Wearing: borrowed sweater, consigned JCrew coat, second-hand Givenchy heels, and Rag and Bone "The Plush Legging" jeans. <---Soooo soft and comfy. See this post for more fair jeans options.
Although I love fancy heels, my favorite way to wear them isn't with party dresses, but jeans and a very basic shirt (button down, t-shirt, sweater) in a neutral hue. I like to put the focus on the shoes, but it's also just a really easy, simple way to dress. Looking back, I can see that it's a formula I go back to again and again: HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE, for example.
I got these Givenchy heels used (second-hand) for a song and I have to be honest-- I had no specific plan for them, I just loved them. I'm not usually a gold heels type of person, but the rose gold is little softer, and I like the architectural, modern detail of the half-moon thingie on the heel. I even thought I would re-sell them this spring on Ebay, but now that I've tried em out, I'm not so sure. Sorry folks.
I realize they are a bit impractical for the cold weather...or, like, walking, but it warmed up very slightly this past weekend, and they do work for an evening spent in taxis and standing/sitting at a bar.
When Victoria and I zipped out to the Memorial Bridge to check out the sunset, I discovered that I can even walk (very short) distances in them with no problem. Boom. ;)
And just to clear the ethical air: to my knowledge, there is nothing fair or sustainable about Givenchy's manufacturing processes or their shoes, with the exception of the possibility that they are very well-made and thus made to last. I will look more into that and update this post if I learn something to the contrary.
With that said, my purchase does exemplify a type of shopping that I do think is ethical, and that is second-hand or consignment purchases. Although the majority of my second-hand purchases are made in the USA, organic, or fair trade pieces, I have a weakness for a few favorite edgy, high-end designers, and this is how I get my fix. I'll be honest and say that it's not ideal to broadcast these brands by wearing them, but this is the middle ground I'm comfortable occupying. For now.
Last but not least, all of this secondhand shoe love got me thinking that I haven't done an Ebay round-up for you all in a while. Tune in tomorrow to see my favorite second-hand deals and steals (in various sizes) from Ebay, and perhaps from a few other consignment sites.
Photography (technically Iphone-ography) by Victoria Corkhill.
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