Prepare yourselves:  a motley mix of posts is coming for the days ahead.  I’ll be covering a random mix of whatever I have time to get up ..but I promise, it will be fashion. That’s as narrowly as I can define it :). Let’s start said assortment with a look at the rest of the Bellas Cosmo ‘shoot from last fall. I raved previously about the fun, on-trend color scheme of Nikki’s pieced, lace-up top (good eyes if this reminded you of the color-blocking trend form a few years ago). The chunky knit got a fun textural contrast from smooth, sensual leather via her pants (x Belstaff) . That statement was accentuated by her strappy lip-embellished sandals from Giuseppe Zanotti . I usually wouldn’t go for a cartoonish shoe like this but I love the quirkiness of the choice here. It adds such a fun element to an outfit that’s already buoyant and joyous due to its color story. Brie and Nikki took on long-sleeved knit dresses next (from Cynthia Rowley), a style that’s been a trademark one for them both throughout their careers. Brie sports bouncy polka dots, while Nikki wore bold stripes, both in a black-and-white palette – except for Nikki’s burgundy fur-topped slides :) (Brie’s matching pair is in black). The fur gives the two dresses an on-trend twist and – as with the lip sandals – brings that lighthearted vibe to the look. Brie was back in red again with a coordinating set of blouse and tie-waisted pants (from Marimekko). This luxe red is gorgeous on Brie and I’m a huge fan of the tie-waisted trend that’s showing up on everything lately: blouses, dresses, skirts, you name it! It’s a classic and pretty way to define the waist – so basically, yes, please!
Read the Bella’s Cosmopolitan article here.

I’m deep in feels over the Bellas announcing their retirement from in-ring competition late last month. I watched their debut matches and the highlight moments of their early use of Twin Magic, so I’ve been a fan pretty much their entire career. I was just as sad when they announced their first hiatus from the company in 2011, and ecstatic when they came back.  I’ve enjoyed every bit of their time in WWE - especially their fashion! :) While we’ll likely continue to be privy to their stellar street fashion (thank goodness! #SilverLining) - which we'll continue to cover! -, and there are rumors that Nikki will likely be offered a company ambassadorship,  ring gear galleries will be a bit duller without their always envelope-pushing contributions. Sigh.  Best of luck in all that you do in the future, Ladies! I'll miss you - again :) XO

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

We were a little short on Inspiration Boards this year first due to the demise of polyvore (I’m still crying)  and my search to find a replacement and then my epidemic lack of time (much sorries, loves…I have some new plans for next year to hopefully remedy that!), but there were a handful that still got your creative juices flowing!
1. Nikki – Camo Color Story…the runaway fave of the year, with five times the views of the runner up. Dang – y’all love you some camo! :) I loved the way Nikki combined brilliant color with the classic, tough print. Firing it up with red or giving it a dose of sweetener with still-everywhere blush seemed a rather amazing thought to me…and you agreed :)
2. Alicia – Gray & Blush …the first of our Sport Up series that accompanied the Olympics was your fave, as we brought Foxy’s casual take on style into the cool seasons. Contrasting cool shades with warm tones is a color story I always love. Here, blush acted as the yummy shot of warmth that fired up a chill look, accented with an outfit-making pair of earrings.
3. Charlotte – Transitional Florals…hot on the heels of Alicia’s look was one that rocked my world: Char’s paring of a floaty floral wrap dress toughened up with a fab pair of biker boots for a femme-grunge take on style that kept me living.
4. Brandi – Physically Fierce…the second look from the Sport Up series that earned your love, this rendition of Brandi’s sleek graphic skirt+sweatshirt combo was the perfect cataclysm of athleisure and sophistication. Oh so right for oh so many occasions, it just needed a cute pair of boots and a backpack to go from lunch dates to day classes to shopping excursions to movie nights. On-trend themes done in neutrals = style winning!
5. Cathy – Fancy Blouse, Chill Everything Else…the last of the Sport Up series to capture your fashionable hearts was this fun look from Cathy that elevated a relaxed outfit of leggings and sneakers with a formal blouse. Cathy’s version included a glitter-embellished bodysuit; we envisioned it with gardeny, on-trend florals  or crisp stripes. You envisioned it as one of your faves. Cheers to your good taste, loves!
And here’s to a fierce 2019! :)

With Halloween fast approaching, here's look back at a fun little feature we did four years ago: a somewhat tongue-in-cheek guide to becoming a Superstar or Knockout for Halloween.  I had a blast doing this piece...so much so that I'll be reprising it this year. Look for that to kick off in the next week :)

WWE recently released a photo gallery showcasing some of the most dominant duos in sports entertainment. Naturally, they included my favorite pair: LayCool, and coincidentally also one of my favorites snaps of the devious ladies (I had nothing to do with this, I swear!).  This fabulous wordy white tank paired with black shorts is from one of their series of Famous & Flawless ‘shoots. We just don’t get moments like this nowadays *nostalgic sigh*. I love what the ladies are doing now, but I miss the fashion-high of those days. Can’t lie. The ‘shoot was so well put together, with fantastic style (crystal-covered belts added a shot of glam to this chill look) and gorgeous, fierce poses. Even against the simple black backdrop, this set had such a powerful effect! Mickie is an established queen of the ring these days, but back when she debuted, she was  best known as Trish Stratus’ biggest fan, eventually earning her place as Trish’s tag partner.  With the significant skills of both ladies, they became a serious force in the Divas’ division in no time! Trish’s girl-next-door vibes perfectly matched Mickie’s Americana-hottie looks, making for sexy, effervescent photoshoots and in-ring moments.

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 :)