FashionHap: Early Jun '16, Pt. 1

Sometimes, you just run headlong into a fashion look that puts a smile right smack dab onto your face. This look from Alicia was one of those! Oh my gaganess – do you completely LOVE her? She took this sparkling, tulle-embellished dress with its hint of a roaring 20’s vibe and smashed it straight into today with a cutouff Lakers tee and a baseball cap. It’s Foxy at her marvelous, zany, fabulous best! Why does this work? First, the color ties it all together. Second, note how Foxy’s played perfectly with the silhouette, designing the tee to land at a high-waist level, creating shape visually. Finally, it’s about panache and attitude, something girlfriend’s got in spades. She finishes the look by bringing back the vintage vibe with fab t-strap heels. I live for when Foxy does looks like this! The juxtaposition of elements is brave and unique..and, even better than that, it’s looks ahhhhmazing! This is STYLE.
Equally stylish, but with a very different look is Michelle McCool’s periwinkle lace bodycon dress. This is such an unusual color and to see it done in lace is more unusual still! True to her fashion sensibilities, Michelle skips the standard black pump and finishes this look with caramel lace-up booties. It’s gives a fierce-boho twist to a chic and summery dress and makes the look less formal. In keeping with that, I’d have loved to see her go with a softer, less austere hairstyle. But I can deal with the bun :-)
Brie did it my way and used a half up-do with this super-cute print dress. I don’t generally gravitate toward whimsical prints, but there are a couple factors that change my opinion regarding this dress. First, the grapefruit shade of the base color is just beautiful! Second, I love the wide-strap+square-neck silhouette – it’s chic and flatters many body types. Third, in this low-key cotton fabric and with the flared shape, it has a sweet girl-next-door vibe that’s just perfect for summer. I’m also a fan of these cross-strap heels; they’re just made to be paired with dresses like this..and flared skirts! Lastly –and this has nothing to do with the dress J - this image is fantastic : Brie and her style really pop when set against the black couch, and the wing art in the background adds softness and depth.
Nikki gave us some ultra laidback looks during her visit to Las Vegas earlier this month. In the first, she paired a simple nude tank with cutoff denim shorts…and then glammed it up with a crystal statement necklace (LOVE that piece!). I’m a little on the fence about this combo; there might be too much stylistic distance in terms of formality between the necklace and the rest of the look for my taste. If these were distressed full-length or cropped jeans, I would completely be on board, though. Shoe choice makes a big difference to this look as well. These chunky white sandals are a funky hybrid between a sandal and a sneaker. A more minimalistic block heel would have been equally comfortable and might harmonized the outfit a bit more. The way her next look comes together demo’s the point. She swaps the sandals for broken-in tie ankle boots and jettisons the necklace, but she keeps the sexy comin’ on strong with this lace-up bodysuit and black frayed shorts. The combination of these pieces is flawless: they’re all casual and united by the color, but there’s plenty of detail and textural contrast that make this styling oh so hot!

I’m jazzed about getting to review some new Knockout’s gear, so huge “thank yous!” to Madison for instagramming this one. The metallic lavender is totally and undeniably awesome and the overall simplicity of this gear really lets it stand out and be appreciated. Maddy adds just a few perfect touches: leather(esque?) piping and a sheer detail at the collar, which make the look both aesthetically pleasing and MAD(ison)LY :) stylish. Great gear!
Nikki delves more into her boho side with this also-from-Vegas look. She pairs a crochet halter top with a magnificent blue maxi skirt. The slight sheen and flow of this material is eye-catching and gorgeous. The black crochet both grounds the look and gives it that artsy, bohemian vibe, which is enhanced by her headband. I was surpsied to see this look from Nikki, as boho tends to be more Brie’s province, but clearly, Nikki handles it with equal competence!
We also get a couple of looks from Sasha this week. First is this sheath dress, notable particularly for this incredible emerald shade, which looks amazing with her hair color!  An added bonus is that this shade will be workable right into the fall/winter, with addition of a leather jacket or chunky pullover sweater. She finished it with black pumps and a short pendant necklace. She also gave us a more relaxed look to enjoy as well, pairing high-waisted skinny jeans with her Legit Boss tee. High-top sneakers completed this look for a trendy 80’s street chick vibe. This blend of elements works really well and gives us a sample of the kind of superb style Sasha’s capable of.