Remember When: Smackdown's 500th Anniversary Photoshoot

The last time WWE did a photoshoot celebrating a milestone episode for Smackdown, it was the 500th back in 2009.  I know I didn't review the 'shoot because  diva-fierce.com didn't even exist yet - imagine that :) The Lady Superstars – Divas, as they were then known..and kind of remain as in Brie’s head :) – broke out a bevy of blue dresses to celebrate the occasion.
I get such Mother Hen feels looking at these snaps. It’s like “awww – my lil’ girls are all grown up” when I see how far these ladies have come! Natalya’s soft blue v-neck sheath looks lovely and she threw a fun vintage-esque touch into her look via her embellished almond-toe pumps. She struck a solid version of a classic pose. The whole look gives us an insight into the woman she would become – her sense of sophistication and shades of Pinup Strong are clear. This is only about two years after he main roster debut and her Divas’ championship, the Divas Of Doom and the Empress Queen of today were all in the future. I can’t help but imagine how she would slay this type of ‘shoot now, with so much more sass and confidence
Maryse also chose a v-neck sheath, going with a saturated sky blue piece and pairing it with strappy nude heels. This sensual aspect of her style was pretty much the whole of what she showed us at that time. Who knew there was so much more to come! Today, she’d keep the sexy dress…and likely reach for yet more fabulous shoes ;).
Maria has always let her creativity and flair come shining through in her photoshoots and being over-the-top is something she never worries about. That she pulls off so much drama time after time is one of the things I love about her! She added a wide black waist belt to her royal blue sequined sheath dress and echoed it via her black peep-toe pumps – I loved the strap detail then…and I still do! She lent extra punch to the look with a fierce hat and added lace fingerless gloves for good measure. I can easily envision her rocking very much this same look today.
Brie hadn’t delved much into her bohemian tendencies at the time of this ‘shoot; her style was mostly casual and feminine. This beautiful square-neck dress with its slightly-puffed sleeves holds up incredibly well! She could easily pop this out of the closet and wear it today (ok, maybe next spring :)) She completed the look with brown leather peep-toe pumps. She nailed a tried-and-true pose – and she’s only gotten better at that over the years!
Nikki chose a long-sleeved faux wrap dress which, like Brie’s selection, holds up very well. She was the only lady to add the spark of another color to her look, rounding it out with red peep-toe heels (bringing a touch of Raw into Smackdown, perhaps? :)) This look feels very true to the fashion sensibilities we see her express today – once a fashion queen, always a fashion queen! Her half up-do is gorge and her stance is fierce! (Naturally :))

Michelle chose a cobalt strapless mini dress with the unique dropped-waist styling she employed quote often. It was a particularly stand-out aspect of her fashion, as almost none of the other Divas worked with the silhouette much. It looked amazing on her, though – which is probably why she chose it ;). This was in the glorious era of her blunt cut Gaga-bangs and Chelle was fierceness personified! She added bold gold accessories that matched the metallic detail at her neckline: statement earrings and strappy sandals. This ‘shoot saw experimenting with the Vogue-worthy facials she would later perfect, eliciting many rave reviews.
Eve came ready to party in a strapless royal blue satin dress. It’s so interesting to contrast the formality we see here with the casual vibes of the style we tend to see her in lately. Like Michelle, she completed her look with strappy gold sandals. She went with statement jewelry as well: a massive cuff that was spot on-trend at that moment. Eve often played around with chairs or other props in her ‘shoots and she was working this one – her pose is seriously hot! There was a point where Eve tended to wear her hair pin straight, but this softly curled look was always one of my favorites for her; those big, sweet ringlets are so beautiful!