Last night, over drinks, a girl friend was telling us about her mad search for the Sigerson Morrison Ankle Strap Sandals. Her version of the story includes a nasty clerk (the Nolita outpost is known for having a little extra 'tude) and a slimmer, less fashion-y alternative. Needless to say, when we heard the story we patted her on the back and said, "Waiter, another round please.".

Let's play a little Telephone Tag, shall we?

"Hello, Sigerson Morrison"
"Hi there, I have a question for you."
[Total silence]
"I'm looking for the black woven Ankle Strap Sandals"
"Oh, those hardly hit the floor."
"Oh, hmm."
"Wait, what size are you? I think someone just returned a pair."
"Great, eight and a half!"
"Oh, yeah, sorry. We've a six and a half and a ten. Yeah, they just, those were in all of the magazines so we sold out really fast. But we're taking preorders."
"Wonderful. How long might I have to wait if I preorder?"
"Well, we just shipped the March preorders so..."
"Oh dear. I guess I could check with your Los Angeles store first."
"Yeah, you could do that...because the preorders are the real deal. You know, people call and they just want to be notified when we get more in. And, like, that's not a preorder. That's just us calling you."
"Certainly is. I can't believe people don't understand the concept of slapping down your plastic and wiping your hands of the matter completely."
"Totally"
"Totally"

Another ground breaking example of doin' it the old fashioned way and gettin' answers. Looks like you better squeeze your tootsies into that last size six, make sure you like them, and then preorder the right size. You might not get them until late summer, but you can always claim them as Resort sandals.

P.s. Saks has one size eight and a half left. Wanna race?

We've long been aware that a glass of red wine a day is good for the heart, but we've only just discovered its anti-aging benefits. As if we needed another reason to drink! Network partner Beauty Secrets Revealed informs us that red wine is chock full of key antioxidants, minerals, and something called Reservatrol that keep us, ahem, well-preserved. This cocktail of youth preservers is primarily found in red grapes, blueberries, and cranberries, and its benefits include, "anti-cancer, antiviral, neuroprotective, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and cardioprotective effects." So should we be swilling the stuff left and right? After all, heavy drinking isn't exactly a recipe for aging gracefully, as photos of many a washed up old movie star three times rehabbed can attest. According to BSR, just a glass will do ya, so take it easy.

If you want to go beyond just ingesting the stuff, it seems a variety of skincare companies have caught on to the benefits of grapes and berries and offer topical products touting the same benefits. Grapeseed extract can now be found in the products of many organic lines. The most well known of these is Caudalie, a skincare line based entirely on the virtues of the grape. It's practically an institution in France (and we're forever trying to demystify the French woman's certain je ne sais quoi). Back in '93 at a vineyard in Bordeaux, a certain Professor Vercauteren told owners Mathilde and Bertrand Thomas that the grape seeds they were throwing away post-harvest were actually "the most powerful free radical traps in the plant world."

They set to work to stabilize polyphenols (the key antioxidants) to render them effective on the skin, create a whole range of products and eventually open a Vinotherapie Spa, the first of its kind. Subsequent spas followed in Europe, and a stateside version arrived this year, housed in New York's Plaza Hotel. What exactly do the treatments entail? Think lounging in a jacuzzi, slathered in grape residue as your skin soaks up the youth juice, followed by a honey and wine wrap and sipping special teas. We haven't tried it ourselves so we can't tell you whether it works or not, but such a decadent, relaxing retreat would probably take years off our lives.

This innovative use of grapeseed has inspired other companies to explore its anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and protective properties. Grapeseed extract has now become a key ingredient in the skincare ranges of Origins, Laura Mercier, Dr. Brandt, L'Occitane, and several others. Look for it on your next Sephora binge.

Just when life seemed perfect, eLuxury uped the anti and gave us 15 pieces from Proenza Schouler's pre Fall collection in the middle of June. What's a sample sailing sandal-clad girl supposed to do when these sorts of things happen? Between the Topshop look book and the rich Fall duds from Proenza, we can't help but feel pulled towards Fall clothing. But this isn't supposed to happen until the Spring shows start up in, ahem, September! If you're up for the challenge, and think you can maintain some semblance of The Present while shopping pre-Fall clothing, we've got to hand it to you. These carefully edited pieces will only be available via ecommerce from eLuxury and would, if you swiped the whole thing, make the perfect base for your new Fall wardrobe. For blouses there are two beautifully tailored silk short sleeved numbers and also a pair of wool skinny trousers and leather bomber we'd just about sell our souls for. Okay, maybe not our souls. Maybe just our boyfriends. Ladies, we know it's haute out there but we're kind of feeling like this might be a wise investment.

'When in Rome' was our motto last week when we were in San Francisco for meetings. Coutorture then, on our last day in the city, dropped some cash at the Sephora flagship. The single greatest find? Heatwave. One of us picked up the last one at Sephora which prompted the team to go in search of a second, so we walked all the way over to Nordstorm and there scored their last tube. Looks like this lipstick is a must-have for many, and we completely understand why. Dare we say it, it's the perfect orange lipstick. Apply the lipstick without gloss and with a bare, nude face (one of us tried on orange eyeshadow at the same time and were told we looked a little too neo sci fi) and you're good to go. We already wrote about orange nail polish, and now that we've hit our stride with this must-have summer beauty color, we're fully endorsing the lips. We declare Nars Heatwave the color of the summer.

When you spot an emerging trend, who do you tell? Coutorture Community Partners are on top of the latest trends in today's Must Read posts from: Teen Fashionista is tempted by Charlotte Ronson's new collection for Urban Outfitters. The It Lists picks up on the emerging double belt trend. Trend de la Creme has developed an obsession for Eninaj jewelry. Makeup and Beauty Blog uses Bumble and Bumble's new Creme de Coco Masque to revive crunchy vacation hair. Speaking of hair, The Glamorous Bee turns to Jane Carter's solution to combat frizzy hair.