The last time WWE did a photoshoot celebrating a milestone episode for Smackdown, it was the 500th back in 2009.  I know I didn't review the 'shoot because  diva-fierce.com didn't even exist yet - imagine that :) The Lady Superstars – Divas, as they were then known..and kind of remain as in Brie’s head :) – broke out a bevy of blue dresses to celebrate the occasion.
I get such Mother Hen feels looking at these snaps. It’s like “awww – my lil’ girls are all grown up” when I see how far these ladies have come! Natalya’s soft blue v-neck sheath looks lovely and she threw a fun vintage-esque touch into her look via her embellished almond-toe pumps. She struck a solid version of a classic pose. The whole look gives us an insight into the woman she would become – her sense of sophistication and shades of Pinup Strong are clear. This is only about two years after he main roster debut and her Divas’ championship, the Divas Of Doom and the Empress Queen of today were all in the future. I can’t help but imagine how she would slay this type of ‘shoot now, with so much more sass and confidence
Maryse also chose a v-neck sheath, going with a saturated sky blue piece and pairing it with strappy nude heels. This sensual aspect of her style was pretty much the whole of what she showed us at that time. Who knew there was so much more to come! Today, she’d keep the sexy dress…and likely reach for yet more fabulous shoes ;).
Maria has always let her creativity and flair come shining through in her photoshoots and being over-the-top is something she never worries about. That she pulls off so much drama time after time is one of the things I love about her! She added a wide black waist belt to her royal blue sequined sheath dress and echoed it via her black peep-toe pumps – I loved the strap detail then…and I still do! She lent extra punch to the look with a fierce hat and added lace fingerless gloves for good measure. I can easily envision her rocking very much this same look today.
Brie hadn’t delved much into her bohemian tendencies at the time of this ‘shoot; her style was mostly casual and feminine. This beautiful square-neck dress with its slightly-puffed sleeves holds up incredibly well! She could easily pop this out of the closet and wear it today (ok, maybe next spring :)) She completed the look with brown leather peep-toe pumps. She nailed a tried-and-true pose – and she’s only gotten better at that over the years!
Nikki chose a long-sleeved faux wrap dress which, like Brie’s selection, holds up very well. She was the only lady to add the spark of another color to her look, rounding it out with red peep-toe heels (bringing a touch of Raw into Smackdown, perhaps? :)) This look feels very true to the fashion sensibilities we see her express today – once a fashion queen, always a fashion queen! Her half up-do is gorge and her stance is fierce! (Naturally :))

How much like a fairytale does Maryse look in this ethereal gown? Donned for her baby shower, it features a white backdrop with a delicate floral lace overlay in soft blush. I’m not used to this much sweetness in Maryse’s style, but it looks stunning and feels like an authentic facet of her style personality. I’d love to see her go to this place once in awhile now that her baby girl has been born – it would be such a fun change-up from the sleek, sexy sophisticate we usually see. She didn’t forsake that style, though, as we in her next look, which paired a heathered gray tee with a thoroughly fabulous studded denim jacket. Add a coordinating pair of distressed jeans and some combat boots to this and you’re good to go!
We got a quick update on Eve’s style when she attended Maryse’s baby shower.  She wore a laidback black monochrome pairing of a black v-neck tee and jeans, topped with the welcome textural variation of a black motorcycle jacket. The wide silhouette of the v on her tee also gives the look a boost by virtue of its uniqueness. This look reminds me of the easy she described her comfort with during her Diva Couture feature (#tbt here to this sadly short-lived foray into the Lady Superstars’ fashion preferences, a really fun idea that I wish the Big Dub had given a better run). I find it very intriguing how Eve’s neutral, uncomplicated personal style differed from the bright hues and greater drama she tended to employ for her in-ring and tv wardrobe.

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!

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.

Cathy went for denim-on-denim in this December snap, pairing a button-down in a medium wash with dark skinny bottoms. She connected the two with a black leather belt and completed the look with banana yellow pumps, which naturally I love :). That said, the styling feels like it’s missing a little something. I would have liked her shoes and belt to be matchy-er ( a classic interpretation that’s very effective), or the addition of an accessory in a light shade to connect the whole look. She utilizes the belt again for her next look, this time connecting dark skinny denim to a shoulder-baring striped top. Here, her black wedge sandals make the look feel quite cohesive, while her burgundy tasseled bag adds a fun touch of whimsy.
We saw Charlotte do a very similar look to this back in September, except that here she went with wide leg pants instead of skinnies. I like the change and the very sophisticated vibe of the duster coat with the flowing pants. The one small tweak I would make is to do a full tuck with her blouse (or add a belt) to define her waist more. It would have pulled the look together, given it a solid focal point amid all the pieces with movement and made it feel a shade more polished and chic.
Sadly, we don’t get a really good look at this ensemble from Alicia, worn during her visit to Iraq this winter, but frankly when I see a studded jacket and OTK boots, I’m generally in right there. It looks like Foxy added a black top beneath all that fierceness and then threw in her customary fabulous twist by adding a floppy fedora. The color unites the look, while the variety of elements and unexpected accessory keep it fresh and intriguing. Trademark Foxy slayage. She was at it again, albeit with a much more casual take, in her next outfit, which paired a white tee with leather leggings, topped with a striped scarf and a faux-fur trimmed cropped moto jacket in a natural canvas-tone. She completed the look with fur-lined mid-calf boots and added a baseball cap in coordinating hue for good measure. I love how this look feels so easy and unstudied and yet retains a quiet glamour at the same time. It also happens to be a flawless use of winter white shades.  

Maryse gave us her best interpretation of a harajuku girl during her visit to Tokyo on Total Divas. Although I can’t imagine actually wearing it, I find the harajuku styling visually interesting – it’s so colorful and complicated that you really have to stop and analyze each aspect of it. It’s a credit to Maryse that she gives us a creditable take on the look, despite it clearly not being anything like her personal style. You have to have a real appreciation of and talent for fashion to change gears so dramatically and not have it look like a hot mess! And Marsye looks like fun personified :). He next outfit is right back in her wheelhouse with a sensual bustier and pants set. While the color matches flawlessly, the look gets a nice visual lift from the difference in texture – the smooth sheen of her pants contrasts nicely with the velvet bustier. Her high pony and key neckline combine to show off her neckline, while her neon pink nails gives the look and 80’s-referencing pop. From there, she moves on to a floral dress with a mockneck and cap sleeves combining to create a strong, visual triangle at the top. The pairing of the two elements creates the impression of a cheongsam. I love how we are seeing Maryse’s take on traditional Asian style, filtered through her own fashion sensibilities, as well as the way she shifts her look to reference her location. Ag with her previous look, her bright nails bring a joy-inducing shot of extra color.

I love the floral on this dress Cathy chose for a November red carpet event! The simple color combination really pops and the small scale of the floral looks delicate and has a vintage quality to it. It would have been a jazz to see her enhance that with a sweeter hair style, but I can also see her logic in playing against it with this sleek, modern central-part style. I do find it just a bit harsh in this case, as I often do, but Cathy is one of the few who can pull the look off successfully in most cases. Subtly sexy black ankle strap sandals complete her look. It’s all about the red and black again, but in a totally different way, for her next outfit, a casual combo of a white turtleneck and blue jeans, topped with a statement buffalo-plaid overcoat. The bold pattern and strong color completely makes this ensemble, giving it interest and a comfy-meets-cool vibe. I also love the textural contrast and attitude of the studded belt. It adds a secondary connotation that gives depth to the presentation. She makes a similarly successful contrast with her next look by pairing a sequined bomber with a lace cami and slim black pants. It’s a femme-glam-mod causal mash-up that I just adore, firstly because…glitter! …and secondly because of the fun juxtaposition of genres.  The sleekness of her central-parted low pony works perfectly here, grounding the outfit and keeping it form feeling at all frilly. You could easily take this look in an athleisure direction by completing it with black, white or metallic sneakers, or keep the mod-femme vibe going with a pointed flat.
Charlotte combined a delicately moody dark floral print with leather pants for her Wrestlemania Pre-Sale meet-n-greet. I love the look of the artistic print combined with the smooth, toughness of the leather, as well as the way the print colors enliven the look, keeping it dark but not drab. Her black military boots continue the theme from the pants, which works well. I feel like there’s some tiny touch missing that could give this outfit more intensity and consequence – perhaps a half-tuck or a ponytail and statement earrings – but I’m totally on board for each of the elements and the way they work together.