Rachel Besser
Refinery29
New York, NY, United States
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Past articles by Rachel:
24 Non-Traditional Wedding Outfits For The Fashion-Forward Bride
This article was originally published on March 30, 2016. Cultural traditions have a funny way of becoming widely adopted, without actually being understood. The idea of wearing a white wedding gown, for example, has only been around for about 160 years, when Queen Victoria opted for a cream lace → Read More
How To Do '80s Glam The 2017 Way
It’s no news that fashion is cyclical. As soon as we tire from one trend, another old favorite comes back into play. Take the last few years as an example — we saw the resurgence of the ’90s, now we’re dabbling in the early-aughts, and (thanks to last Fashion Week) it’s clear that the → Read More
The 100 Items You NEED For Under $100
Update: This post was originally published on November 15, 2016. It's tough to fill your wardrobe with solid finds under $100, unless you buy everything at one or two affordably priced stores (like, say, Zara and H&M). Sure, lots of designers make must-have knick-knacks under $100, like pins, → Read More
30 Winter Essentials All Under $30
By now, you’ve most likely spent the majority of your paycheck buying presents for all of the people on your holiday list. So chances are high that after you’ve paid your credit card bill, rent, and whatever other monthly incidentals are thrown your way, there isn’t much money left to spoil → Read More
The Perfect Winter Clothes For Where YOU Live
This story was originally published on December 21, 2014. Our noses are redder than a Louboutin sole, and we haven't felt our toes since October. Yep, it’s cold here in NYC. But, in Wisconsin, for example (where this editor's mother lives), it's even worse. (Meanwhile, his brother in L.A. thinks → Read More
The Only Hack You Need To Nail Transitional Dressing
Update: This post was originally published on March 23, 2016. When a new season rolls around — especially spring — it's easy to get a little overly excited in the clothing and accessories departments. Before it's truly hot enough outside, though, all of our favorite stores, from Zara to → Read More
16 Off-The-Shoulder Sweaters To Get You Ready For Fall
Off-the-shoulder tops are like chokers: As if overnight, suddenly they're everywhere. But their virality makes sense. They're a good swap for your usual fare, and they're très sexy in a coy kind of way. We even have a hack to keep them in place — off your shoulders — so you don't have to fuss → Read More
How To Pack For Hot & Cold Weather In One Trip
Plain and simple: Packing for vacation is hard. Even if you consider yourself a packing pro, prepping for any type of trip typically falls into one of three categories: too much stuff, too little stuff, or all the wrong stuff (i.e., three party dresses when you’re going on a hiking retreat, → Read More
An Open Letter To Vans: Can We Please Get Velcro Sneakers, Too?
You know when you're shopping online and you see something so fly that you have to have it? Even if the return policy isn't great. Even if the site seems sketchy. Even if you aren't sure how it will fit. You add it to your cart, only to realize after your credit card information is in that the item → Read More
No, You Don't Need To Wear A Dress To All Those Holiday Parties
Let’s face it: Holiday dressing can be a pain. You want to wear something exciting and cool, but you also want to feel appropriately festive (without feeling like a walking Hallmark ad). And, while you’ve seen plenty of round-ups (even on our site!) that offer up tons of solid dress options to → Read More
30 Essentials For Holiday Vacations (Or Just Life)
The holiday season is officially upon us! Your holiday shopping is done (well, most of it), your trips are booked, and you’re counting down the days until you can get a little R&R. But, before you can relax, you also have to think about everything you’ll need for your holiday travels, whether → Read More
30 Genius Gifts For Your Other Half
It’s hard to shop for your other half. When it comes to settling on a gift for the apple of your eye — whether that be your S.O., your sibling, your best friend, your dog, your boss, your grandma, or anyone else — the pressure is on. You want to impress them with something different, → Read More
Get Ready For Fall With These 30 Leather Boots
Fall is coming. And while we may not be excited to see summer end, we're thrilled at the autumn outfit options available. → Read More
20+ Awesome Gifts For The Impossible To Shop For
Update: This post was originally published on December 1, 2016. Shopping for holiday presents follows a simple flow — identify the giftee, then find a gift that works. But sometimes, it happens the other way around. Making our way through store after store, we end up gravitating toward something → Read More
In Defense Of The Most-Hated New Pants Shape
If we're going to get through this article together, you may as well know where I stand from the get-go. So, here it is: My favorite pant silhouette is the controversial cropped flare. Contrary to popular opinion, I'd go as far to say that they are some of the most flattering pants I have ever worn → Read More
33 Things To Wear To All Of Your Holiday Events
This story was originally published on November 30. Getting ready for a holiday party can feel like taking a final exam. The pressure is on to deliver, and you've only got so long to prepare as best as you can, all the while hoping that you don't fall on your face. Or, conversely, you could also → Read More
The 100 Best Gifts For Less Than $100
Our family, our friends, our significant others, our coworkers... We'd ideally like to give all of these people (and more) the best presents possible. But, when reality sets in (a.k.a. the real amount of money that's really in our bank accounts), we usually find ourselves having to cut people off → Read More
The A To Z Guide To Holiday Gifts
Whether or not we realize it, every holiday season we tend to fall into a gift-buying routine. Unless we know exactly what someone wants, we hit up the same stores and buy the same safe, often snoozy, presents. But, not having an idea of what to get someone for the holidays doesn’t mean you → Read More
We're Calling It Now: These Are 2016's It-Bags
This post was originally published on June 10, 2016. What defines an It bag varies from season to season: Sometimes, it's obvious that bloggers and editors are being gifted a certain style by a brand, practically guaranteeing its status as the item of the moment. Other times, though, a piece is → Read More
The Latest Wedding Trend Is "No Dress Required"
Wedding dress codes can make us freak out. Beach chic? Upscale country? Semi-formal? Instead of taking a risk and wearing something fun and interesting, we usually find ourselves defaulting to a lackluster, safe dress. The fear that we'll stand out in all the wrong ways (read: underdressed, → Read More