FashionHap: The 2017 ESPY Awards

Brie: A quartet of Divas attended this year’s ESPY awards and we saw quite the gamut of fashion! Lana kicked things off with a sheer knit halter-neck dress (from House of CB) which sported demure slits on each side. The crux of the look is the semi-transparent nature of the dress, which allows her strapless balconette bra and high-waisted briefs to create a shadow-silhouette beneath. While I love the clean, minimalist drama of the cutaway halter, I would infinitely prefer if this piece was lined. Unfortunately, doing so would make an already fairly laidback piece even more casual -too casual , really, for a red carpet event, even a more relaxed one such as this. Although I can’t come to a successful resolution of that conundrum, I appreciate the appropriateness of the sporty vibe of the piece for this event. Lana brought the fanciness up tremendously with her excellent choices of accessories: shoulder-grazing star earrings (so amazing!!), and a sprinkling of gold and crystal rings (all from Y2K Jewelers) and fabulous chain-embellished strappy sandals (the Hypnotize from Lola Shoetique). I’m definitely on board for the way the  touches of shine and sparkle elevate this look! I also love the subtlety of her make-up palette; the amber, clay and taupe tones enhance her beauty without getting in the way of her outfit. And after all the bright lips we’ve seen all summer, this pastel golden rose is a nice change.
Next up was Maryse who took a much more glamorous approach (such a surprise, right? ;)) in this glittering Abyss By Abby gown. The plunging neckline and spaghetti-strap piece was a familiar silhouette for Maryse; while we’ve seen it before it also happens to be one that works flawlessly for her.  I could have done without the second front slit, but I’m almost reconciled to that by the glorious bittersweet color of the gown. It’s uncommon and stunning.  Sizeable crystal earrings bring in an additional dose of drama, while  strappy beige-adobe Stuart Weitzman Nudist sandals and a coordinating Louboutin envelope clutch complete the look. I love how her chocolate smoky eye echoes the warmth of her gown’s color. I love even more that she styled this look herself. Brava, Maryse! I can’t help but admire ladies who the guts and the fashion sense to do that, especially because the look then becomes a little extra authentic in that there’s no one between the fashion and the wearer to dilute their personal  style sensibilities.
Kim: Red carpets are always a fashion-lovers dream. You can see such a mix of fashion choices, and the 2017 ESPY Awards were the perfect example of that.  From sleek dresses to sport-like looks, the WWE Superstars brought it all to the table this year. First up, I have to talk about my girl Nikki Bella. She went in a totally different direction than previous years at the ESPY's. Sporting a white crop top (from Missguided) with black trim and zipper detail, black flowy pants with white stripes (from Adidas x Stella McCartney), this is a very street/tomboy inspired look. The waistband of her Birdiebee underwear is clearly visible, which to some may be a fashion  no-no. But for me, I'm giving it a pass, mostly because it's her and Brie's own fashion line. You can't blame her for wanting to show it off a little. Also, oh freaking amazing is her clutch. I want it!

Brie: Nikki  took a unique approach by choosing to promote her and sister Brie’s upcoming lingerie line BirdieBee via an exposed logo waistband. She paired it with wide-leg track pants and a sporty cropped collared sweater, embellished with black and white stripes.  The exposed logo has made a comeback in fashion this year with houses from Dior to Calvin Klein making use of it. This look is excellent in and of itself, particularly with Nikki’s flame lip shade adding drama and her Stella McCartney Superhero purse (also carried here) adding playfulness.  The ultra width of the pants is a huge plus here, making the ensemble far more formal than a slimmer silhouette and Nikki tried to enhance that via strappy black sandals. Even so, the outfit is unfortunately too informal for a red carpet. Still, I can’t help admiring Nikki’s savviness in making use of the big platform to make the world aware of the new brand!
Summer chose a mock-neck black bodycon dress, embellished with shimmering beaded fringe by designer Fernando Alberto. Between the length, fringe and glitter, this piece gives me strong dance costume vibes that I just can’t get past. I give Summer huge points for the styling, however. Her black patent leather Louboutin pumps help ground the look, improving it significantly. Her donut bun (how I love that it’s not a cone top knot!) is polished and streamlined, and gets a dose of fierce from her long, blunt bangs. Mid-size single-gemstone earrings and a ring had presence without being  an overwhelming addition of sparkle. Her sienna winged-eyes and softly flushed make-up show perfect restraint. All of that in combination went a long way toward redeeming this look.
Kim: Summer Rae, oh girl, I miss you. We haven't seen Summer on TV in what feels like forever. Hopefully, that changes soon. But at least we were able to catch a glimpse of her lovely self and top notch fashion here. I absolutely love the contrast of the short hemline and long sleeves on her black sequin dress. It's both revealing and conservative, sexy and classy, a little sugar and spice you could say ;) The  fringe detail isn't something we usually see, but maybe Summer will get the trend going again. We already know she can pull it off with ease!

Newflash!  You  can read more about Summer's journey to loving herself in her new InStyle essay here.