FashionHap: Catch-ups - Barbie

So, yep, I was right - another round of catch-ups is totally required rn. Therefore: coming up...
Barbie delved into her casual side during a March visit to Nascar, pairing this dusty olive jumpsuit by Bebe with light beige Nike sneakers. This is a perfect example of dressing appropriately for the occasion - it's chill, trendy and sporty, but also comfortable and easy to walk in. Her side part and smooth locks give this look a bit of a 90's vibe and a nice touch of sleekness that balances the informality of the style nicely. She was back in heels for her next outift - a strappy LBD from Missguided that touches on the lingerie-as-daywear trend. She gave it a casually sultry vibe by letting an oversize jean jacket dangle off of one shoulder. I love the way the very laidback jacket makes dress more informal - imagine the piece jacket-less and finished with pointy pumps or ankle strap sandals. Instead, Barbie keeps things breezy and fierce with luxe suede peeptoe OTKs by Guess. Multiple layers of slim gold chains add a touch of quiet flash at her neck. This reminds me of a Guess ad campaign look. Oooo - can I nominate Barbie as the next Guess girl? :) Next up is a simple combo of a long-sleeved white tee and cutoff denim shorts in palest blue. So far, so basic. But she ramps up the volume dramatically with her shoes: the Schutz Karlyanna, a caged over-the-knee sandals that sports some serious attitude. One pair of fierce pink sunnies and boom! Girlfriend is good to go! This is a sterling reminder that the plainest of pairings can get a big shot of drama from seriously killer shoes. Reason #18765493 to have a couple of crave-worthy pairs in your closet (as if you needed another reason :)). She also treated us to a look at her cover for Next Big Thing magazine. One of my favorite aspects of mag 'shoots is that they let the ladies try out fashion avenues we wouldn't otherwise get to see them venture down. Can you imagine Barbie in a snake-print wrap dress under any other circumstances? It's def not her usual vibe, but Barbie has the body to rock high fashion (if you're reading in a wish there that she would do it more,...ummm yaaaaaaaas!). Even though I'm not a massive fan of snake print, this one is subtle and complex enough to be more artsy than snake-y, so I'm 100% on board with it. My favorite part is the satin detail at the cuffs and waistband. I love everything about this look: the floaty georgette fabric, the classic color scheme, the daring print, the dash of red at her lips, the high fashion feel. Slay my stylish heart, Queen Barbie! (Also: more please? :))

The sexy is back for her next outfit - and with good reason: Barbie chose this sheer-gown-over-bodysuit piece by Holt Miami for the MMA Awards. I could have done without the double front slit, but outside of that, this look was a flawless choice for this event. The sheer-gown look is an edgy, modern concept I would never pull out for, say The Oscars, but here, the combination of daring and beauty is just right for a night celebrating a fairly new and very risky sport. The delicate glittering scrolls give the piece a peekaboo quality, as well as the requisite formality. Barbie intelligently let this traffic-stopping dress do all the talking by finishing it with subtle nude sandals. Ditto re: her understated make-up. No jewels needed, no jewels added. Fabulously styled! From there, she went to yet another killer combination. For the Gretzky Fantasy camp (For non-sport-fanatics: Wayne Gretzky was one of the world's best hockey players. Known as "The Great One", he is the leading scorer in NHL history. Random trivia :)), she donned this cutout Abyss by Abby gown. I love, as in love!, that this piece shows enough skin, without showing too much skin. The cutout is perfectly placed and adds a touch of modernist sex appeal. Barbie plays on the geometry by completing the look with cutout Guiseppe Zanotti sandals that enhance the negative-space concept explored in the dress. With the subtle scoop neckline and long sleeve, this is a classic case of being more seductive by showing less skin because the contrast between what's covered and what's not is so much greater. Lastly: her hair! OMG. I'm in heaven! So I have to amend my strictures on the center-part style: it's harsh with smooth, straight stylings. Done with volume, though, it's STUNNING. And a remarkably gorgeous look for a woman who is habitually gorgeous. I'm so excited to see Barbie give the wide-leg trend a go! She does it via this black and white striped pants (Fierce points for the leg-lengthening vertical stripe) from Bebe, paired with a black halter cropped top by Urban Outfitters. The 70's vibe is strong with this one! :) And I love it! It's crisp and casually polished. Her high bun adds a refined touch. From there, she ditches the sharp color contrasts for a sweeter pairing: a rose velvet dress finished with peep-toe denim OTK's. She cements the modern-princess vibe with a wide lace choker. These three elements don't feel as cohesive as I would prefer - the luxe velvet needs more of bridge to the casually tough vibe of the frayed denim. It's a rare miss from Barbie.  Eh, c'est la vie. As always, I'd rather see her taking risks than becoming staid, so here's to denim and velvet, baby! ;) She was 'back in black' with an AC/DC band tee(see what I did there? ;)) and lace-up front pants for a Billy Idol concert. Strappy sandals completed the look. My favorite part, though, is the chain handle on her bag! It acts like a piece of functional jewelry and gives a flawless rocker vibe to the styling. That's the fashionista I know and love!