FashionHap: Early Aug '16, Pt. 1

Sneakers with dresses are definitely a thing at the moment and Cathy Kelley demo's the right way to style one. It takes a fairly casual dress to work with athletic footwear and this side-cutout envelope version does so flawlessly. I love the extra pop of color Cathy brought to the look by choosing blue sneakers! If you're thinking of trying this look in the near future, lean toward knit dresses. They tend to have the laid-back vibe that makes this styling a smash!
Maryse gave us a break form the bodysuits and OTKs with this FIERCE cutout bandage dress. Something about the band across her left thigh makes me think of the way female spies sometimes carry a holster and gun there. Just thinking about Maryse doing that is hot! Mr. and Mrs. Smith remake anyone? ;) I'm also head over heels for her striking gold statement necklace. That take-no-prisoners half-moon pendant is killer! That is how you make a statement!
Carmella's NYC vibe always gets me - it's got this really fun, distinctive presence and attitude. There's always a bit of leopard and leather involved. This time around, she tops it off with a baseball cap and a spot on-trend bomber and I'm a huge fan of the look comes off!
Lana continues the Ravishing Bride Tour with this lace high-low dress. The piece is absolutely gorgeous: the pattern of the lace is oversize, making it bold, but still feminine. The nude lining makes it fairly sexy for that special day, but for the after-party? Oh heck, yeah!  I love th formality her ipudo adds and the way her choker finishes off the look - it gives the feeling of royalty to this look and frankly, what bride doesn't want and deserve to be treated like a princess. Also (you knew this but), I love those strappy, metallic sandals! Yum! 
Barbie also does the choker thing, but in a much more casual way. Hers tops off a fantastic black hi-low top, matched with white shorts and nude knee-high gladiators. The white+nude combo is one that can be tricky if the colors are too close, as the white can make too light a nude simply look like a dirty white piece. Barbie does a nice job making sure that the nude is an obviously different color and blends it to the look via the similarly colored choker - a much better choice than black in this case for that reason. The casual trendiness of this outfit is classic Barbie!

The Bellas coordinated nicely with each other at this recent Birdiebee meeting. We've seen this skirt from the Bellas before, also paired with a black top. The look is super-cute both times! Brie updates it for summer and gives it a 70's twist with chunky-heeled platform sandals. As always, the black with red is a fantastic combo. Nikki provides additional evidence for that with her red crop top and black sheer-overlay skirt. The tea length of this piece feels very polished and confident. She reprises the red of her top with Chinese red pointy toe pumps - I love the way they carry the color all the way through the outfit. Lastly, she ties the whole look up into one neat, sophisticated bow with her black bag, which is piped with red. This is one of my ultra-faves of Nikki's recent looks and, giving my general love of her fashion, that is saying something! Brie also gave us peeks at two amazing necklaces with a dream-catcher/medallion motif, both done in gleaming silver. One is a delicate multi-layrred design, while the other is a can't-miss-it choker. he paired both with a plunge-front black top - an excellent way to show off a statement necklace! Her pales, warm desert-sand make-up palette is soft and subtle (letting the necklaces really stand out), but also utterly gorgeous!
Summer posed for Nationalist Magazine in this glorious halter-neck maxi dress. I'm in heaven with the luxurious intensity of this cabernet shade! It looks particularly stunning against the cobalt blue background, which makes me think that adding a royal or electric blue statement necklace or topping the look with a bright blue jacket for autumn would be a sterling idea :). Summer's cranberry lips work really well with this piece. I can sometimes find the berry tones too dark, but they echo her dress shade without competing and the strong smoky eye allows them to take nothing away from her beauty. Her up-do is simply everything.