Diva-Fierce.com's 2017 Ring Gear Awards: Diva Superstars

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!

Honorable Mentions: Alicia Fox and Natalya
In addition to our top three ladies, there are a couple of divas we simply have to call out for particular outfits that were too fabulous not to mention. First up is Alicia Fox. I've been loving this latest evolution of Foxy's gear since she created it. It's a fierce compilation of sheer, mesh and some other crave-worthy fabric. We've seen tough leather, luxe patterns and luscious colors, including unique metallics. In the latter category is this mesmerizing emerald green look. This shade is attention-getting, gorgeous and looks super fab on Foxy. This monochrome outfit gets plenty of visual interest from the fashion-forward silhouette, which pairs a strong shoulder with cutouts, overlays and a choker-esque collar. The couture-inspired top pairs with simple shorts emblazoned with a subtly powerful "F" logo. It's a wonderful example of how to use color to make a huge impact, without losing one iota of impact. Foxy repeats the feat of fabulosity with this magnificent paisley variant. Done in a stunning aqua and mustard version of the classic print, the gear not only looks beautiful and luxurious, but it stands out by miles because it's not a pattern we see used often in WWE. It's tremendously unique, in addition to its exquisiteness.
I raved over Natalya's black and gold fleur-de-lis-embellished gear in my Wrestlemania Gear  Best Of List. Since then, the splendor and elegance of this design has been unequaled. The glittering crystals and interplay of sheer and solid is unforgettable and is unquestionably one of my favorite looks of all time.

#3: Naomi
I'm so impressed with the way Naomi's ideas have come together this year! In addition to her wrestling and her character, she has taken her look to new heights as well.  She's curated her color palette to include a fantastic selection of neons, ranging from lime and melon to hot pink and cool aqua. I love the way that focusing on certain colors creates a cohesiveness to her gear and look, even as she ranges through a number of different silhouettes.  And she does explore a super fun range of silhouettes: a sports-bra-like crop top with pants (sometimes with a lace-up detail), a long-sleeved bodycon romper, a multi-strapped bra top with shorts. The pieces make powerful statements via color-blocked fabric or intriguing prints (the aqua and lime romper's print is a special fave of mine- it reminds me of an Emilio Pucci piece!), and that's not all - on top of the glorious colors and fierce fabrics, the outfits GLOW. In keeping with her Feel The Glow persona and theme, Naomi has figured out how to make her ring outfits radiate light. It's super cool, madly creative and unspeakably fun. She's continued to evolve the concept throughout the year and it just keeps getting better. Tremendous work, Naomi!

#2: Sasha
I was impressed with the direction Sasha took her gear in last year and she has continued that excellent evolution all through this year. She's kept the shorts+brassiere top combo, with the ultra-recognizable asymmetrically-crossed straps and criss-crossing armbands, which I love. It's distinctive, visually stunning, but also practical for wrestling, so it hits all my checkboxes for greatness :). Studs on her armbands and crystals on the bodice bring enough flash and fierceness to make the pieces Boss-worthy, but they act as subtext to the design... and to the colors! She's come up with a string of stunning combinations, including a spicy blue and orange pairing, a sky-blue+teal match-up that gives the impression of ombré, and a cerulean-banana-candy-pink play on primary colors that feels both youthful and polished. Her simpler color schemes pair neutrals with a single strong shade, like the pewter and mulberry combination above. They get an extra boost, though, from patterned fabric - often with a reptilian connotation - and additional patterning in the form of feathers or wings. An occasionally, she does pattern in  the most mind-blowing of ways, e.g. this marvelous paint-splatter iteration that, in my book, is one of the best she's ever done. It's brilliantly colorful, funky, artsy, unusual and cohesive. Can't top that. And then there are her entrance jackets. Her crystal trench was a show-stealer, but she's added a rainbow-crystalled jacquard piece, a divine be-jewelled cropped version (which reminds me of Michaela Bercu's sweatshirt on the cover of the Nov '88 issue of American Vogue - Anna Wintour's first issue as editor) and a glittering sliced and deconstructed variant that has a who-cares-about-practicality hedonistic glamour that ought to be so wrong, but ends up looking so right. Each piece has been inventive and exciting, melding bespoke details with a alpha-chick attitude. Sasha showed the markings of top-notch gear fashion early, and she has evolved her look into an unquestionably stellar execution that earns her the runner-up spot in this year's RGA's.  Congrats, Sasha!

#1: Charlotte
No Superstar diva has matched the consistency of Charlotte this year in debuting jaw-dropping ring apparel. Every PPV sets me raving again over her newest triumph.  Her trademark chevron-ed cropped top+shorts combo has ranged through gorgeous blends of blue and silver, red  and gold, black and ivory, and gold and black. It sparkled with the enchanted light of tiny crystal flowers on a powder blue backdrop at Fastlane.  It rose to the avian-inspired heights of leaf green, cerulean, lilac and copper for the thrilling Wrestlemania apparel. It explored the peacock motif further
at Backlash and Money In the Bank with feather triads adorning gear of metallic cobalt and shimmering amethyst.  And above all that crave-worthiness have been her capes: from the queenly crystal-saturated pieces in red, blue and gold to the moody magic of the Black Swan-esque feather-edged design -which she later reprised in palest blue- to the swirling sorcery of metallic scrolls edged by leaf-spades, Charlotte's outwear leaves all others behind.  In following her father's lead, she accesses all the territory that glamour and showmanship have to offer, but she brings to the table something the Nature Boy didn't: less kitschy sensibilities and the grounding influence of a true appreciation of fashion. She reaches for magnificence more than flash, a respectful artistry that treats its creations as sincere expressions of style -not costume, but couture. And her choices are devastatingly on point. She never crosses the line into garishness, but regales us with color, sparkle and luxury in divine confection after divine confection.  It's wondrous to behold! I am in thrall. And any diva who leaves me in thrall deserves the honor of the #1 spot in Diva-Fierce.com's 2017 Ring Gear Awards. Brava, Charlotte!
Standing ovation to all the seamstresses involved as well - stupendous work, everyone!