FashionHap: Catch-ups - Maria & Maryse

Maria was all about the black with this little pleated number. The look demonstrates the minimalist, refined side of her style. Black hosiery enhances the professional vibe. Of course, she is Maria so she can't be too prim :) - she rounds off the look with fringed knee boots. Her next outfit is a complete about-face from polished and demure: she goes for arty grunge and nails it in this pairing of a graphic tee with cropped, distressed denim. I love how she uses the knot to define the length of the tee and thereby create a defined visual waist for the look. The details also really 'make' this look - her masculine fedora and leopard booties gives this look devil-may-care rocker attitude. The balance is perfect here - it's fun and sassy, but not over the top. Brava. I'm equally jazzed about her next look, a combo I would wear in a heartbeat: skinny jeans topped with a slouchy sequined tee (half-tucked) and topped with a laidback jacket? Pitter-patter my stylish heart! A little glam, a little rocker and I am a lot in love. Maria finished this look with ankle booties, since she put it together in early spring. For right now, ditch the jacket, add a belt and complete the ensemble with studded sandals. Ok, I def have to go excavate my sequined tanks now. PS The pin-straight hair is so sleek and fab! Ogh. Her next outfit catches a similar contrast with a less rocker vibe, as she combines a red bodycon dress with her staple leather jacket. Note: this is why a classic piece like this one is such a good investment; Maria has worn this jacket a gazillion times. Every single time, it looks stellar and makes the outfit jam. When you amortize the money spent over the number of wears, a piece like this is well worth a little extra expenditure, especially since you'll have it for years. Maria will be able to wear this piece in a decade and it will still be in style. That's what classic does. A silver statement necklace and ivory platform pumps finish this look. I couldn't resist sharing this snap Maria posted from her engagement photo session with Mike. How gorgeous is that snow scene!? And don't you love that half-crazy drama play of this gorgeous girl standing on the train tracks in her stunning dress? There's an underlying suggestion of risk-taking and partnership conveyed by the scene and poses that adds layers of meaning to the snap. I can't help but appreciate Maria's vision. Next up is a sequined emerald dress worn for an event in March. We only see Maria work with this mesmerizing jewel tone shade on occasion, but I go wild over it every time. It's super gorge, especially with the red tones in her hair! She gets fierce points for being ahead of the curve on the wide-belt trend here. The styling finished off with simple chunky-heeled platform pumps. I'm in for the chunky heel, but I wish she had done it with a sandal, or gone with a pointy toe pump here to parallel the au courant vibe of her belt.

She nailed the on-trend vibe again with this dress, a bodycon piece with an off-shoulder silhouette. Her side part and banana curls are lovely! It's too bad we don't get to see her shoes here because they would determine the full direction of the look: proper pointy pumps, breezy espadrilles, vintage-y block heels. With Maria's wide command of fashion, she might very well have chosen any of them.
Maryse had a little affair with black early this year, commencing with the modern-architecture vibe of this sheer-striped embellished top. I love the streamlined seduction of this piece, especially paired with high-waited suit pants, as Maryse has here. I'm completely attracted to the sophistication and couture-on-the-street vibe. I would throw a nude cami underneath if you were actually wearing this in an office; it would work for date night as is. Her next black moment came with this jumpsuit, worn for tv. The halter silhouette included a central cutout that nodded at sexy, rather than flaunted it. It's an excellent demo of being sexy without being garish. Maryse finished off the subtle temptation with leather OTK boots. She explored a different type of jumpsuit the following week. This satin piece had a worksuit-gone-chic vibe, due to the combination of the styling and the fabric. Maryse played up the drama and sophistication by adding a hardware-heavy belt and a bold gold necklace. The accesories created an aura of dark luxury, a moodier variant of the Million Dollar Lady persona she created back in her days with Ted DiBiase (flashin' back on that one, huh? ;)) I'm head-over-stilettos for  the whole vibe of this iteration, just as I loved her earlier, more glam and upbeat take. Wedge booties completed the look and it's the only place I would make a change; a pointy silhouette, whether in a pump or an ankle bootie, would have suited the sullen luxe of this look better.