Can Fashion Be Vegan? Animal-Free Alternatives to Fashion Traditions
Contrary to popular belief, veganism is a lifestyle beyond dietary choices. Vegan fashion is clothing, shoes, bags, and accessories made without using or harming animals in the environment. These are items that do not have any animal material in their production process. This shift to plant-based materials has been influenced by the rising environmental and ethical concerns.
Have you thought of going vegan in your fashion? Then it would be best if you considered avoiding fashion items made from animal products like wool, fur, leather, suede, and silk, from animal origin. And switch to plant-based materials like hemp, organic linen, organic cotton, soybean-based fabric, lyocell, ecovero, wood pulp, and bamboo. Seems interesting, right?
The Following are The Noble Reasons Why You People Are Going Vegan
Animal Welfare and Cruelty-free habit
When harvesting animal products such as fur, wool, and sued, animals are sometimes subjected to torture. The animals are not always treated decently as most animals are killed, skinned alive, beaten, and others put in terrible conditions. As a result, organizations such as Human Society International and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) campaign against animal abuse and use for fashion.
Environmental Concerns
Vegan materials such as cotton, linen, hemp, and piñatex are healthy materials that are friendly to the ecosystem and can be produced without harming the environment. On the contrary, non-vegan materials such as leather and fur lead to green gas emissions during processing and after disposal.
Vegan fashion is affordable
Vegan materials are cheaper compared to non-vegan materials like fur and leather, which are expensive. Many vegan fashion brands make good quality products and are affordable. There are a variety of products from makeup to faux fur coats.
Alternative Vegan Materials
Linen
Linen can last long and remains firmer and softer when used. Linen fabrics absorb up to 20% of its weight in moisture before it becomes damp. Unlike wool, linen dries quickly and keeps you cool.
Organic cotton
Organic cotton is friendly to the ecosystem and improves soil quality. When planting organic cotton uses less water and does not require harmful chemicals for its growth. It can be cleaned quickly and can dry faster compared to other non-vegan materials.
Wood
Materials made from wood pulp are called lyocell. Lyocell is made from environmentally friendly procedures that reuse processing chemicals. Lyocell is soft and can be washed, dyed, and woven. Lyocell can be used instead of animal products like suede, wool, leather, or moleskin.
Seaweed
Seaweeds such as brown algae can be picked, dried, crushed, and ground, then introduced to a cellulose fiber to produce textile materials known as SeaCell. SeaCell materials are safe to use since they are good for the skin.
Hemp
Hemp does not require pesticides or chemical fertilizers for its growth. It quickly decomposes when disposed of, not causing harm to the environment. Brands like WAMA and Patagonia use hemp to make fashionable and sustainable fashion.
Beech Tree Fiber
Rayon fibers such as modal are often considered natural-synthetic. Modal makes soft and smooth fabric that dyes easily and drapes well. The best part is that modal fabric does not need ironing as it retains its shape, size, and strength even after washing.
Soybeans
Soybeans can be processed to make soy fabric which is also known as ‘vegetable cashmere.’ The material does not contain petrochemicals and is entirely biodegradable. These features make it eco-friendly, sustainable, and durable.
rPET
Recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) is recycled plastic bottles that are processed to form a polyester fiber. Recycled polyester is used in making clothing materials that are soft and cozy.
In vegan makeup, Cruelty-free, vegan, organic are some of the words used to identify vegan makeup products. These vegan makeup products are made from animal-free materials such as coconut oil, soybeans, and plant oil.
Apart from clothes, jewelry can also be made from vegan materials, and wood beads can be used instead.
Recently big brands and fashion shows are changing to veganism and raising awareness on animal products and animal cruelty. Countries like the US, UK, Germany, and France are investing a lot in the vegan market. According to the London –based retail technology company Edited, by the end of January 2019, there was a 5% increase in products described as ‘vegan’ in the UK over the year. Therefore you should consider changing vegan fashion.
In a nutshell, vegan fashion excludes all materials like silk, feathers, leather, wool, cashmere, or fur. So the first step to joining the vegan fashion movement is to learn about the various types of fabrics, vegan and non-vegan. It is also essential to make sure that your vegan alternatives are sustainable for the environment. The best practice is to choose slow fashion brands which prioritize employee welfare, animal welfare, and the environment in their business models.
