NEWS
EVENTS
Vegan fashion is so accessible - there's no excuse
Vegan clothes are everywhere. You can find cruelty-free options in many of the brands you love, but there are also plenty of vegan and ethical brands that if you haven’t already heard of, you need to.
But firstly, why are vegan fashion choices important?
Common myths about the use of animals in clothing include the fact that because sheep don’t die when their wool is shaved off, that they don’t suffer, and that leather clothes are simply the by-product of an animal's death from slaughter for meat, or from natural causes.
In reality, taking just leather as an example, more than 1 billion animals are killed worldwide for the leather trade every single year. This is not just cows too; leather can be the skin of many mammals, even dogs and cats.These animals endure great suffering for us to enjoy wearing their skin for fashion, it seems entirely unfair.
One shocking and less obvious consequence of leather production specifically is the environmental impact of the toxins that are loaded into the leather skin to prevent it from decomposing. Skins are tanned/treated with chemicals like formaldehyde, coal-tar derivatives, cyanide-based dyes and other dangerous substances.
After the leather is loaded with these the waste chemicals are simply dumped into nearby rivers or fields causing massive pollution. With more animal-based fashion production moving away from the West, this pollution is affecting the poorest countries, where people often come into direct contact with or even drink this toxic water.
These are just a few insights into the terrors of animal use in clothing, more can be found on Peta.
Fashion ultimately is our opportunity to wear clothing to express ourselves, and have our own style. Abuse is completely unnecessary for the purpose of looking good.
The following vegan brands not only do not use animal products in the creation of their products, but the entire process of creating their products is ethical. There has been no abuse of animals, the environment or workers and labour - so though these brands may be new to you or may seem a little expensive - rest assured there will be no slip ups on ethics here.
Since we’ve been banging on about all the terrible things about real leather, it's about time we lighten the mood and start showing you some great vegan leather options.
Here are 9 vegan clothing brands for a stylish and ethical wardrobe:
Ethical clothing company Charlotte Russe is a no-leather zone. Here is an embroided jacket we love!
Lip Service have the ultimate 'vegi leather' edgy halterneck top
For all of you escaping the city for an outdoors adventure this summer a down jacket is a brilliant investment. They are lightweight but keep you so warm in the unpredictable British outdoors where temperatures can drop. Unfortunately, obtaining down for jackets, pillows and other uses causes huge suffering in ducks and geese, as the feathers that are necessary to the animals are violently plucked from their skin while they are still alive and conscious, all for human comfort.
This down jacket is stylish, practical for the outdoors, and completely cruelty-free. Plus, it comes in 3 colours
Gym leggings seem to be a massive trend, you can see people wearing their activewear, everywhere. Even if they aren’t necessarily working out right then and there though, it's fine - yoga pants and exercise leggings are the comfiest.
The problem with activewear is often less to do with animal abuse along the way, but a lot to do with ethical labour. You can be sure that you are supporting both animals and people with Hey Honey. who have proven to be 100% vegan, free from animal derived products and make sure their products are manufactured, packaged and shipped in the most environmentally friendly and completely ethical manners.
Their leggings come in loads of patterns, but we're loving this tropical pair
Want to REALLY show everyone your beliefs on clothing? Raw Apparel got you covered
‘I’d Rather Be Eating Vegan Pizza’ ladies sweat-shirt
They sell vegan T-Shirts and jumpers with bold slogans, some which are actually pretty funny. Personal favourites can be seen above.
It’s almost impossible to find a selection of clothes to prove how much range there is on Unicorn Goods, but just to prove how random the goods of unicorns can be…
This bikini, sold by fair-labour driven brand Bo Carter, is just what we need for beach holidays
Lounge around in this men's jumper from cruelty-free brand Keep
As the worlds largest vegan store Unicorn Goods can link you to a huge range of items from vegan and ethical brands. It's not just clothing either, you can browse and buy accessories, makeup, books, food, even kitchen accessories. Here are a few male and female summery clothing pieces to demonstrate the huge range they have on their site.
Last but absolutely not least, big up V-dog
Turns out V-dog is a brand that has a whole load of vegan goods, including fashion items, for your pets. Check out this bandana saying “I’m a Vegan”... for dogs.
There are loads of other faux leather and suede options out there, even in big brands like H&M, ASOS and NastyGal. Just bang the word ‘vegan’ into the search bar and the site will show you a load of great options, from jackets, shoes & bags, that go beyond leather, with faux down jackets and faux fur too.
However, be wary of the mix between vegan and non-vegan in these brands though - make sure to spot those key words like vegan, cruelty-free and faux. Luckily, faux leather and suede will usually be far cheaper than the ‘real’ alternative. So investing in faux is a win-win.
Do all of this and we can guarantee you will truly love your clothes and wear them with complete pride.
