Shoes for a Pickleball Fanatic and Other Questions

Basing your WFH furniture purchases around a snuggly puppy is a perfect starting point for a shopping hunt. I started this one with this UO chair. The shape and specs are right, but I find the brand’s furniture quality to be generally not up to par, so I quickly moved on to this Crate and Barrel chair. It’s quite wide (and on sale), but I found it to be slightly too ugly. Then I found this bouclé number from CB2. Lauren Ro, our home-décor expert, told me bouclé tends to be a kid-and-pet-friendly fabric and the teddy brown looks extremely cozy. It also checks all the boxes: swivels and rolls, wide, and cushiony. — Dominique Pariso, writer

If the price tag is a bit too steep or you’re not a fan of bouclé, I also thought this option from Pottery Barn could do the trick.

I feel for your husband. I’ve burned through a handful of tennis shoes because I drag my toes when I play (I’ve developed cartoon-size holes in them). For pickleballers, I recommend tennis shoes first and foremost, because both sports involve the same types of lateral movement — and you’ll find wear in the same spots. I always recommend the Asics Gel-Resolution 9 to anyone looking to invest in an all-around tennis shoe that will last. It’s my top recommendation for both men and women because of its comfortable fit that accommodates most people. Its thick, durable sole should also withstand hard courts (and pickleball courts) longer than shoes with thinner constructions. If that doesn’t work, consider the Adidas Barricade. It’s the shoe that, through all my years of toe dragging, never developed holes.— Jeremy Rellosa, writer

I’m not sure I can recommend any insoles for sports in particular, since their fits are so specific to each player. But if he’s looking to extend the life of his otherwise worn-out shoes and use them as walking shoes, give SuperFeet a try.

Your checklist reminded me of what the Sleepytime Tea Bear is wearing on the Celestial Seasonings box. The closest thing I could find was this sleep shirt from Soma. Then there are those that I thought were so close enough that it felt wrong not to send them to you: this from the White Company, this from L.L.Bean, and this from Jockey. — Ambar Pardilla, writer

As someone who spent my entire trip to Milan in fear of hearing “Attenzione, pickpocket,” I’m with you. Each of these bags also have RFID protection — which, for those who don’t know, shields contactless cards so that nothing external can use or access them.

I like this Baggu-ish cross-body. It has a concealed pocket for your valuables, uses a zip-clipping system that prevents zips from being casually slid open, and is made from cut-resistant materials, so it can’t be slashed from your arm as you sightsee.

Travelon has dozens of budget-friendly options, but this $50 bag caught my attention. It’s sleek and simple, with a clipping zipper on the top section, a second discreet zipper concealed by a snap-front pocket, and a final zipper that sits close to your body. Inside there’s a teeny pocket for valuables, slots for a phone and a passport — and the whole thing is lined with slash-proof mesh. While the design is not particularly flashy, it’s a far cry from a hiking bag (although the gorpcore nutmeg colorway is the one I’d pick). — Rachael Griffiths, writer

Eighteen/ten is a grade of stainless steel — the highest you can buy, actually. But this speaks to how durable the pieces are, not what they look like. My best advice is to look for descriptors such as “brushed” (the most matte option), “shiny” or even straight “stainless steel” (both of which are, well, pretty shiny), and “mirror” (even more reflective) when shopping. Not all sites will delineate in the exact same way, but if you read the fine print, you can get a good sense. Robert Welch is a British designer and his flatware is widely available at U.K. and American stores. If you click the different finish options, you can see how they change. In this case, “mirror” or “air silver” (which is described as having “mirror finish” if you scroll down) seem like your best bet. Food52, my go-to for stylish kitchenware, sells a lot of goods from the Italian brand Mepra. My mom has had this set with colorful resin handles for a couple of years and the silver is still shiny — but you can opt for this simpler one (and peruse even more options here). My London-based colleague Ailbhe Malone received this Arthur Price set for her wedding five years ago, regularly throws it in the dishwasher, and says it has held up great. — Emma Wartzman, writer

One last piece of advice: Call some hotels you’ve stayed at! I’d bet they’d be happy to tell you what they stock at their restaurants. Oh, and buy Bar Keepers Friend to bring some shine back to your vintage utensils; it works like magic.