Ronda nailed her look for last May’s NBC Upfronts, coming off casually polished in this athleisure-inspired suit. The open jacket, wide-leg pants and piping gave the pieces a sporty feel, which Ronda played up by pairing them with a simple, scoopneck tank. A soft mid-height pony hit just the right note of puled-together but un-fussy. The 80s-referencing oversize blazer has come back to fashion in a massive way over the last season or two and Ronda’s look is a perfect way to pick up on the trend, while still giving it a current twist via an athletic rendering. Grab your nearest, handiest oversized blazer (feel free to do the vintage-clothing-shop thing, or raid the back of your Mom’s closet :)) and pair it with wide-leg track pants. If said pants have side stripes, it’s fun – but not crucial – to match your blazer color with them. Alternatively, tie the look together with sneaker shades that coordinate with your blazer. Echo Ronda’s look by adding a tank under the blazer.  Add a pop of color via your earrings or bag, if the spirit so moves you. Knit blazer pieces, which have been having a moment as well, also lend themselves perfectly to this kind of relaxed sophistication. Pair one with wide-leg pants – wool or crepe suiting pants or chinos will help to balance the more casual vibe of the knit on top, while jersey or similar fabrics will need a more refined top to help balance the formality (you can go full-on collared button-down, but a classic shell, a satin tank or a polished tee will do nicely as well).  Add a subtle necklace or two, or a neutral belt (metallic neutrals 100% allowed :)) and complete the look with of-the-moment mules to maintain that chill-chic vibe. I hope this inspires you to give a Ronda-esque take on the oversized blazer a try sometime soon. Happy styling!

We’re dipping back to Nikki and Brie’s Fall 2018 Cosmopolitan ‘shoot to snag a little inspiration from a color combo that’s been strengthening in the fashion world over the last few months: red and pink! There’s nothing subtle about this blazing pairing, but there’s plenty of fun :).  Nikki’s cropped, lace-up  sweatshirt gives this look a sporty twist. While she added leather pants for a super-fierce look, the same vibe can be achieved with colored denim, chinos or suiting pants. Give a nod to athleisure by topping them with a tank top, raglan-sleeved sweater or full-on sweatshirt ( I especially love the contrast of a casual sweatshirt with  more formal suiting pants!).  If temps are still chilly in your neck of the woods/plains/mountains/bodies of water, top the look with a bomber jacket or blazer. Keep the look fierce by completing it with pointy-toe heels and add gold hoop earrings a la Nikki. I’ve kept the color story front and center by staying with a single two-tone pallet, but softening the vibrant statement of this combo by adding a neutral heel and jacket is totally allowed. Black is your obvi bff,  but don’t forget about gray shades, that provide gentler contrast, or beige and khaki hues that echo the warmth of the red and pink.
Fashion’s initial forays into this pairing centered on orange-reds with blue-pinks, but orange-pinks and coral tones can be employed as well! Pair them with center-tone, classic reds (think strawberry and apple shades) or burgundies. Adding a on-trend mule gives a simple dress a 70’s nod, while a block-heeled slide gives it a nostalgic-meets-now 90’s twist.  Bold gold earrings of any geometric shape provide the perfect exclamation point to the look.
I spent a ton of time last summer loving the pairing of basic tees with more formal skirts – it became and remains a trademark combo in my wardrobe! That idea lends itself flawlessly to a strong color story, like this one: top a streamlined pencil skirt with a minimalist tee to echo Nikki’s sporty-meets-trendy vibe. Finish the look with of-the-moment sneakers to cement the athletic statement. Alternatively, you can never go wrong with a classic ballet flat. Choose a pointy toe for a clean, crisp look or a rubber-soled pair that ties in with the laidback feel of the tee.
Happy styling, loves!
When you think you have it tough, life almost always manages to get tougher…and mine has.  I love you all for sticking with me! I’ll be doing the best I can with content in the days ahead and I promise to try to get some Wrestlemania coverage up for you. With gratitude, Brie

Camo is such a complex print, between the multitude of colors and the organically-shaped splotches, that it’s super-easy to pair it with a neutral and call it a day. Black is go-to, beige is fab, olive is awesome. But Nikki was a bit more daring than that when she wore the pattern recently: she injected some fiery attitude by adding a stunning flame-red to her look via accessories and bright lip. I love how unusual this color story is; it’s unexpected and bold, but not outlandish, making it totally do-able and appropriate for a myriad of occasions and places. Start with your favorite/only/clean piece of camo, be that a blouse a la Nikki, a jacket, a skirt, a dress. Build the look depending on weather. Do it like Nikki with blue denim or keep things a bit darker with black jeans if it’s springtime-cool.  If it’s toasty warm where you are, add a neutral or denim pencil skirt to the blouse, a tank under the jacket. If it’s not-so-toasty, add neutral layers below each piece. Once you’ve got the camo+neutrals main elements together, bring the spark. Nikki’s choice of flame red will work just as well set against black denim and camo as it does with the blue. I also love the idea of a softer, sweeter color pop set against the tough vibe of the camo: try rose, blush or a combination thereof. If you just can’t red or pink with camo, consider adding cobalt blue or rich mustard yellow instead. Nikki elevated the hard-working camo print with her pointy heels, which works fantastically. Feel free to reprise that, or do it with sandals. Alternatively, keep the whole look more casual with bright sneakers – keep them on the simple side, though and avoid pairs with more than two colors so the look doesn’t get too overwhelming. Echo your shoe choice with your lip shade and/or jewelry -statement earrings, a pendant necklace, a bangle or two, a monochrome scarf in silk or cotton- to carry the accent color throughout the look. I hope this inspires you to add an unexpected color to your camo stylings! Happy fashioning, loves :)

We first saw Charlotte wear this gorgeous floral dress back in June of last year , when she styled it with flat thong sandals. It was a blast seeing her work with flats, which we don't see from many Divas (ok,. ok, Lady Superstars :)), outside of sneakers. It was a wonderful way to dress this garden-y piece down. I love that she re-used it...and I love even more that she re-styled it. And especially HOW she re-styled it. The flats were great; these heeled combat boots are FIERCE - a totally fabulous way to temper the delicacy of the design and silhouette. Recreate this concept with your favorite floral dress: long sleeve, short sleeve, sleeveless, it's all good! No floral dress? No problem. Lace, eyelet and embroidered pieces all work - all you need here is a dress that shades to the sweet side (feel free to do this with a maxi skirt and a matching blouse, as well!). Then add boots as a counterpoint. Give the look a festival vibe with flat pairs, especially in earthy brown or beige shades. Add practical-but-fun stars stud earrings to complete the look, or ramp up the bohemian connotation with beaded or tasselled earrings to complete the look.  (Flower crowns 100% acceptable as well :))  Weather still a bit nippy for sleeveless pieces? Np - toss an on-trend blue denim jacket on top. Alternatively, go for a harder edge in your look by completing it with combat, lace-up or moto style  boots in black (hardware is a yes!). Because the harsher shade can take over a look when set against a light floral, make sure to echo it elsewhere to carry the color through the look - especially if there's no black in the dress' fabric. Statement earrings or stacked slim rings will work fabulously, as will a waist belt - both narrow and wide pieces do the trick, so pick your passion. Chilly mornings and evenings? See above re: topping the look with a classic denim jacket - they're just the right weight for transitional weather. Happy styling, loves!

I apologize for the dearth of posts lately. And no, I haven’t forgotten all the Wrestlemania fashion – including the Hall Of Fame Fashion Review! The event is so huge that it requires hours of dedicated time, which I haven’t been able to scare up lately; often, I’m sitting down to start work here to 11:30 or midnight and that curtails my time frame since I do need some sleep :). Ordinarily I’d be regaling you with Inspiration Boards, but with the sale and unceremonious killing off of Polyvore, which I used for collages, I’ve also had to research and test new alternatives. I’ve finally found a workable one, which is allowing me to bring you today’s IB, and I have at least one more still to do test runs with. April was quite a month :p. And so, to fashion!
Maryse styled this fun look for her maternity-wear, but it translates equally well even if you don’t have a baby on board :). She started with a minimalist black canvas and added a pop to the look by accessorizing it with two different, but coordinating vibrant prints on a cropped jacket and a chain-handled embroidered bag. The look works because the wild effervescence of the prints is grounded and anchored by the dark background.  Almost any piece or set can form the backdrop of this look. If you’re craving a dress, do that. If you’re all about pants, go there instead. Skirts are a yes as well. Pick your passion – as long as it’s dark! All black is the go-to, but black with navy (i.e dark wash jeans or a navy skirt) or deep charcoal will work nicely too…just don’t get all crazy and start adding heather gray or beige to the mix :). With the edgy accessories, the styling will get busy in a hurry and overcooked isn’t a good look for anyone - person or vegetable! Once you’ve got the basic canvas selected, you can get jazzy. Grab a floral or embroidered bomber, floral scarf, printed or jacquard blazer or cardigan to toss over the top. Then add a second pattern. The one crucial aspect of selecting pattern #2 is that the colors have to be similar (not the same, similar :)) to pattern #1. Two florals with predominantly blush and burgundy tones work fabulously! So do rainbows (or pieces with enough shades in them to echo a rainbow). Feel free to mix prints and embroidered pieces. You don’t even need to stick with complex patterns: go for the simple geometry of stripes or dots, add a shot of gingham or a pop of paisley – anything goes, as long as the colors are predominantly close between the two patterned elements. Note: if your shoes are not one of your patterned pieces, take a cue from Maryse and complete the look with a black pair or another understated color or texture.  One of my favorite aspects of this look is the way you can vary its intensity through your pattern choices: pairing a pinstriped blazer with dotted heels will be much subtler than combining an embroidered bomber and a rainbow sequin-striped bag, so you can be histrionic or not and still have fun. I hope this inspires you to combine patterned accessories sometime soon :). Happy styling, loves; it’s so good to be Inspiration Boarding again!

Brandi’s palette-cleansing pairing of an ivory jacket and pale taupe suede OTKs with blue denim showcases a look I love for this season of transitional dressing: wearing a jacket as a top. It’s such a fun way to get extra mileage from a topper and it lends itself to mercurial weather conditions because you can layer whatever you need underneath. Start with a tee if it’s warm, a thermal or light sweater if it’s chilly. Then toss your jacket over the top and zip or button it fully so that your under-layers don’t show. So far, so easy, right? :). Take your cue for the rest of the look from the shape and style of your jacket. Pair a boxy piece with skinny jeans and complete the look by tucking them into ankle booties: flat, low, or sky-high – pick your passion ‘cuz they all work! Combine a more fitted piece with cropped or cuffed boyfriend jeans for a chic-meets-slouchy vibe. I love the contrast provided by refined blazer or the embellished artistry of a military jacket against the super-chill boyfriend silhouette. Reiterate the sophistication by finishing the look with slim, pointy ankle booties. (Make sure the jeans’ hem hits 2-3 inches above where the boot starts to narrow to get the right proportions.) Give denim-on-denim a try by pairing a cropped jacket with high-waisted denim. Play up the 80’s vibe of slim or straight bottoms with glittered pumps. Or, go 70’s and complete the look with suede boots or platform sandals. Jewelry is a crucial element in this type of look; it gives the styling polish and the “finished” quality that makes it work. Earrings are the easiest to use as they interfere least with the jacket. Rings work fabulously as well. For bracelets, roll your sleeves or wear the baubles on the outside of them. Lean toward statement, but not especially fancy, pieces with the laidback boxy jacket (think hoops, or geometric-shaped metal pairs). With a blazer, play against the straightforward sophistication with a bit of glamour (try colored or clear crystals) or whimsy (think animals or flowers). Go for studs with a military piece to allow the jacket’s embellishments to take center stage. With denim, go for bold colors that reference the 80’s, or tasseled pieces for a 70’s vibe. I hope this inspires you to wear a jacket as a top sometime soon! Happy fashioning!

We’re finishing up our series of sporty looks with a bit of 90’s inspiration from Brie. Her laidback ensemble walked a perfect line between ring gear and street wear, making it pretty much the ultimate example of athleisure. She paired a graphic baseball tee with distressed leggings. A red plaid shirt tied at her waist gave the look an extra shot of color and a trend-meets-grunge vibe. I love the way the shirt makes leggings out-of-the-house-appropriate, while maintaining the super-chill feel. Recreate the look with dark, neutral leggings (distressing optional) and a neutral  raglan-style top: baseball tees work, sweatshirts work, even  sweaters with this no-shoulder-seam silhouette. Grab your favorite flannel  or plaid shirt to accent your waist. Cement the 90’s vibe by completing the look with Converse. If you’re daring, add in a little throwback-Avril-Lavigne and accent the look with a coordinating tie, knotted loosely at your neck.  Optional: top the ensemble with a relaxed jacket: dark, boxy denim, classic black leather, a cotton moto piece.
Brie’s outfit is totally chill – perfect for weekends, shopping, morning coffee, a lowkey lunch date. But what if you’re feeling the skater vibe, but you need to head somewhere a smidge fancier?  I love the idea of pairing an easy, sporty top (think the same line-up as for Brie’s look) with suit pants. The polished styling on the bottom ups this game in a hurry! Like the blouse in Cathy's look, they provide the formal, contrasting element that gives the look edge and interest.  A straight or wide-leg style is chic, on-trend, and makes a clear distinction from a leggings silhouette. Dark neutrals nod to a grunge vibe, but you can def work this look in warm beige, blush, ivory or white tones as well. Add bold, minimalist earrings, a sleek ponytail and a bright lip for a shot of color. Round things off with coordinating sneakers – I love the old school vibe of these Vans! And voilà: a little tbt, a little now, a little sporty-gone-dressy.
I hope this series has inspired you to try out some athleisure looks! Happy sporty styling, Fiercenti!