maria, who let out her inner Taylor Swift (did you ever think you’d see that comparison? :)) as she topped her boldly belted kabooty shorts and glittering brassiere with a sparkly bomber jacket. I still haven’t gotten over my fascination with how casually cool bombers look, even though they are literfreakinally everywhere lately and I love the sparkly girly thing of adding sequins to the look, so yes, I’m all in for this piece. I can see it restyled in SO many ways. And remember – there are those holiday things coming up soon and sparkles = yes. This first pic I ever saw of TNA’s Allie outside the ring was an Insta shot of her during that 30 second time period where she held the KO’s title. She has on a floral-printed peplum top and I was like “whoa – this is not how I usually envision Knockout’s fashion”. She has stayed true to that not-your-standard-KO path in a second peplum top and pencil skirt combo done in classic black and paired with a bevy of pearl-like beads. Her look comes off as youthful and fun and, as surprising as it is to see this kind of subtler sultriness coming from a KO, I can’t say I’m not intrigued by it. Rock on with your classy self, Allie! This momentary pit stop in Brooke-land is not so much a fashion review as this beautiful lady is in her unmentionables, but I had to register the screeching halt I came to when I saw this pic – like omg her body looks AMAZING. And this is just a few weeks after giving birth. Like, how does she *do* that? I’m speechless. She gives you some of her tips on her Instagram, so go check that out (@realbrookeadams). And also, I can’t help but thinking: if she can do this - after having a baby – than I have zero excuse for not working out. Less than zero. And we get to check in with Rosa, also with her post-baby body, also looking amazing and incredibly chic as well in this black midi-length dress. I love the texture provided by the sheer detailing and the way she kept the look simple and subtle by completing it with black peeptoe pumps. You could easily make this outfit cold-weather-appropriate by topping it with a cropped band jacket or draping a long wool dress coat over your shoulders. And now…let the Bellas begin! They covered Muscle and Fitness in September as part of their wave of promotions for the Total Bellas series on E!, which premiered on Oct. 5. The concept was simple: two hot, fit ladies donning blue and black. The execution was successful, as the twins looked just as fabulous as we would expect. They gave us two variations on the color combo. The first included boy shorts and simple sports bras, while the second paired string-accented bottoms with a squared-out silhouette top for Brie and bikini-style bottoms with a zip-front halter top for Nikki. They also switched hairstyle from refined half up-dos to loose and flowing. Strappy black sandals finished Brie’s look, while Nikki finished hers with nude peeptoe pumps. The workout gear+ heels combo may not be especially practical for actually being in the gym, but as a photoshoot styling, it is killer! |
Welcome to the place where wrestling & fashion join hands. Inspiration. Reviews. Musings. Retros. FASHION. Covering and craving gear to gowns since 2011. May the Fierce be with you! ;) Peace & Glitter!
AuthorBrie: shoe-lover :) fashion-lover and generally glamorous semi-dork Archives
July 2019
Categories
All
Photos used for criticism and comment under US Copyright Act Section 107.
|