Elise gave my web sleuthing abilities a stunning endorsement when she introduced me on the blog earlier this week (thanks Elise!). Since it’s been my job for many years to browse more e-tailers than I could possibly count, I don’t encounter many shopping dilemmas that I can’t present at least a few solutions for. Which is why it’s ironic that this moment (probably the most important shopping decision I’ve ever made) is rife with uncertainty and doubt. And, as of yet, zero solutions.

I’m getting married, in less than two months, on the beach in Tulum, Mexico. The dress is being made by a lovely NY-based designer, Mika Inatome. She’s currently allotting me 4 extra inches of length for shoes. The design is simple: light, airy, but slightly cut on the bias.

Necessary information: I almost always (like even-en-route-to-yoga always) trod in some sort of a heel. I was thisclose to changing our wedding venue because of the fact that heels seemed like an impossibility.

I recently decided (after many self-affirmations and even a few tears) that barefoot is the only solution. But as soon as I made this decision public every woman in my life gasped in horror at the thought of me marrying barefoot.

Their suggestions, thus far, don’t seem right either. Valentino kitten heels? Balenciaga studded sandals? Wedges?

So now I’m begging for your help. Have you been to a beach wedding where the bride sported appropriate (but awesome) footwear? Better yet, have any of you gotten married on the beach?

clockwise, l-r: STUDDED SANDAL, $575, Balenciaga; PYRAMID STUD HEEL, $895.00, Valentino; GLITTER WEDGE, $650.00, Miu Miu; ANKLE STRAP LEATHER SANDALS, $245.00, Ancient Greek Sandals.

When it comes to trying new beauty products, or even at home remedies (yes, I’ve tried the Miraclewhip peel—and it works), I will experiment with anything.  My skin has always been my nemesis. I don’t break out, I don’t have too many wrinkles, but I have some minor scarring and it’s all I can see when I look in the mirror. I’ve tried everything, truly everything. Expensive lasers, creams, dermabrasion, microdermabrasion, and more lasers—and nothing made much of a difference.  I spend hours looking at before and after pictures online of just about any procedure. My goal is to look like Rachel Weisz—is that too much to ask? I even visit the same dermatologist as her to increase my chances!

Looking for something new to try at home, I came across articles on the skin needle roller. A fascinating contraption with teeny needles that you roll on your face. Apparently Angelina, Jolie uses this device (it involves needles, are you surprised?).  I purchased one right away, the 1.5mm model,  and had it over-nighted. I’ve done two sessions with it so far, spaced a week a part.  It hurts, not in a excruciating way, but an annoying stingy way.  The point of it is  to help stimulate collagen production and also open your pores to absorb nutrients more effectively.  You guys, it works.  I’ve noticed vast improvement from this method more than anything over the last ten years.  It is also effective for fine lines.  My advice would be to read all you can before doing it for yourself–there are many how-to videos on YouTube.  If you are up for trying anything, I give the skin-needle roller two thumbs up.

l-r: MICRONEEDLE SKIN CARE SYSTEM, $27.00, Amazon; DR. ROLLER, $69.95, Amazon.

And by “cold feet”, I’m not talking about anxiety. Believe me, no website holds enough space for my anxiety stories. I’m talking about having feet that are literally cold all the time. Elise is known to suffer from this problem, I know. We’ve talked about it at length, which is why she was forced to buy Ugg Boots once and I was forced to make fun of her until the end of time. However, the issue of cold feet was no laughing matter when I lived in Chicago briefly last year. The idea of a place being unbearably cold is sort of unfathomable right now, since NYC basically feels like Spring Break in mid-January due to global warming. But I have seen and experienced freezing cold first hand, and nothing is worse. I tried every kind of sock and shoe combo, until I found “the one”—my feet stayed warm in -10 degree weather. I chalk it up to the geniuses at Muck who lined these water proof boots with faux shearling and the makers of WigWam socks (based in the very cold state of Wisconsin). What I most appreciate is that they still looked good and I can also wear the boots when it rains. I got double the use out of them: They’re my all weather boots, if you will. Most importantly, they’re not Uggs, my dear, frigid Elise.

l-r: ORIGINAL MUCK BOOT COMPANY WOMEN’S RAIN BOOTS, $84.95, Online Shoes; WIGWAM EL PINE SOCKS, $13.95, Shoe Mall.

Several years ago—during an impromptu trip to Iowa for my cousin’s wedding—I found an unusual copper necklace at an antiques shop in town. (Note: Des Moines has great antique malls and thrift shops.) I bought it (I seem incapable of leaving anything I like behind), stashed it in one of my myriad jewelry boxes, and pretty much forgot about it until this year. But now, copper is quickly becoming my thing: It’s warmer and redder than rose gold, works particularly great when layered, and looks just altogether a lot more unexpected than more traditional metals. Fortunately, a load of designers—headed up by Vanessa Mooney, Arielle de Pinto, and Laura Lombardi—seem to agree…I’ve assembled a collection here, but in the interim, these four pieces are topping my must-buy list.

clockwise, l-r: LUV AJ PYRAMID STUD BOLO TIE, $176.00, Revolve; REMIGIAL NECKLACE, $150.00, Laura Lombardi; CHACO CANYON COPPER AND TURQUOISE EARRINGS, $59.90, HSN; VANESSA MOONEY COPPER BALL NECKLACE, $60.00, Endless.

It’s seemingly named after me! The Loehnen Stripe! Best thing that’s ever happened to me. Not only am I ordering it, but I’m getting it monogrammed too, one of the biggest upsides of ordering men’s shirts from J.Crew online. I know I’m not alone in having a deep and vested relationship with J.Crew. Growing up in Montana, my only outlet for wardrobe acquisition was either the pawn shops downtown (awesome shopping, truly) or the Benetton (I still don’t understand how we came to get a Benetton, but I had every single United School of Benetton t-shirt, as well as tube socks, leggings, and jersey skirts galore). We didn’t have a Gap. And we most definitely didn’t have a J.Crew. Twice a year, we would drive through Idaho to shop at the Nordstrom in Spokane, Washington, where they also had a Limited, and a Gap. But still no J.Crew.

The J.Crew catalog was my other version of Sassy. I loved that thing: The models, the clothes, the copywriting, the order form with line spacings so tiny you really had to cram the order number in. Tabulating the shipping? Sigh. After I went to boarding school—when the mailman would literally drop off boxes and boxes of J.Crew catalogs at the entrance to the post office— I petitioned my very-far-away mother to let me order frequently—for my birthday, for fake school holidays…even for Valentine’s Day.  Clearly, I’ve spent many an hour wandering through J.Crew shops all over the country, but I still love flipping through the catalog and then ordering online best. (I’m too impatient to mail a slip in.)

SECRET WASH SHIRT IN LOEHNEN STRIPE, $64.50, J.Crew; MONOGRAMMING, $10.00, J.Crew.

It took me three years to finally purchase a pair of leather pants even though I had coveted them from afar for twice that amount of time. There were several things I considered during my hunt for the perfect pair: back pocket placement, inseam length, leather quality (stretch is a must!) and, of course, cost. Since most command quite a hefty price (between $800-$1,100 a pop), the purchase requires a touch of financial recklessness. Or, in my case, a dogged belief that one item could completely transform my wardrobe and quell my disdain for bulky, winter clothing.

Four months ago I took the plunge and can assure you, they were worth every penny.

Here’s why:
1. They’re comfortable. With the right amount of stretch they feel just like denim but…warmer.
2. They not only pair well with everything—fishermen sweaters, sequin camisoles, loafers and stilettos alike—they make anything infinitely cooler.
3. We’ve all heard it before but it bears repeating: if you invest in a quality item, you’ll wear it for years. I’d say a minimum of five years in this case, but I’m sure with the right care you could get even more mileage out of them. They’re timeless (and arguably ageless) so the cost-per-wear should deflate the initial sticker shock.

While mine (by Elizabeth and James) are now sold out, I’ve found four comparable options that are making me consider a second purchase. After all, since the season is winding down, some of these happen to be on sale.

clockwise, l-r: STONE LEATHER JEANS, $670.00, Acne Jeans; STRETCH LEATHER SKINNY PANTS, $920.00, J Brand; BLACK LEATHER PANT, $778.00, A.L.C.; LEATHER SKINNY PANTS, $920.00, Helmut Lang.

Like most of the contributing editors here at Beso.com, Olivia has a deep shopping past: After all, we sat just a stone’s throw away from each other at Lucky, where she was the online fashion editor for many a year. When it comes to navigating the web’s myriad offerings, there’s nobody quite as fluent as Olivia: We used to host weekly Facebook chats, and when it was my turn at bat, I always needed her full-attention so we could search in tandem…whether it was for size 12 shoes, or really specific lace tops, or the perfect dress for one particularly stressed-out mother-of-the-bride. She used to surface 10 spot-on results to my two. Or maybe my one. She just owns the web.

And besides her quick fingers, she’s got a great sense of style: She can wear 10 layers at once and not look bulky, she always looks elegant without every looking over-dressed, and she never pays too much for anything. I.e., she can make a $10 necklace look really expensive. You’ll see her touch on many things over here at Beso—including the blog. And I couldn’t be more thrilled about it.

Modern Child is pure unadulterated parenting porn. I have no recollection of how I came upon the website, in the way I imagine men trolling the web for a cheap thrill via some vague search term happen upon something titillating beyond their wildest imagination. Okay, the thrill of this high design-minded boutique isn’t cheap but it does peddle in a pared-down family aesthetic that’s a fantasy for me. For instance, a Modern Child would be raised in a huge open loft where there would be no need for physical boundaries. A Modern Child implicitly understands a parent’s need for privacy and for quiet. A Modern Child is very, very quiet. A Modern Child wears light-colored linen.

Aside from that small disconnect for me, there are some stunning things I could see welcoming into my home. Like these minimalist fairy tale prints by Christian Jackson and/or a pair of Roberta Settels sandals in my size.

The item that I’m most smitten with, however, is the Pelikano Junior fountain pen. Imagine a world where penmanship wasn’t being phased out of schools and where kids learned how to handwrite their own names before knowing how to text it? That’s a fantasy I can get on board with.

clockwise, l-r: MATTEO HOBO LINEN COVERALLS, $125.00, Modern Child;  ROBERTA SETTELS WOMENS ROMAN SANDALS, $375.00, Modern Child; PELIKANO JUNIOR FOUNTAIN PEN, $12.95, Modern Child; GOLDILOCKS & THE THREE BEARS PRINT BY CHRISTIAN JACKSON, $32.00 (medium print), Modern Child.

Surprisingly, I have very soft skin. I don’t know how that is, since I drink enough wine & vodka to suck my skin dry like a cactus. And I never drink water. In fact, I hate water. Hate the taste of it. The only thing I can drink that is remotely similar to water is seltzer. So, my secret to soft skin is either genetics or bath products, and since I don’t like giving my parents too much credit for anything, why don’t we go with the latter. An ex-boyfriend once referred to my hands as being “as soft as his grandma’s.” Needless to say, we’re not together anymore. However, my relationship with the products/brands below has remained tried and true—after all, they’ve been much gentler on me than my ex.

clockwise, l-r:  SUPERBLY RESTORATIVE ARGAN BODY LOTION, $35.00, Kiehl’s; OLE HENRIKSEN RUB N’ BUFF SPA SALT SCRUB, $48.00, Beauty Bar; PERLIER WHITE ALMOND MOISTURIZING CREAM BATH, $16.50, Fragrance Net.,p/>

Hold your judgement, but I’m taking fashion hints from mega-pop (and seriously cool) girl-group TLC. Many a junior high dance revolved around Waterfalls, and I’m pretty sure the reason I ever bought oversized hoop earrings was because of T-Boz. I love that they pulled off men’s shirts/sweaters/jackets like no one’s business (before menswear as womenswear was prevalent) and I’d argue, that they looked even better than the boys.
I’ve been unconsciously buying baggy sweaters and flannels to layer (I must really miss the ’90s). Next up, is the huge American Retro faux fur jacket that’s sure to elevate my wardrobe to hip-hop royalty status. And I can’t forget those hoops: A little more modern, but I think T-Boz would approve.

really, i miss tlc. crazy/sexy/cool, forever (clockwise, l-r): AMERICAN RETRO ENOLA OVERSIZED FAUX FUR JACKET, $418.00, available at RevolveClothing; ROSEANNA STAN LONG SLEEVE, $189.50, available at Elizabeth Charles; LUV AJ BALL CHAIN HOOPS, $73.00, available at Boutique to You; SOCIETY FOR RATIONAL DRESS, $230.00, available at Bona Drag.