{"id":1068,"date":"2019-07-29T11:34:55","date_gmt":"2019-07-29T11:34:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/?post_type=articles&p=1068"},"modified":"2020-05-21T15:58:30","modified_gmt":"2020-05-21T15:58:30","slug":"fashion-and-clothing","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/www.veganfriendly.org.uk\/articles\/fashion-and-clothing\/","title":{"rendered":"Vegan Friendly Fashion & Clothing"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"SustainableThere is really no part of mainstream culture or society that has been untouched by the growth of veganism. Vegan clothes, shoes and accessories are certainly now a hot topic in the fashion world. The industry has finally realised that the abuse and murder of animals has no place in fashion and the good news is that it has never been easier to shop for stylish vegan-friendly clothes and accessories. Thankfully, the days of ugly vegan sandals are long behind us and this article will look at some of the best vegan clothing brands available and also the animal-derived materials you need to be on the lookout for.<\/p>\n

Vegan dressing is simple once you know what to avoid. As with food products, the first step to identifying vegan friendly items is to read the label. On clothing items the label will usually be on the neck or waistband and for shoes take a look under the tongue. Contact manufacturers and retailers directly if they do not clearly label their products as applying pressure is the only way things will change.<\/p>\n

One of the fantastic things about vegan-friendly fashion is that it is usually much cheaper than animal-derived counterparts so if a product is surprisingly expensive make sure that you study the label closely. It is worth mentioning at this point that there are some extremely high end vegan designer brands, such as Stella McCartney\u2019s range, so price should not be your only indicator. Her eco-friendly fashion range is ideal if you are looking for investment pieces and she was a proponent of vegan fashion long before it hit the mainstream.<\/p>\n

Non-Vegan Materials to Avoid<\/h2>\n

\"NoLeather<\/h3>\n

Globally, millions of cows, sheep and pigs are killed every year for their skin. Leather is the chemically treated hide of an animal and is commonly used to make shoes, bags and other fashion items.<\/p>\n

Buying leather products puts money in the meat industry\u2019s pockets but there are many great vegan alternatives to leather. These include faux leather from plants and synthetic, man-made leather alternatives.<\/p>\n

Wool<\/h3>\n

Wool is usually made from the hair of sheep, alpacas or goats. Shearing these animals is often an extremely unpleasant business and there is no doubt that wool isn\u2019t vegan<\/a>. Shearers are generally paid by volume rather than by the hour so they usually work quickly rather than kindly. It is usual for animals to be kicked and even cut in the process. There is a widespread procedure called mulesing which entails cutting a large chunk of flesh from an animal\u2019s backside usually without painkillers. The top wool-producing countries are Australia and China, both of which sadly have weak animal protection laws regarding sheep. Vegan-friendly alternatives to consider are cotton, polyester and other synthetic materials.<\/p>\n

Note that there are many types of wool, depending on how it is produced or what animal or specific breed is used. As such, it isn\u2019t just the word \u201cwool\u201d (which usually means a sheep\u2019s wool) you need to be on the lookout for. Below you can see some of the most common types of wool, all of which are non-vegan.<\/p>\n

Types of Wool<\/h4>\n