When shopping for clothing, use this guide to make sure that something you find and really like is also animal-free.
Made with love to animals by Human 21
Art work by Tania Kremen
Post by Tamara Human
1. Tag
Check the description of fabrics used in a product. The most widely known animal-based materials like leather and wool are easy to recognize. But there are many other fabrics that are also non-vegan, such as moire, pongee, etc.
Check this list of vegan/non-vegan fabrics.
2. Brand label
Some brands use leather/suede to make their brand label. For example, Fjallraven jackets have a leather fox logo.
3. Patch and belt loops
Leather patches may occur on the back of jeans. Leather might also be used in a belt loop. For example, Alexander Wang uses one leather belt loop as their tag in this skirt.
4. Zipper
Occasionally, especially in outerwear, a zipper might have a pull tab made from leather.
5. Lining
Even if clothes are made from synthetic or other animal-free materials, there still might be a silk lining.
Silk is not a vegan fabric, for these reasons.
6. Sole, inner sole and inner lining of shoes
Many brands use leather and shearling for inner parts of shoes, and it might not be mentioned in the description.
For example, Joshua Sanders sandals have leather lining that is not obvious.
7. Outside part and details of shoes
Suede, leather, and shearling might be used for heel/toe parts or linings, as well as some small details such as logos.
8. Don’t hesitate to ask customer service
Ask customer service for assistance whenever you are not 100% sure that the product you’ve chosen is animal-free. This is especially important when you shop online and can’t inspect the product yourself.
9. Be against cruelty
Don’t buy anything that has animal-based fabrics. Even a small detail counts. Something tiny that you might even take off before wearing still fuels demand for cruelty. The key point is not only to avoid wearing such materials, but to avoid supporting animal cruelty with your money.
Featured image: vegan clothes shopping. Image credit Circuito Fora do Eixo, CC BY-SA 2.0 / cropped
