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.

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.

The ladies of WWE brought their fashion game to the Superstars For Hope event, giving us some fabulous formal looks for this charity night, which benefits the boys and Girls Clubs of America this year.
Dana Warrior looks fantastic every time I see her and she rocked it again here, wearing a highlighter yellow gown done in notoriously challenging charmeuse satin. Naturally, I’m wild over the color of this dress :), but Im also super-impressed with the fit. Charmeuse can be unforgiving but we see no evidence of it here. It fits Dana flawlessly and we get to concentrate on the effect of the movement and the beautiful sheen. She added some warmth to the look by completing it with metallic gold sandals. Her long, loose hairstyle kept the ensemble from feeling excessively formal and her smoky eye and pale rose lip looked gorgeous!
Renee chose a scarlet mini dress covered in massive paillettes that reminds me of something Paco Rabanne would do (The piece is from House of Harlow 1960). I love how the black-on-red  represents a unique take on the classic sequin dress. This piece is so much fun! Renee completed it with block-heeled ankle strap pumps. Her red lip is the perfect way to carry the color upward. This whole look is fab, especially with her short, platinum hair – it really makes the red pop!
Carmella’s choice was equally stellar: a teal sequined gown by Stello that wrapped into a ruffle at her hip. This gown has me in ecstasies! The color is heavenly and the daring lines of that bold ruffle give the piece distinction and a futuristic quality that’s crave-worthy! Carmella added glittering, silvery statement earrings that accented the gown’s cool shimmer (I loved the snaps where she flipped all of her hair over one shoulder so we could really see them!) and completed the look with platform ankle strap sandals. This is a glorious choice of dress. It’s fabulous here, and could easily have worked for the Hall Of Fame as well.

I’m still not over the high of Wrestlemania week – maybe because I’ve been slaving over pics and collages :) We will have AAALLLL the Wrestlemania fashion for you here over the course of the next few days and we’re kicking it off with a taste of the Hall Of Fame. Last year, we gave all the non-roster ladies their own count-up and this year, since we have a number of ladies participating, we’re keeping the tradition going! The looks ran the gamut from monochrome to brights, fancy to relaxed and we loved seeing all of them.  I have to open with my usual caveat: all the ladies looked incredible and every time I do a count-up, I’m always splitting hairs to determine placings! Tiny things make the difference because they have to :). With that said, let’s get to the “who wowed us the most” part! Here goes…

So, about forty years after the Rumble, WWE managed to release photoshoot-style snaps of the ladies in their ring gear, under the guise of celebrating International Women’s Day. Ok, Big Dub, whatever. It’s a gear ‘shoot and I’m good with that. No need to try to convince me its anything else. So, now about forty years after they released it, I’m reviewing it…under the guise of rounding up the Royal Rumble :). I like that these snaps give you a close and clear look at each of the ladies’ in-ring looks and it allows me to comment on a few of the gals I couldn’t acquire good pics of the first time around.
Aaaaand Becky isn’t in her gear, but this actually looks like it could have been. Its  a taste of her chill-gal-meets-medieval-punk stylings that we saw early in 2017. The hints of metal give this look a nice touch of flash and the rust and black tones work beautifully with her hair. While I would have found this a little lowkey for a major event like the Rumble, I could get behind her wearing this for a tv event.

Woops – I’ve been so focused on keeping up and catching up that I nearly forgot about Pt. II of the Rumble gear! Fixing that now :).
Maria Menounos went for full-on athleisure in this sporty jumpsuit. Zipped up and paired with sneakers, it could easily have felt underwhelming, but she intelligently spiced it up with a gold bodysuit below and unexpected metallic peeptoe booties. The shoes, in particular, shifted the vibe of this look toward Fiercness and I approve! Statement earrings cemented that direction.
I’m on board for the Gothic leanings of Nia’s gear: the shield-like red lace looks powerful and imposing set against the black leather, but still retains beauty, preventing the gear from looking too stark and brawn-heavy. She previously did iterations of this look where the upper edge of the colored front-piece was extended farther to each side, creating a visual empire waist. That look is excellent for Nia and I wish she would explore it further.  While the sections of black lace break up the leather nicely, they also reduce the cohesiveness of the piece. A simple sheer fabric could have a similar, but simpler, effect.  The concepts she has for her look are fantastic and super-fun; just a few small tweaks to the execution could really put them in a class by themselves.
The Bella’s triumphant reunion was more about the feels than the gear, but it delivered so well on the feels that I can overlook the absence of anything novel on the attire front.  Both ladies slayed in red. Nikki reprised her most recent era of sporty gear, with a short-sleeve cropped tee accented with lace-up detailing and paired with color block shorts.  Red knee socks and black+red sneakers rounded out the look. Brie went for red latex in a one-piece silhouette, embellished with slashes and a plaid waistband that recalled her grunge-tinged Brie-mode looks. The sisters rarely fail to deliver and these looks are both solid, competent and visually impactful – the work of women who know exactly what they’re about.
Carmella’s gear looks like gray marble print from a distance, but on closer inspection it is revealed to be a graffiti print. I’m totally in for either print; they both look fab! And I’m really impressed by the way that the look works so incredibly well from both vantage points. Many times, something can look amazing close-up but lose impact from further back, or vice versa, but this look covers it all! The orange piping was an awesome choice and works brilliantly, bringing the shot of color that makes this gear pop. Surprisingly, I can even get behind the faux high waistband created by her fishnet hosiery showing above her shorts. You gotta be fab to sell me on that kind of a look! :)

I was going through some of my archived folders and I discovered a bunch of images and collages from Melange that I re-fell in love with and wanted to share with you all :). Right now, Melange denotes special, capsule-type posts with a particular theme, but originally Melange was conceived as an online magazine, with three articles presented each month, as well as a cover. We started it with a Prom issue, about nine months after Diva-Fierce.com was born and it was so much fun! I have tons of great memories surrounding the brainstorming and collaborations that took place to bring it together each month. These colls are from a feature called Art Major which married several Divas' photoshoots with art, such as the one above of SoCalVal edited into my vision of a Helen Frankenthaller piece. We intended to present it in March of 2013, but it proved to be trickier to execute than we originally envisioned and it ended up not getting released until August. It still one of my favorite concepts that we did...although, that could be said about a lot of the content ;). I hope you enjoy!

I’m practically still living on the high from this year’s Royal Rumble.  After the thrill of the incredible performances from the current crop of girls, there were the chills and shivers of all the returns: the Bellas! Beth! And the DoD reunion! The feeeeeeeels! Barbie! I caught my breath when Michelle ran in – I never thought I would see her wrestle again! I was back to the early days of my fandom in a heartbeat. It was 2010 and everything was flawless and filled with real talk and FIERCENESS. Omg. And Trish! And Lita slaying! And when Vickie “excuse me”d…I lost it. Like, gone. Brb. Annnddd. The Big Dub did not disappoint with this one. It took me some time to chill a smidge and savor it all. And then, there was the plethora if ring gear to examine and rave over :)…which I shall now do, in print. Are you ready to rrrrrrrruuuuuumble?
The Glamazon looked as if she last stepped out of a ring just yesterday in this black and white rendition of her trademark gear. While Beth went through a few variations of her gear (including a skirted version, several different side cutouts and an iteration or two with lace-up pants), this is the style that seems synonymous with her. I love this perfect recreation, right down to her trademark headpiece and the in-flight phoenix. The color scheme accents the cool, powerful an practical nature of the design. It has no intention of being sexy…and that’s sexy as h**l! You would be well within the boundary of smart logic to cower in fear at the entrance of the Glamazon…especially when it became apparent that her skill set was 100% intact…
Unless, of course, you are Natalya :). The Divas of Destruction sharing a hug in the center of the ring was a standout of the many special moments of this inaugural Rumble. Nattie wore a an iteration of the one-piece that has become her signature look. This one combined the striping and be-crystalled “shield” front we’ve seen previously with additional pink piping and crystals (of course ;)). Set on a latex backdrop, the look is sleek, but glamorous and , like Beth’s gear, practical, despite its fierceness and opulence. While I can’t help but have favorites among the many variations of this gear, there’s no doubt that this series represents Nattie at her absolute ring-fashion best, melding haute couture with performance wear in an unforgettable way.
Bayley really didn’t have to do much to get me to adore her gear beside wear it in yellow :) (#FavoriteColorSyndrome). That said, I’m in for her new addition of fringe on her pants. Surprising, no? True, it’s a bit crazy from a fashion standpoint, but the movement is creates is super cool and after the multitude of patterns and graphics on her previous looks, this feels cleaner and lets me appreciate the details and all that free-spirited color – which comes off effervescent and exciting now that it has chance to shine. I love the sprinkling of stars over her top and boots –it’s perfect pattern for her, on trend but also fitting for her taste and style. All of this in combination easily makes this set my current favorite of all her gear outfits!

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!