This has been a fantastic year for gear in WWE! We have divas all over the place evolving, inventing and really pushing the envelope with their gear. It's been an amazing ride. The only downside is that we now, somehow, have to pick the top three - ugh. I mean, it's a good problem to have though :). How did we finally resolve said problem? Read on to find out!
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I've always maintained that belt 'shoots are some of the hardest to do well. So often, the ladies have to stand in front of a blank backdrop with the belt as an unwieldy prop and try to make it compelling. No small feat. It helps if you have a new angle, which Naomi certainly does :) And it makes her title 'shoot one of the awesomest in recent memory! It's shot in semi-darkness, with the glowing belt throwing a significant portion of the light. That alone gives it a very distinctive and super cool look. But Naomi and her photog don't stop there. They literally come from a different angle - lots of them! Above, below right, below left: they experiment with in every shot and it works. It's funky and intriguing and makes you eager for the next pic to see what they came up with next. The belt takes a good bit of the stage, due to it's lighting effects, but Naomi isn't overshadowed. Her neon lime gear reflects the light from the belt, making it look like it too is glowing, whichjust adds to the shoot's dramatic interplay of brightness and darkness. The lettering of her top injects some extra color, which she echoes via her lime, aqua and pink hair colors - that looks SO FREAKIN' AMAZING! A touch of purple sheen from her lips brings one more succulent shade to the mix - so, more fabulosity, basically. She explores a myriad of facials from a full smile, to a delightful half-smile to a look of vindication. The excellent variation keeps the set from getting stale or repetitive. There's something of an 80's vibe to the snaps due to the neon, but it's less wide-eyed and innocent. There's a maturity and strength here - despite the appealing colors and totally fun use of light. It's like Naomi has found her zen, but it's not merely meditative. It's a pulsing, vivacious electric zen... and I'm savoring it! If she hadn't mentioned how long it took her to devise this character and work out the kinks, I could regret all the directionless silliness of the Funkadactyls. Think of that when she had this kind of amazing-ness in her consciousness all the time! This is an incredible concept which comes across as feeling like home for Naomi - something she has a clear vision for and a bulls-eye-like sense of how to convey. Tremendous work!
There's always room around here for some gear-love and we're celebrating the MITB ring-ensemble stylishness with this FashionHap.
Charlotte kicked things off with an amethyst version of her Wrestlemania look. I love this color combination just as much! It's luxe and oh so beautiful, visually cohesive and artistically stunning. Char has a talent for choosing colors that work brilliantly, both on her and within the backdrop and it's in evidence again here. And this gorgeous design is just as compelling as in its previous variation. Lana wore a magnificent blue and silver attire that she gave us a chance to break down in-depth in her Slayed By The Blue photoshoot here. When her in-ring skills catch up to her fashion skills, she is going to be a devastating competitor :) I can't wait! Carmella literally floored me with this look! I was wondering what she was going to do to turn her Staten Island Priciness look into something special for MITB and did she ever deliver! The metallic mint and ice green was a surprising and aesthetically appealing choice that I instantly loved -even before I realized the pattern was made from money. Omg -so brilliant! It has that designer vibe that has been so prevalent lately of making a beautiful-looking print out of a whimsical pattern. In addition, it's utterly befitting of her character. The black printed waistband was another designer nod that felt appropriately street-worthy, as did the sports-bralette styling of her top. She completed the look with white sneakers that were a perfect finish. Magnificent job! Becky has the right idea with the medieval-warrior direction her look is taking. It just seems to be taking a bit to come to full fruition. From Chandra Nalaar to Ygritte-meets-Angel Dust with a dash of Merida, she seems like a concoction of lovable fighter characters that just needs that one ingredient, that unifying conceptual direction to crystallize into the one true Becky. This wide-belted leather trench is a flawless example of the good. It's medieval, yet modern, tough but with a swirling yin power that makes her look like a warrior queen. Naomi celebrated the Fourth of July with four bikini looks (guess she's giving Lana and Selena some competition for most looks in a day, huh? ;) ).
For her first, she poses in front of a massive white fence in a super-fun mix-n-match combo. Her black top gets a spark from the lace-up detailing in a multicolored cording. I love the way it lights up the classic black bikini! She ramps that up by adding bikini bottoms in one of the neon bright shades from the cording. I'm 100% on board with this look! It's such a fun way to make the black top feel summery and joyous. I also love her pile of bracelets, which add dashes of additional colors - that's the party vibe I was looking for! :) I'd have loved to see her get crazy with her eyeshadow shades here to add one more shot of brightness to look - imagine a bright magenta and intense lemon combo! Yum! Naomi does a solid job of posing with the fence and creates some confident shots - her clasped-hands+leaning foward shot is a gem!. It seems like it may have been a bit constricting overall as a backdrop, though. Some of the other settings allowed her greater freedom, with magnificent results! Her next look had a classical Americana vibe that was just right for the Fourth of July. I love the way this piece represented a take on the Stars and Stripes that referenced it, without being an exact replica. The intense, clean colors look wonderful on Nay-nay and the ruffle on her top makes for a pretty and trendy detail. I love the softness and movement it adds to the look! Her red stone bracelet and apple-hued lips enhance the iconic vibe. I really enojyed the choice to shoot this bikini poolside - it's a stunning and brilliant background that's color-appropriate, while still having depth and movement. It also gives Naomi a chance to explore some really unique and different poses, which creates several highlight moments, including the one of her in the water, leaning on the pool's edge and her killer leaning-back poses, where the swirl of the water creates a gorgeous visual around her. Her printed lime and black one-piece is the most in keeping with her feel-the-glow aesthetic. The colors in the suit translate particularly well to that vibe and the tribal print has an ancient, lost-art quality to it that fits in nicely. As with her Americana bikini, Naomi breaks some new ground her poses, exploring some hands-over-head and hands-on-body stances that work really well. My hands-down fave, though, is her hair-flip pose - that is completely AMAZING! Her hair colors leap off the white cement background, while the tall grass below echoes them. It's a glorious moment of modernity meeting nature that concurrently captures a spirit of freedom and exuberance, while the sun reflects off her skin, making Naomi truly glow. It is unquestionably one of the top photos in the set, flawless in every way. And speaking of flawless, how about my hands down #1 set of the group: Nay-nay's final bikini pairs a leopard push-up style top with fabulous neon melon bottoms. The combo of leopard with orange is ahhhmaaaayyyyzing - the warm tones of the leopard are deepened and enriched by the sweet citrus glow. And the bottoms have their own special detailing - an array of straps that make them way sexier than your standard bikini bottoms (which are generally plenty sexy even sans embellishment ;)) The look gets and additional boost from the accessories - statement earrings in the form of a chain of golden globes and a lace-up choker. There's an untamed-glamazon-queen quality to the styling and it looks like Naomi was feeling it right down to her fingertips. Her soft smoky eye brings some extra attitude ...and so does she! She works this ensemble to the ends of the earth and SLAYS absolutely every shot! The bamboo makes the perfect prop, working not only as a background, but as something Naomi can bend and play with and half-hide in as well, creating wonderful visual depth. She looks completely at home in front of the camera and it's like she can literally do no wrong - the lens loves it all! And so do I! I'm ecstatic seeing such an incredible set from her. Rule it, Queen! There was a ton of great fashion at Wrestlemania Axxess - three days worth!
Maryse kicks things off with a classy, neutral look, pairing a sleeveless mock-neck shell with a khaki mini pencil skirt. I love the cute tie-waist detail of her skirt that highlights her waist! She completed the look with her Valentino wedge sandals. The styling feels light, bright and fresh. Naomi went very casual for this event, going with a denim-on-denim combination of a classic jacket an cut-off shorts. She spiked the look with a bright lime tee emblazoned with her "Feel The Glow" logo. The laidback feel of this outfit is appealing and works well on Naomi, although I would have loved to see her add a touch more polish for this type of event. Even making a minor switch from shorts to full-length jeans would have upgraded the formality of the look. Becky styled a sporty, chill ensemble which showcased a mesh tee over blue denim. Black piping enhanced the athletic vibe. The mesh creates great texture that adds visual interest to this pared-down look, making it a great choice by Becky. The look has punch, even those the premise is uncomplicated. Black or white sneakers would complete this styling perfectly. Eve went for a printed sleeveless blouse, paired with toast-hued shorts. She topped the whole look with a sleeveless open jacket. The print adds complexity to this primarily neutral look, but it isn't my favorite choice. The floaty silhouette contrasts somewhat awkwardly with the sleeker jacket and shorts. She gets huge props for me for the trendy jacket. I'd have loved to see her go with a slimmer, bodycon shape underneath. She intelligently balances the look with leg-lengthening nude, suede pointy pumps. I can't believe I'm still in catch-up mode. Sigh.
I'm so sorry that Naomi's injury was serious enough to force her to have to drop the title. How insanely frustrating after all her hard work to achieve it! She managed to go out in style though, pairing a cute cap-sleeve cropped tee with her Feel The Glow leggings and black sneakers with blue and lime embellishments. This combo is casual and sporty and, once again, plays on that fab combo of teal and neon citrus that works so incredibly well. Her bright hair acts as that one extra pop of color that gives the outfit zing. Mickie put together a classically Americana pairing of a gorgeous lace cropped top with pale denim. Naturally, she finished it with Western boots ;) One of the benefits of an unrefined, study boot like this is that it allows an outfit to be styled with super-feminine pieces, like Mickie's top, without having the look come off at all too girly. The boots provide a strong counter-balance - something to keep in mind if you adore frills, but don't want to over-do the femme vibe. If Western boots aren't your jazz, a chunky-heeled punk-tinged boot, or a classic riding silhouette will work similarly. Lana has been doing a good bit with this double-breasted dress style lately. The double row of buttons has a haberdasher-esque quality that brings strength and assertiveness to this simple dress. I can love this design when done as a blazer; I'm a bit more hesitant about the dress version. I don't dislike it, but it probably wouldn't be the first thing I'd reach for. Lana's variation is done is a fiery red satin, which makes it even more of a statement piece. Her slim crystal choker is a perfect way to accessorize a look like this - with subtlety. Her low bun is polished but not too prim - another winning choice! Maryse got in on some actual nearly in-ring action in preparation for the build-up to Miz & her Wrestlemania match against John & Nikki. As usual, her selections are stellar: a cropped sequin bomber cardigan (leave it to Maryse to make a cardi look fierce! #HowItsDone101) tops leather leggings. She finished the look with plain suede OTK boots - and flat boots, no less! It's rare, but Maryse in flats does indeed happen ;), and she slays in them just as well as in heels. As if we expected anything different. #Homage Natalya's exploration of combinations of patent leather, sheer, strapped cutouts and crystal continues with this gear. She's moved to pink for her crystals - a mouth-watering decision that I hope she gives us a few more variations of! The strapped cutout aspects of her gear remain as fabulous as ever - and she's earning serious points from me for her designs that show enough to be tantalizing as heck, without showing too much. It's a fine line to walk and Nattie is handling it perfectly. This is how a classy lady does sexy! Note-taking is encouraged ;). The Royal Rumble set a high fashion standard, but the gals maintained it at the Elimination Chamber.
First, there was Becky’s continuing foray into gear with a hint of a femme twist. This set offers an iconic color story of black and beige, with a simple tank topping her frayed denim shorts. What brings distinction to the look is the broad band of gorgeous black lace that drapes across her torso. It’s so delicate that, at first glance, it almost seemed ragged to me, as if it was echoing the hem of her shorts. Even though it’s not, the similarity in texture unites the look, while still providing a beautiful and delicate contrast to the rugged grommetted leather at her knees. There’s a kind of broken-in, ragged romanticism to this look that I’m really enjoying: it’s stunning yet unforgiving, gorgeous, yet grounded. What a unique and intriguing statement from Becky and a wonderful show of growth and experimentation! Both Summer and Sasha worked with blue and orange as a combo in the past and I loved it. Equally well do I love the pairing of purple and orange, as worn by Nikki. The bright cantaloupe shade is warm and inviting and nearly glows with intensity. It looks amazing against her skin! The deep grape adds a flush of cool solidity to all that vibrancy and the effect is gorgeous! While I love her red, black and white variations, seeing her break into some new color combinations – especially such unique and yummy ones as this! – is incredibly fun! Alexa went for the classic color combo of red and blue with her gear. She added a nice little twist, though, by accenting the pairing with gold, which adds warmth and luxuriousness. I’ve been a fan of this design of her gear pretty much since it debuted and I’m still totally on board. The only thing I could do wthout is the cartoon appliquee at the front. Come on, girl – you’re not Bayley. There’s a way to bring in this kind of accent, but, set against a mature, fierce ring outfit like this, it just looks silly. It takes a really special vision and execution to use a lot of pattern and color and have it be cohesive. Naomi absolutely smashes the concept here! For starters, her romper silhouette is bang on trend. For seconders, her scrolled, mod print has the complex beauty of a Pucci piece, but done in light-up-the-world neons that give it a youthful energy and vitality that looks super hot! Lime, turquoise, lavender and cerulean make for a current and stunning color story, while the matching leg covers carry the look all the way to her feet, creating unity and impact. The layered chevrons are a flawless addition, creating a slight, but solid diversion from the print and working fabulously with her body shape to create a curvy hourglass. I love everything about this – as complex as it is, it’s put together perfectly, so it’s not busy or overwhelming, just powerful, mesmerizing and straight up AMZAZING! Mickie’s gear has been a wonderful mingling of ‘new and then’ :), pairing a halter top accented with a suitably Southwest-esque symbol and her always-favored flared-leg pants. Touches of colored stones accent the edges of both top and bottom. She’s done several color stories with this design, but I especially like the icy simplicity of this metallic silver, spiked with hints of emerald. |
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AuthorBrie: shoe-lover :) fashion-lover and generally glamorous semi-dork Archives
July 2019
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