Secondhand finds similar to Everlane Modern Penny Loafer

Yesterday, keeping up with other people’s 10x10s, I ended up reading Andrea’s (from Seasons and Salt) weekly roundup. She mentioned that she was loving Everlane’s Modern Penny Loafer in oxblood. I clicked the link and saw it…and had immediate flashbacks to being at the Red, White and Blue thrift store with my mom as a kid and seeing a zillion pairs of Etienne Aigner loafers (which seemed old-ladyish at the time, but are now in style) that were very similar…but with the rounder toe that Andrea mentioned.

She, and many other bloggers, like Everlane because they make clothing ethically. Which is good. But in my opinion, it is always more ethical and more environmentally friendly to buy used. Why? Even if a company is ethical and environmentally friendly, they are still producing things that we probably don’t need, based on the amount that Americans, and even thrift stores, throw away.

It takes more environmental resources to grow, harvest, transport, and assemble new good rather than perfectly good used ones, which are getting trashed.

Additionally, it’s unclear what standards of production are being used to create and harvest the fiber or hide for Everlane goods. On their website, they only mention production standards in factories. What about the growers of the cotton, the animals used for leather, and the harvest of silk? I emailed Everlane to ask if they have any production standards regarding these components, and will update this post if they reply.

If you would like to use something that’s already made, instead of buying new, here are some extremely similar used secondhand goods:

First off, a list of Etienne Aigner ones in the same oxblood/burgundy color family, likeEverlane ones, but with rounded toes, as Andrea wished for:

Etienne Aigner Penny Loafers for about $30, although they have been for sale for 23 days, so I would recommend making an offer for $24

Block Heeled Etienne Aigner Loafers – These are $48 dollars. I have been obsessed with block heels ever since I watched a bunch of Jean-Luc Godard movies. All of his heroines are always wearing block heels and I was so happy when it came in style! These are square toed, and I just have a feeling that square toes will be back in a big way in the next year or year and a half.

Another awesome, very minimalist and plain pair of block heel loafers – These are only $8! The heels are 2″, which is a manageable and walkable height for a block heel.

Etienne Aigner Burgundy Fringe Loafers – These are only $17 because the seller’s photos are poor quality. I found a better picture of the exact same pair elsewhere. People who don’t know how to use a digital camera always have the BEST deals on ebay!

Etienne Aigner loafers with chain detail – These are, incredibly, under $8. They are a little less minimalist in styling because of the chain detail…but you might think that’s cute. In my case, I would probably remove it and switch it to a plain, very thin necklace chain, perhaps with a metal bar or tiny O ring, or a big safety pin for a subtle punk accent. I might even just take the chain off and leave the O rings that are already there, for a deconstructed Jil Sander/Commes Des Garcons vibe.

 

Note: This post contains affiliate because I really enjoy scanning ebay and helping people find secondhand deals, promoting reuse of fashion and sharing my knowledge, it also took a while and was work to find all of these and create the post, so it’s nice when I can get a little renumeration for my work.