FashionHap: Royal Rumble Round-Up 2018

So, about forty years after the Rumble, WWE managed to release photoshoot-style snaps of the ladies in their ring gear, under the guise of celebrating International Women’s Day. Ok, Big Dub, whatever. It’s a gear ‘shoot and I’m good with that. No need to try to convince me its anything else. So, now about forty years after they released it, I’m reviewing it…under the guise of rounding up the Royal Rumble :). I like that these snaps give you a close and clear look at each of the ladies’ in-ring looks and it allows me to comment on a few of the gals I couldn’t acquire good pics of the first time around.
Aaaaand Becky isn’t in her gear, but this actually looks like it could have been. Its  a taste of her chill-gal-meets-medieval-punk stylings that we saw early in 2017. The hints of metal give this look a nice touch of flash and the rust and black tones work beautifully with her hair. While I would have found this a little lowkey for a major event like the Rumble, I could get behind her wearing this for a tv event.

I’m sold on the top part of Dana’s gear. The purple shading, the subtle touches of iridescent snake, the collared halter ) a la Eve Torres) all work quote nicely. I’m in for the stud accents too and even the stone-encrusted details on her waistband.  Where she and I part company is that odd lace-up inset on her pants. That’s a ‘nope” in my book. Let’s ditch it and reprised the lace-up at her hips or across distressing on her pants so I can rave over how cool this looks, hmm?

Apologies Ember, but it’s either going to take something incredibly fierce and masterful or you’re going to have to get me drunk to sell me on the warrior skirt. I believe Alicia Fox is the only one who’s ever managed it (by the former method).

The “Liv Life” waistband is so fabulously Dior and Calvin Klein I can’t even. Unfortunately, the rest of Liv’s gear is a patchwork of animal print, graffiti lettering, stars, colors. It’s a hot mess coming at you fast. It does, however, look nothing like Mandy’s gear, which is excellent. For next time, keep the waistband, simmer down the rest.  
Outside of the fact that one-shoulder designs always make me nervous because they look like they’re ripe for a pending wardrobe malfunction, this gear from Mandy is a solid effort. The black and gold is an effective combination and the scroll design is very pretty. We don’t often see black studs used and I love that she tried to do something unique there. I would love to see her apply that a little more broadly and make sure each gear – whether she settles on minor changes to one style or a variety of different looks with similar color schemes or some other way of curating her choices -has something to set it apart.

This is such a fun snap of Tamina and Nia – it’s a tbt to the bff-photoshoots that took the world by storm on 2015. I found Tamina’s white-on-white look interesting. I’m not sure what to make of the spliced-in zebra patches, but the denim vest styling of the top is a definite win for her, as is the slashed bodysuit below and the studded-strap detailing. I could see this type of look going in very good directions for her. Also, she needs to keep that leather trench – it’s a standout , noir-esque piece that could become a trademark.

I admire the uniqueness of Ruby’s one-leg pant styling, but I can’t get on board with it as a fashion statement. Though, if you’re goal is to be anti-fashion, it works brilliantly, so maybe that’s actually a positive :). With the torn mesh and her tats, the total picture here ends up looking very busy and I think she might get a bolder, more cohesive effect from eliminating that. A number of her previous outfits, sans mesh, have come across every well.
Sarah appears to essentially wear the same gear every time. I know, I know – there are a few subtle changes in her look, but the sets kind of all blend together. I appreciate the unique and potentially quite engaging leather+denim combo, as well as the fact that she’s settled on a trademark look so early on. A little more experimentation could make this very exciting.

Kairi Sane’s look reminds me of the Bellas’ gear from around 2011, with the central strap just extended. It’s a cool look, though and it gains power from the seriously awesome white-and-holographic-fabric color combo. That holographic finish is so fab! I’m 100% in for this gear: it’s well conceived, well-executed and look incredible, demonstrating mature and honed style sensibilities. I hope to see more from Kairi.

First comment about Sonya’s gear = see Ember above regarding the warrior skirt. Second, the all-black might work…might! ..for a tv look and even then, I feel like it’s very likely to come off bland, without some kind of added spark: an alternate finish on certain pieces, piping, embellishment, even a shimmer lip…something! But for a premier event like the Rumble, this is much too low-key. Give us a little more, girl. :)