Michelle McCool's Top 5 Photoshoots

I used to live on the edge of my seat waiting for new Michelle 'shoots to come out. Literally. I still have the blisters on my...nevermind. TMI? Probs. I found pretty much every thing she did firing up my creativity for new looks. So my love for basically every shoot she ever did is strong. Aaaaannd narrowing down her top five shoots was a serious challenge ;). Fun, but oh so tough. However, I persevered (see where stick-to-it-iveness will get ya?) and I can present to you now: Michelle McCool's Top 5 Photoshoots!

#5: It's incredibly difficult to make a gear 'shoot stand out from a pantheon of great shoots. Michelle managed to do that though, with this glorious set, Green With Envy. A combination of fabulous aspects earns the spot for these snaps.First, there is the glorious neon mint shade of green the gear is created in. It's a standout color, unusual in Michelle's era and borrowed  by others since. By this time in her career, we were already well familiar with her halter top+kabootyshorts design, emblazoned with crystal crosses, but the silhouette has fresh impact in this bold color, and the crosses really pop. The black background,usually a detriment in 'shoots, instead aids and enhances the contrasts here. Then, there are her poses. Michelle created the hand-to-forehead/over-shoulder glance pose for this shoot and nailed it. She took some other risks, as well, trying a squat and few other variations. Her facials were spot-on, having been well-honed, and the overall effect is one of confidence - even to the point of being brazen- and stylish authority. Translation: enough to leave us green with envy, indeed :)
The #4 slot goes to the All Dressed Up set, a series which ushered in a new era for Michelle. It had shock value of a kind: gone were the All-American girl curls and sporty outfits. In their place were Gaga bangs and a haughty new attitude, with fashion to match! This daring, drop-waisted, studded dress caught the high point of that trend, while exposing a sexy cold-shoulder. The stud accents and massive crystal bracelet hinted at the forthcoming garage glam fashion that would be Michelle's style MO until the end of her career. And her newly minted on-couch and against-door poses, while not yet having attained he heights of fierceness they would later achieve, pointed clearly in the direction she was headed...and took the fandom by storm in the process.

#3: The squad 'shoot was a little seen phenomenon in WWE until LayCool resurrected it. There was plenty to enjoy about these sets - double the fashion, double the pleasure ;). The one where it all came together (for lack of a better word) flawlessly :) was this, the aptly named Famous & Flawless 'shoot. The buddy poses were killer (topped only perhaps by the later Shades of Gray set). The fashion was classic LayCool: laidback, oversized tank, captioned "FAMOUS" (for those in any doubt), paired with distressed denim and a pile of bold jewelry, including a rather fab hematite statement ring - a curveball choice for Michelle, who tended to favor bracelets and earrings as her accessories of choice. Black bandeaus and belts grounded the look and gave subtle modesty, while with a fantastic pair of colorblock zebra heels - a forward-looking pick by Michelle -brought in a nice, edgy twist. The whole 'shoot exuded stylish bonhomie - the very heart of LayCool (with a frosting of insults, naturally ;))
#2 goes to the Blue Angel set - a Michelle classic in terms of fashion, as she paired a drop-waisted and slightly deconstructed blue dress - embellished with a scattering of studs- with killer peeptoe platform pumps, which were the height of chic at that moment and would be thoroughly appropriate today. Statement earrings and her massive crystal bracelet made the perfect accessories. Beyond, that, however, the 'shoot is noteworthy for three things. First, the use of a short ponytail, a fantasmic look that we only on extremely rare occasions from Michelle. This one highlights the hint of strawberry in her blonde, and looks amazingly polished as well. Next is the unique setting, a cement window frame, which looked out into the sky. It was clearly quite complex to use as a backdrop because of the height of the frame, so Michelle had to be creative about standing poses. That probably led to the development of the third highlight item: her flawless facials, which this set of snaps is a study of. Sarcastic, haughty, dramatic, and unfailingly gorgeous, they are the crucial aspect of this shoot, the distinguishing characteristic upon which the rest of it's success hinges. In no other shoot did Michelle give such a fabulous selection with such flawless command.
#1, the top of the podium, the best of them all is fittingly, one of the last 'shoots Michelle did. Bad In Black is a set where everything comes together in one shining, ultimate cataclysm. Starting from the top: she added gorgeous banana curls to her come-hither, side-swept bangs for a frothy, feminine style that looks amazing. A smoky eye and soft peach lip complement the golden blonde magnificently. Her outfit is a super simple monochrome pairing of black leggings and a tube top: body-skimming and sexy. While it could have looked too vampy if left alone, Michelle interjected her trademark rocker glam, with a brass-studded statement belt, golden chandelier earring, two bold bangles and...wait for it...her slay-us-now Louis Vuitton Seduction boots - the zip-to-height, 3-in-one beauties that had pretty much everyone in fashion craving them. For Michelle, they were gems in her shoe goddess crown. And they elevated this look to a whole new level. Lastly, every pose in this set was on point: stances, facials...it all worked. And each one had that give-us-something-we-wanna-be quality to it: from innocent to pouty to indulgently fabulous, they all worked in an enviable,inspirational way. Between the fashion, the make-up, the poses and the general air of je ne se quoi, this 'shoot represented every aspect of Michelle's flawless best.