Clothes aren’t just for covering your body, they are a way to express yourself. What better way to express yourself, as a vegan, than by making sure the clothes you buy aren’t contributing to animal suffering? Below is a breakdown on what to avoid, when shopping for new threads, and what awesome alternatives are available to keep you looking fresh!
Fur
A lot of people are aware that wearing fur can be very controversial. Thanks to PETA and other animal rights activists and organizations, information about the fur industry and its practices are a Google search away. Yet, many people don’t take that extra step to find out exactly what goes on inside of fur factories.
Many animals including minks, foxes, wolves, raccoons, cats, dogs and other random strays are kept in cages most or all of their short lives. They are underfed and many of them go crazy as a result of the awful conditions they endure, pacing back and forth continuously in their tiny prison cells. Malnutrition, disease, and stress often end up killing some of these animals prematurely, which is likely just as painful as what their surviving cousins experience.
Fur trade animals are often beaten, stomped on, electrocuted, and slammed on the ground as a way to stop them from squirming, running away, or fighting back. When it’s time for the fur to be collected, the helpless animals’ precious skin and fur is ripped directly off of their bodies and they are left to bleed and die, suffering every second of the way.
the Alternative – Faux Fur
If you just love the way fur looks and feels, there are many faux (fake) fur clothing items available that look and feel like the real thing for the same price or less!
Leather
For various reasons, cows and other creatures are kept in conditions just as awful as the animals bred for fur and the booming leather industry is just one of the many that keeps the suffering alive. Cows are held captive in small pens, not able to roam free, stretch, run, or eat when they desire. They are dehorned without anesthesia, hung upside down and skinned.
In certain parts of the world, cows are forced to walk for miles without food and water to a leather farm while their tails are broken to keep them from straying. Pepper is used as a form of discipline and is shoved into their eyes to keep them in line.
Leather is also made from snakes, alligators, crocodiles, caimans, frogs, fish, sharks, elephants, leopards, and stingrays (to name only a few) to create purses, wallets, belts, shoes, watches and more.
the Alternative – Pleather
Just like faux fur, many pleather clothing items bear a great resemblance to the much more cruel option. This fabric is waterproof and is great for making a garment look edgy or sexy. What’s more is that because it doesn’t come from an animal that is of a certain shape, it can be created to be virtually any shape, size and length.
Suede
This material is a form of leather that is rubbed to create a velvety texture.
the Alternative – Faux Suede
Just like pleather, fake suede can be created to fit almost any pattern a designer has in mind so the possibilities are virtually endless.
Nubuck
This material is a form of leather that is rubbed to give it the feel and look of suede. If you’re familiar with Jordans and Timberlands (the sneakers and boots) then you’ve seen nubuck. See the “Leather” section above to learn how this material is stolen from cows, pigs, cats, dogs, kangaroos, ostriches, goats and sheep.
the Alternative – Faux Suede
See above.
Silk
The “worms” that create silk are a type of caterpillar that turns into a moth after spinning a cocoon from its own saliva and living inside of it until it’s time for it to emerge. Silk is made by boiling, steaming, or blasting these cocoons with hot air and unraveling the silk threads. Because of this process, the caterpillars are robbed the chance of becoming moths and procreating because, well, they die.
the Alternative – Nylon, Polyester, Rayon & Microfiber
Nylon, though easy to make and find, is not that great for the environment because it takes awhile to degrade but is a vegan option, nonetheless. Polyester is highly flammable, like a lot of synthetic fibers, but can be made from recycled plastic so at least it has that going for it. Rayon is made from cellulose which comes from the cell walls of plants. While not as durable as silk and not technically natural as processing is required to make this fabric, no animals are harmed in order to create it. It also happens to be very accessible. Microfiber is flammable so for clothing is typically used for athletic wear as a way to keep skin dry. An upside for the environment is that it is made from waste!
Wool
The practice of obtaining wool from sheep, lambs, goats (such as cashmere), llamas, alpaca, camels, oxen, and rabbits (such as the angora rabbits that produce mohair) is not any friendlier than that of collecting fur. The popular and logical assumption is that these animals are shorn (shaved) and not killed. It is also a common misconception that it is necessary and helpful to these animals for humans to rid them of their “pesky” hair. In reality, these animals are provided with the amount of wool they need and without humans their own bodies would naturally regulate the production of hair.
Just as with cows in the leather industry, animals being bred for wool are kept in small pens which can cause many of them to go crazy. Shearers are paid by quantity so the more animals they shave the more money they make. As a result, these animals are shorn quickly, often enduring cuts and gashes that are then sewn up, just as quickly, without being given anesthesia. Rabbits are tied down while their fur is ripped out of their skin and they scream in pain. Sheep are hung upside down while they are skinned and gutted. In addition, many lambs are killed shortly after birth because their fresh soft fur is greatly desired by many.
the Alternative – Faux Wool & Polar Fleece
Fake wool is not quite as easy to find as pleather but there are options out there on Amazon and in places like Burlington Coat Factory, Khol’s, Appleseed’s, Walmart and more.
Polar fleece is a synthetic material made to feel like wool and is used in various clothing items such as mittens, sweaters, jackets and more. It’s great for keeping warm and blocking moisture. What’s also cool about polar fleece? It can be made from recycled plastic!
Pashmina
This material is made from wool.
the Alternative – Faux Wool & Polar Fleece
See above.
Shearling
This is skin from a sheep that is tanned and worn with the suede on the outer side and the wool on the inner side.
the Alternative – Faux Wool & Polar Fleece
See above.
Feathers & Down
Another common misconception out there is that bird feathers used for jewelry, down jackets and more are simply gathered off of the ground. But as with the unfortunate angora rabbits, the likes of chickens, ducks, turkey and peacocks suffer while their feathers are ripped right out of their skin.
the Alternative – Artificial Feathers
These can be bought or homemade from fabric or plastic.
Bone
Animal poaching is the illegal killing of animals, usually exotic and endangered, or hunting out of season for the purpose of selling fur, skin, and ivory (or simply for sport). Elephants, rhinos, and walruses are usually shot and their tusks are cut off of their bodies and sold to make jewelry, among other things. Unfortunately, while the commercial use of ivory has been banned in the US, it can still be found here, especially in thrift stores and other vintage shops. Outside of ivory, bone jewelry is legally made from a plethora of other animals, including reptiles.
the Alternative – Wood, seeds, gems, crystals, metals, cloth & upcycled materials
Etsy, Pinterest, Amazon… these are all places where you can find various awesome natural jewelry options that have nothing to do with the exploitation of animals. And if you’re feeling crafty you can even make some of your own!
Other Alternatives
There are so many other clothing and fabric options out there that choosing animal products is completely unnecessary. Cotton, hemp, canvas, denim, twill, linen, acrylic, flannel, tencel, viscose, PrimaLoft, Thinsulate, Gore-Tex, Polartec Wind Pro, Thermolite, and jersey are some of the many vegan fabrics available to the masses.
So the next time you’re browsing the latest fashions at the mall or ordering clothes online, make sure to reference this post so you never have to wonder whether or not you’re wearing someone’s mom.
Just let that thought marinate, for a bit.
Photo Credit: Lola O Photography