Is the concept “Vegan Fashion” surprising to you? You might wonder about the relationship between veganism and fashion. This post will resolve all your queries. You need to go through the segments one by one.
An Introduction in Brief
Veganism is a diet approach with the core goal of animal well-being. You can also start a journey of veganism by switching to a vegan diet. But avoiding some food items is not enough.
You also need to stay away from animal-derived clothing. This list also includes cosmetic, or any other household products.
It is natural not to know about vegan clothing if you do not belong to this community. Any type of garment, unrelated to animals, can become a part of Vegan Fashion.
What is the most common animal product in the fashion world? The correct answer is leather. But, other products are tricky to find out.
Some other items belonged to this category, are silk, shell, fur, bone, wool, feathers, etc.
Do you want to point out animal products in your garments? You must re-check the labels of your clothing before purchasing them.
Do you want to start a journey towards Vegan Fashion? You need to commence searching for alternatives to animal products.
Why should you think about Vegan Clothing?
The main goal of veganism is to protect animals. And vegans don’t opt for animal-derived clothing. You must know that such types of garments are cruelty towards the animal community.
Moreover, it also imparts detrimental effects to the environment. You can start a small initiative in your house by avoiding animal-derived materials.
Where can you get Vegan Clothing?
Are you looking for vegan dresses? Do not need to worry. You should not face troubles in purchasing your favorite vegan garment.
You need to opt for plant-based materials, such as linen, cotton, etc.
You can also choose synthetic materials by substituting wool, silk, or leather.
Many brands offer vegan garments, accessories, and shoes. Do not forget to figure out the label every time.
The vegan selections in different outlets will help you find out your preferences. Start looking for vegan garment brands from today itself.
How to identify Vegan Clothing?
Do you want to take part in the Vegan Fashion initiative? Yes? Then, you must know about the identification strategies. Let’s try to find out the same below:
Re-Checking is a Must:
Differentiating between clothes and finding out a complete vegan one is tricky. You already know the strategy of label checking.
As a result, you can get to know about the materials of the shortlisted clothes. If you do not find it out in the “material” section, start looking for “care instructions.”
Your nose will help you:
You might know that leather comes with a unique smell. That means you can figure it out with your nose and decide. If there is no leather tag, it does not mean it is a vegan garment. Sometimes, you might also overlook the logo. So, a proper analysis is a must.
Shop Online:
Most of the vegans prefer to do online shopping for vegan clothes. It is because offline stores offer limited options on this category. Moreover, improper labeling and lack of products are also responsible for the same. The rise in vegan lifestyle encourages more and more people to opt for vegan clothing.
Get Familiar with the Suitable Brands:
Start searching for vegan-only products. Thus, you can easily choose your preferred options. The top-notch brands come with the assortment of non-vegan as well as vegan clothes.
Are you a vegan? Then, you should go for eco-friendly materials for your garments. Are you going to buy something vintage? Then, you can get your options for a nearby shop.
What Materials are Available to Pick?
You already know that veganism is not only about foods but also about day-to-day stuff. Are you thinking of starting a journey in this path? Then, you must bring this idea to your entire life.
The manufacturing process of vegan clothing is ethical. Thus, you can make your contribution to animal protection.
Do you want to start your journey in this path? Yes? Then, you must opt for natural and synthetic fibers. Many other materials are also there to help you on this journey.
Check for ethical clothing in your nearby outlets. Do not forget to avoid various kinds of wool from your list. These options include camel hair, angora, shahtoosh, cashmere, pashmina, merino, etc. You must also stay away from silk to help to survive silkworms. The main goal is to stay away from animal-derived products.
Your list must exclude leather. That means you need to analyze belts, jackets, wallets, shoes, etc.
And thus, you can make a better purchasing decision.
You can substitute animal pelts with faux fur. Thus, you can help various animals like foxes, rabbits, minks, etc.
Do you like to wear furry dresses? Then, you can opt for polyester or acrylic. You can choose to wear acrylic wool or synthetic fleece by substituting yarn. These two materials are enough robust, easy to maintain, and warm.
Do you like to wear silk? Many artificial materials can imitate the feel and appearance of silk. As a vegan, you must stay away from feathers. Instead, you can opt for fillers.
You can also opt for bamboo, organic cotton, jute, etc. while choosing your clothing. Vegans always choose cruelty-free materials. But they are also conscious about their fashion statement. You can search for vegan clothing companies to find out your preferences.
More about Vegan Fashion
Vegan clothes as well as accessories, manufactured from ethical sources. You must ensure that you are not using any animal-derived products. Thus, you can make some contributions to the earth.
Animals are integral parts of your earth. They also have feelings and pain. Moreover, they also deserve freedom. Have you already started the veganism journey? Then, you must opt for cruelty-free garments only.
Let’s talk about some general animal products below:
Leather:
Animal skin is a precious commodity in the meat industry. Sick or weak animals act as the source of leather. It is because they are not suitable for consumption by human beings.
Many animals face cruelty for becoming sources of high-quality leather. Horses and pigs are two common animals in this regard. Moreover, some exotic animals are also there in this list. They include kangaroos, zebras, elephants, seals, etc.
The leather production technique also yields poisonous chemicals.
What about the Alternatives of Leather
You must stay away from leather clothing as well as accessories like shoes, purses, etc. Instead, you should start searching for eco-friendly fiber, such as linen, cotton, imitation leather, hemp, etc.
Vegans always opt for natural materials in place of leather. But, the substitute must have a durable nature.
Nowadays, many alternative materials are available to use instead of leather. These materials include pineapple, apple, and mushrooms. Cork works as an ideal substitute for cowhide leather.
This material comes with natural coloring, and, it is also robust. Moreover, cork is now trendy as a material for handbags as well as shoes.
Wool (Angora):
Do you know angora rabbits spend their whole life within wire cages? Can you imagine how much loneliness they feel? Moreover, they also suffer from bone deformities and painful health issues. It is due to the caged life.
These animals face trauma and injury during the process of wool shaving and clipping. Moreover, female rabbits yield more wool than their male counterparts do. That’s why slaughtering of male species happen at their birth.
Wool (Cashmere):
Many times, cashmere goats become sufferers of cold exposure. They also remain at risk of ailment. These animals face a lot of troubles in their entire life. After collecting the first fiber, their lives end at the meat market.
Wool (Mohair):
Nowadays, products like goat milk and meat are getting popular. But, a large number of goats face cruelty for producing mohair. These animals suffer from cold temperatures as well as parasites. Their suffering increases after the removal of their safety fleece.
Wool (Sheep):
You must know that sheep can produce ample amounts of wool. But, the entire procedure is painful a lot. After the removal of their fleece, they become sufferers of frequent injuries.
Do you know lambs go through agonizing mutilations (that is without anesthesia)? Many people still follow this process. The production of compressed wool or felt also follows the same practice.
What are the Wool Substitutes?
You must opt for wool-alternative materials like polyester fleece, acrylic, cotton, nylon, etc.
Do not buy heavy woolen products and expensive cashmere or angora sweaters.
Fur
Various animals belong to this industry. They include rabbits, minks, chinchillas, foxes, etc.
These animals spend their time in small-wired cages. Moreover, they do not get proper nutrition and hygienic environment. As a result, they become sufferers of fear, health issues, stress, etc.
What are the Alternatives to Fur?
Faux fur is the alternative to fur. Acrylic, polyester fibers, or mod-acrylic acts as the resources of this element. You can find out this element in your nearby stores.
Down
You might already know about “Down.” Geese and ducks act as the source of these ultra-soft feathers.
The associated people collect these feathers from the slaughtered creatures. Moreover, living birds also suffer a lot in this process. They go through live de-feathering for 3-5 times throughout their lifetime.
What are the Alternatives to Down?
Do not opt for expensive down coats, comforters, etc.
Instead, start searching for hypoallergenic synthetic material for your clothes. Look for high-tech fabrics and save the beautiful creatures.
Silk:
If you have started practicing veganism, you must stay away from silk. The process of silk production ends up the lives of silk moth’s caterpillars.
These creatures make silk strands and generate a cocoon. It works as a protective layer for them.
Do you know the secret of an unbroken silk thread? People usually follow the process of boiling, steaming, or baking of the cocoons. And it ends these living creatures’ lives.
What are Alternatives to Silk?
You will get several silk substitutes in the market. These materials are Tencel, nylon, polyester, rayon, etc. They can emulate the feel and appearance of silk.
Some More Points on Vegan Materials
It is easy to point out materials that you want to exclude from your list. But, you can face difficulties to find out your favorable options.
Nowadays, many fashion-conscious people are opting a vegan lifestyle. And that’s a lot of materials (both old and new) are coming to the picture.
You can also opt for the latest vegan outfits to complement your looks and personality. That means difficulties are getting down day by day.
So, you can start looking for becoming a Vegan Fashion icon.
Are you a nature enthusiast person? Then, you can contribute to nature by opting for vegan clothes. Moreover, natural fibers come as biodegradable. And most of the non-natural products are recyclable.
What are some of the vegan-friendly substances? They are natural vegan leather, rayon, Ultrasuede, polyurethane vegan leather, etc.
Choose from the Repository of Nature
Nature is a rich source of incredible materials. You must choose some of these materials for your clothing. But, some of them are greener over others.
You can contribute to lower the rate of animal cruelty. Plant-based materials, such as cotton, hemp, and linen, are vegan-friendly.
Seaweed becomes an integral part of today’s vegan world. Moreover, you can also see its contribution to vegan clothing. Seaweed is beneficial for skin (as per the makers). It is due to the minerals in this element.
Hemp is also getting popular, as it can grow without fertilizers as well as pesticides. That means an organic version of hemp is available.
Now, you are familiar with many aspects of Vegan Fashion. It’s time to opt for some vegan apparels for you. You can pay your respect to the animal world with your decision. Thus, you can also make this world more beautiful and save some animals from cruelty.