Wrestlemania 34 featured the first - and hopefully inaugural – Battle Royal for the Lady Superstars and there was a LOT of ring gear flying around the squared circle…and out of it! Consequently, we decided to dedicate an entire post to  :) breaking it down, analyzing it and raving over it. Are you stoked yet?  We are! First, a clarification: although Nia is part of our collage here, she was not part of the Battle Royal; she won the Raw Women’s Championship later in the evening, defeating Alexa Bliss. So why is she here? Basically, we had this awesome snap of her gear to show off, so show it off we did! :)

WM 34 has come and gone, and we've got so much to review! This years show featured 4 matches, 3 on the main card and 1 on the kick off show, that featured the female superstars. Two championships were defended, history was made, and one of the most anticipated debuts happened on the grandest stage of them all. The ring work was incredible, and the fashion wasn't left behind.

Brie: Carmella posted this fab mini set of snaps on her IG and omg the COLORS! I wondered where 'Mella would go after she exhausted black, gold, leopard and red and this bright teal looks ahhhmazing! - especially when paired with highlighter-lime :). I've been digging the mod-urban vibe of her bodysuit-gear for some time and this iteration does nothing to reduce that. The squared out neckline is sexy as hel..sinki, the high-cut legs are totally 80's and look amazing and the bright hues are just icing on the cake! The gold tones in her baseball cap coordinate without being matchy and she gives us just a touch of her trademark animal print via the choker, which works to flawless effect due to the above-mentioned low neckline. Her poses = slayage (that over-the-shoulder smile tho!). So much fabulosity in so few snaps leaves me wanting moooooooore. Mooooooooore, I say!

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! :)

Alicia put together what amounts to a mini gear photoshoot on her Instagram, showcasing this gorgeous scarlet and black version of her gear against a simple backdrop that lets it have center stage. First, I have to thank her for doing this little series – it’s so much fun to review an actual ‘shoot again and the Big Dub seems to have cast them by the wayside. I’m really not sure why – if Ronda Rousey, Lindsey Vonn and Nastia Liukin can be in Vogue, I don’t see why we can’t be treated to some photoshoots now and again. I love the ladies in the ring, but I love seeing other sides of them and their creativity too; it helps me feel like I can really connect to them. Ok, rant over. I’ve made no secret of how much I love this design of Foxy’s gear. It’s literal perfection: functional, sexy, interesting and oh so cool! I go wild every time she comes out with a new version, whether it incorporates new colors or new materials.  We don’t see her reach for red very often, but it is absolutely stunning on her! She adds an even more fabulous twist to this look by topping it with a flower and feather covered captain’s hat. The way that the hat adds depth, color and opulence to the gear is just tremendous! I love how artistic and dramatic this is! She’s mixed so many stunning colors: burgundy, orange, marigold yellow, and they all play perfectly off the red of her gear and the coordinating feathers. It’s a glorious way of adding spark to a gear ‘shoot and making it memorable. It kind of gives me Paradise-era Lana del Rey vibes, with Foxy’s own special twist. On top of that, we get a display of her considerable talent for unique poses. I love them all and, in combination, they really pack a punch!

I love the clean-lined drama of Lana’s black and silver rendition of her gear! Even with her beauty-contestant skirt, there’s a seriousness to this color combination which, added to the engineering-inspired patterning, signals her intent to no longer be dismissed as eye-candy. The deep chevron at the front highlights her curves, adding a dose of sensuality  to the sleek design. I love the look of using knee pads to create the visual proportion of OTK boots and it works especially brilliantly here with her one-piece attire, creating a modern, trend-conscious aesthetic that’s wonderfully appealing.  This is a perfect choice and direction for Lana to grow her styling in.
In considering Michelle’s gear, I found myself torn between my “meh” feeling about camo and the fact that I’m sitting here with a chance to review brand new ring gear from the eternally flawless Mimi McFabulous (I can’t resist a throwback to the Josie Couture days – yes, some still remember ;)..shoutout to you, Josie C, wherever you are). In the end, the latter feeling triumphed. It’s all here – the faith-based crosses, the bedazzling, the trademark halter-top – with a fun, new twist: the use of the crosses as garter straps to hold her knee covers. It’s sexy in a subtle way and I’m thrilled by the creativity if the touch! Like, yaaaaas, girl! I’m also in for the white paiping: it brightens the often-dark dark camo considerably. If you’re gonna sell me on the fabric this is soooo how you do it! The only thing I miss is a pair of glittering crosses on her boots. …and a few killer poses …actually, would a whole ‘shoot be too much to ask? :D
My first impression of Barbie/Kelly’s gear was that it was a minimalist white look – which was 100% fine by me – but, upon closer inspection, the fabric has a super-cool, almost puckered texture, creating visual horizontal lines. The multitude of studs followed those, giving an edgy power to an all-over embellished design. The vibe was fresh and dewy, but with a hint of edge from the studs and I’m so here for it! What a perfect representation of the Kelly aesthetic! Like Michelle, Kelly/Barbie offered an updated version of her look. Her trademark push-up bra was back and beautiful, as we her kabooty shorts. However, we tended to see Barbie wear just-below the knee boots, sometimes with black knee covers, sometimes without. This look included knee covers in coordinating fabric but switched up the boots for of-the-moment sneakers’ sporty vibe. I’m drooling over the shimmering silver material! If the Big Dub wants to do a gear ‘shoot for this blonde bombshell too, I’m all for it.

Lita always had a grunge-y, streetwear theme to her gear that set her apart, even during the bada$$ Attitude Era..  She brought it back to life with this look, topping a pieced fishnet bodysuit with a grommet-trimmed marbled top that paid tribute to the Time’s Up movement. Her trademark cargo pants rounded out the look. I wasn’t surprised to see her thong peeking out above her pant-waist; I was surprised by the color though! Hot pink isn’t generally a shade I think of when Lita comes to mind :). I loved the unexpectedness of it, though and the bright pop in the midst of all the dark pieces. I almost wish she had let the bodysuit stand on its own though, as I think the slightly more edited styling would have given it greater impact. Black checkered sneakers brought one more pattern to the look, but were subtle enough to create an appealing texture, rather than looking overdone. I love how she stayed so true to her famous aesthetic, and totally delivered in the ring as well - seeing her pull off that moonsault again was glorious!

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!

SummerSlam brought us it's usual line-up of gorge gear and we are breakin' it down for ya!
Kim: Not only did Natalya become the new Smackdown Live Women's Champion on Sunday, she totally wow'd us in this pink and black embellished body suit. The Queen of (Black) Harts came down to the ring sporting a black and pink jacket, that was very reminiscent of her Uncle, Bret Hart.  I think what I love most about this gear is the V cluster of crystals on the top and along her neckline. We already know Natalya loves her embellishments from her previous gear. They add so much to her look, which mostly consists of black leather and sheer material. Finally, I don't know how I didn't notice until I looked at the photos, but she also wore these adorable cat ears while making her entrance. Oh so fitting for Nattie!
Brie: First, let me say WOOHOOOO and Congrats to Natalya! I'm insanely excited for her to have a belt again! It's been such a long wait and Nattie has been amazing about putting SO many girls over. I swear every diva superstars'  last stop before their title win was a match with her, so she unquestionably earned this. I hope her reign is lengthy and incredible. All Hail the Queen Of Harts! And her gear was worthy of a royal! She took the best parts of the fleur-de-lis look form Wrestlemania that I've been raving over, switched it to pink and added more gems, including a jewel-encrusted collar and a Princess-Dala-Pink-Panther-esque pendant. This attire is everything . From the scalloped edges, finished in fleur-de-lis, to the sheer sections to the glittering stripes to the opulent gems to the modern attitude of her cropped leather jacket topper, this is utterly jaw-dropping. I'm in heaven!

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!