On RAW'S 25th Anniversary, we fans had the fortunate experience of seeing some of our favourite women from the past, some we haven't seen for years, grace our screens once again.....and now, we get to review their fashion :), which is a massive thrill!
Lilian Garcia: The sultry songstress’ look was trademark Lilian, pairing a glittering printed dress with suede OTK boots. This is a combo Lil has plenty of experience with and it shows, as she smartly plays on texture by combining suede with shine. Her long and loose hairstyle adds her customary sense of ease and un-fussiness (did I just make up a word again?) to what could be a fairly fancy look, making it feel accessible, but also formal enough to be respectful to the occasion. Plus, it makes it feel like a party! Shine will do that ;) Nikki & Brie Bella: It's been so long since we've seen both Bella Twins on screen together in a WWE setting, so RAW 25 was definitely a special moment for the Bella Army. Though we all know Nikki can 100% slay in a designer dress and heels, she brought her ring gear out for this night. Rocking her signature snapback, red jersey top and shorts, knee high socks, and sneakers.. this is THE Nikki Bella look we all know and love. Brie Bella walked onto the ramp in style, wearing black high waisted leggings, ankle boots, and a tied up Brie Mode t-shirt. Her accessory of choice? A red flannel tied around her waist... which of course, is classic Brie Bella. Barbie/Kelly Kelly: As per her usual gift for dressing just right for the occasion, Barbie (aka Kelly Kelly) looked every inch the former diva – in fact, she looked like she could step right back into Diva-hood tomorrow without missing a beat. She paired a zippered sequin crop top with cut-off blue denim shorts. She topped the look with a sleek and thoroughly fierce leather motorcycle jacket, tempering the glam with a dose of punk attitude that’s echoed by the wide belt at her waist. She earn props from me for not going over the top with a sequin or crystal belt; this unembellished one makes just the right statement. Barbie finished the look with my favorite piece in the ensemble: sequin pointy ankle booties. I’m heaven! Right there is where she goes from typically fab to street style Queen. They make this outfit!
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Gail rocked this black monochrome look during mid-October, pairing a black cropped top with black shorts and a fringed leather belt. Using such a dramatic accessory really amped up this simple color story! I love the way it instantly gives the outfit weight and presence. She gave the combo a big dose of glam by adding a crystal statement necklace. I also wouldn’t have minded statement earrings here, as an alternate option. We don’t get to see her shoes, but black leather or suede sandal booties (like these, from her Silver Snap winning May The Forces Be With You photoshoot) would have been an excellent choice.
Lana experimented with gradient color, combining multiple shades of taupe in this look from her trip to Quebec. Her olive-taupe Want My Look bodycon dress got a modern twist from being topped with a gray-taupe long cardigan from Fashion Nova. Her caramel bag served as a bridge color to connect the two differing shades. Coordinating strappy pumps from Lola Shoetique elevated the look, while a golden choker from Windsor Store and hoops earrings brought in a hint of shine. The sophisticated use of color makes this ensemble very chic! A polished bun enhances that vibe. Lana is a queen of switching genres, so it’s no surprise that her next look was a nearly complete about-face: a casually sexy pairing of destroyed denim and a plunge-front ivory cami, taken galactic with of-the-moment metallic ankle booties and a matching bag. I adore the combination of ivory and silver, and I love the unexpected 80’s glam-rock vibe of her boots, as well as the fact that she doubled down on that statement with her bag, so this look is a winner for me. The boots, especially, make the outfit memorable. The one change I might have made is to swap to a silver coin pendant, instead of mixing metals. Her gorgeous half up-do is just icing on the cake! Next up is the blonde beauty in full-on Chic Mode: a one-shoulder crop top paired with high-waisted wide-leg pants (from TopShop), featuring the most fabulous side-tie detail at the ankle. A gold choker, white ankle strap sandals and a black tote round out the look. The unique detail, the interesting way the side-tie and ankle-strap combine and the graphic power of black+white unite flawlessly to make this outfit seriously stunning! Maria’s experimentations with fashion continued throughout the month. Her barely-captured Smackdown outfit layered a graffiti-covered bomber jacket over what looks to be an assemblage-type mini dress with appliqué an sequins. Black ankle booties completed the risky look. I’ve learned to never be surprised at where Maria takes her fashion – she’s never afraid to “go there” and while this look is busy and messy, it makes an interesting direction for the love-filled, urban-warrior character she’s developing, so I give her points for the experimentation. I could have skipped the daring burgundy lip with all that was going on below it, but it toughen up the styling even more. From there, she paired a ruffled mini skirt from Express with a sunglasses-wearing-skull-print tank from Zara and clear sandals from Aldo (all id’s by fashionofhedivas.tumblr.com). This look is just as risky as the first, but it very nearly works. There’s a long jump from skulls to ruffles and I wish she had tied the outfit together by going with combat boots instead of the clear sandals, which are super-modern. It’s fine, though – Maria keeps me intrigued and thinking about fashion, so I’m always up for seeing what she does next!
Maryse’s look was more edited, but I love the moto styling of this gray zip-front dress! It’s like a biker-jacket done as a little gray dress! It’s streamlined and packs an attitude, despite its classic silhouette. She finished it with simple pumps, but combat boots, or studded, heeled ankle booties would look fab with this also! Her SummerSlam-week vist to New York city found her pairing a lace bodysuit with latex pants in a look that melded various approaches to seduction -from sweetness to S & M. She topped the outfit with a sleeveless trench. I love these pieces individually, but I find this look to be a bit scattered in effect, although the unifying effect of the black helps it tremendously. I have a similar feeling about her next offering, which pairs the floral Delaina top from Alice and Olivia with the glittering lace confection of the Almira skirt from the same brand. I love the gorgeous floral of the top and the skirt is crave-worthy! Even so, and despite the gold of the skirt being echoed in matte tones in the floral, the look feels a touch disjointed. Maryse added a wide black waist, which perfectly enhances her curves – and finished the look with simple black Nudist sandals from Stuart Weitzman. I’d have loved to see tie the outfit together with burgundy or blush heels instead. Back when the Big Dub took their Summer Skin seriously and didn't just dash off a crumb to the anniversary with a mere four photoshoots *ahem*, they gave just about every diva on the roster their own day of swim snaps. I remember how freakin' amazing that summer was, waiting to see who was going to be next and what they had chosen for swimwear and the locations and just...ogh...so much fantasticness! That - and I can hardly believe this because it seems like this blog's been my baby forevs - was back in the days before I was a fashion writer. So, although I got to savor and be inspired by each 'shoot, I didn't get to review them. Remedying that as we speak :)...or rather as we share thoughts electronically via various networks. It's so funny to think back to those moments - I had a different car, different laptop to race to wwe.com on, different hair color, same love of wrestling in general and divas in particular (thank Maria and Michelle for that; they hooked me). The continual and unprecedented 'shoot releases kept the whole summer lit...not that lit was in common usage then :). It made a huge impression on me because it coincided with the first summer I was a huge diva fan. I don't remember what order the snaps came out in, but I do remember raving over Maria's, Maryse's (some things never change ;)) ... Maria's set was as diverse as her fashion is, ranging through some girl-next-door blue denim-esque and skull-accented, rocker chick piece before getting to the heart and soul of her fashion: glam. This mint-and-gold set had me drooling with it's shining beauty. Maria went heavy with gold statement jewelry, adding plenty of va-voom to an already attention-getting look. She pushed her poses to the dramatic limits - sometimes blowing right over them, but whatever :) - now that's how you work some bamboo! And thennnnn, she busted out the bikini I can't forget. Well, ok, maybe I can forget those metallic boy shorts, but that triangle top covered in massive silver paillettes? Never. Oh, and there was a star charm dangling off the center. I still want that piece. Her roll-front side-pony was about as glam as glamour gets. And there were also stud bracelets. Not sure my heart ever left that shoot. So maje.
Then again, Maryse didn't go easy on the heartstrings with her looks. She included sequined sets in magenta and red, a pure white bikini shot in the spray, a glittering blue bikini and then these two: a black triangle set covered with crystals and the curveball of the line-up: a floral-printed french top paired with white bottoms which boasted super-long side ties. It was basically a "You'll need oxygen for this" set of snaps from stem to stern, but these two stood out particularly for the backgrounds and poses. The black bikini was shot with Maryse perched on an outcropping of rocks. It looked challenging, but that brought out the best in her, as she draped herself over the rocks for a stunning series of shots. The floral bikini was shot primarily on the beach, with Maryse half-in/half-out of the water. Her poses, all the way from laying in the sand to kneeling in the foam evoke quintessential summer. Something about high summer makes me think of LayCool. Their urban-glam aesthetic just lends itself to parties under the sun, running on into steamy nights, when you want to be casual but not bland. Fashion has moved on a bit from 2009 and there is no doubt the stylish ladies of LayCool would have adjusted their looks appropriately. I'm thinking they'd have gravitated to a vibe similar to Hailee Steinfeld's recent turn in Julien MacDonald on the daily. Given that we don't have a multitude of newly devised tv and 'shoot looks to inspire us, as in their glory days, what's a fierce girl with an ever-LayCool heart to do? Metamorphosize that storied past forward into the right now, of course!
The Famous and Flawless set of 'shoots were some of my favorite LayCool looks, nailing their style sensibilities perfectly. This one, with its tank-and-shorts combo, is made for summertime. It adds glam to a basic white tank and black cut-off denim pairing by going with a sequined version on top. If you're recreating this, there's no need to be tied to the color choices: pretty much any shade of sequins will work just as well. For fitted pieces, try the LayCool full tuck; go with a front or side half-tuck if your tank is boxier. The ladies styled this look with the leather OTK boots that were fashion's craze at the time. Right now, I can't help but think they would have embraced the athleisure trend and ditched the boots for a totally fab pair of high-top sneakers. Since they are LayCool, they'd have gone with these Guiseppe Zanotti's, but those of us not willing to spend a month's earnings on one pair of shoes can 100% do this look with any streamlined pair of black sneakers. Tone down the lashings of glam by swapping the studded belt for simple leather in white or black. As an alternative to sequins, consider a metallic tank - Michelle and Layla would def give that their stamp of approval! If a cleaner palette is more your thing, consider a tank or tee with a metallic or sequined embellishment, rather than full-on shine. As with the above and below, keep the palette simple (no floral prints, no dots), stay with tanks or tees (no cami's). Racerbacks allowed. Eschew feminine embellishments (no ruffles, please). Add a bandeau under sheer, drapey pieces for coverage and an au courant vibe. Consider skipping the starkness of the black denim and going with blue of any hue. Feel free to up the fierce with a studded belt, or keep it coolly chic with plain leather. LayCool would likely have left us drooling by completing the look with something likely these insanely fantasmic DSquared sandal booties. If you happen to own a pair of insanely fantasmic sandal booties, feel free to unleash killage accordingly. Alternatively, play up the tougher side of this look by finishing it with urban or Western-inspired hardware-embellished chunky-heeled booties. Still too much glam? No prob. Keep it simple, keep it black. Tank (studs and other touches of metal or crystal = allowed, but 100% unembellished is also completely workable). Add skinny denim. Lend some pizzazz with a statement belt: be-crystalled, be-studded, be-sequined. A charmeuse satin or sequined scarf at the waist works too. Finish with a spark via silver strappy sandals. LayCool's choice would be something like these Gianvito Rossi Portofino heels with the haute-couture feel of their super-high ankle strap setting, but nearly anything shiny and strappy (except flip flops! :)) will work nicely. Happy warm-weather-holiday styling, Fancies! I love me some color as much as anybody, but certain days simply require chic, iconic black. If you're feeling Dark Mode coming on, look no further than Michelle for a bit of inspiration. This recent look is about as lightless as it gets: a black monochrome pairing of a cropped top, distressed denim and OTKs with a bomber on top. Black makes life easy and this look is mad simple to re-create. The one important rule with a monochrome outfit is to include some textural variation(s) to enhance the visual interest. If you're using a satin bomber (or any fabric with a sheen), do things Michelle's way and go for a knit top. Swap her OTKs for fierce ankle or mid-calf boots (hardware encouraged) to make the styling a little lighter for summer. If your bomber is a knit or similar matte finish, opt for an alternative texture underneath, like a 90's-tinged silk cami that plays on the lingerie-for-day trend. It has the added benefit of more coverage than the crop top if you're in an environment where ab-displays are frowned upon or your abs are feeling shy ;). The luxurious sheen of silk offers a tantalizing contrast to a soft knit, smooth twill, or fuzzy wool. Go with straight or skinny denim on the bottom, distressing optional. Contrast the femme cami and play up the bomber's sporty vibe by finishing the look with sneakers. Alternatively, take this combo in a more polished direction with a drapey button-down blouse. Any variant of silk will do: crepe de chine, charmeuse, georgette, or any fabric with a similar look. Go with high-waisted denim and blouson it or leave it un-tucked and flowing (bonus: the rise on your denim matters not). Pointy pumps enhance the easy sophistication, while the on-trend bomber creates an off-duty model vibe. Enhance that with a sleek-but-simple pony. And if you suddenly feel the need for a chain-handled cross-body or a quilted tote, I'm with your feels. Happy styling!
Emma explored some casual looks before returning to fierceness during her Emmalina era. She and Renee did a twinsies look, pairing distressed blue denim with an Elton John baseball tee. Both ladies completed the look with boots. While I love the classic color combo and the laidback vibe, both of these feel just a bit bland to me. I'd have loved to see a spicy detail - fiercer boots, a half-tucked shirt and a statement belt...just a touch of something. Emma does essentially that in her next outfit, pairing a "love" tee with distressed denim and lace-up booties. I love the extra punch the shoe choice adds! Peyton Royce (at right) stayed simple and minimal with a cropped white tank and skinny denim. Boots finish off her unexciting look. Billie Kay (at left) got more creative with a tied white shirt topping worn denim. She went for strappy sandals as an exclamation point, along with a slim metal collar. Her look is casual, but polished and interesting, primarily due to her unique choice of top and just-right combo of uncomplicated but trendy pieces.
Emma was back to the bikinis in this leaf-print halter two-piece from Show Me Your Mumu. The scale of this print is excellent for her - not too massive and overwhelming, but still bold. The peach-cobalt-mint-emerald color combo is super pretty and fun. The verdant setting really makes it pop, too! Among my favorite shots from the Emmalina era is this next one: a wedgewood blue v-neck bodysuit, paired with the same lace-up booties Emma rocked during her night out with Billie and Peyton. She gets huge props for her dark, smoldering make-up that makes this gorgeous, bright summer scene come alive with fierce, sensual energy. Denim shorts could be added to this look for casual styling, while a sheer maxi skirt would work as a fashion-forward alternative, depending on the event. If said event was such that a sheer-over-bodysuit approach would be frowned upon, a pleated mini skirt would be super cute and bring movement and volume to this sleek bodycon piece. |
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AuthorBrie: shoe-lover :) fashion-lover and generally glamorous semi-dork Archives
July 2019
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