Wear Your Own Skin This Winter

With temperatures rapidly dropping and it being the coldest time of the year, winter wardrobes are coming out. Unfortunately, for the animals, this means tons of wool, leather, and fur. This time of year everyone is breaking out their finest animal skin, which to vegans, looks less fashionable and more Hannibal Lecter-ish. The skin DOES belong to someone else, ya know? Choosing to leave animal products out of your closet doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice trendy outfits. Just like food, there are products that are very similar to animal products without actually containing any. For instance, if you like the aesthetic of a fur coat but don’t want to wear the skin of an exploited animal (because who does, anyway?), faux fur coats are just as easy to find. Often times they are even more budget-friendly than a real fur coat, mostly because authentic fur is seen as a “luxury.” When you know about the suffering behind the jacket, it doesn’t seem so luxurious anymore.

For the first time, shopping for clothes that are vegan may seem stressful. However once you begin reading labels, you will realize that it is pretty easy to find clothes that don’t use animal products. With the ability to shop online, you can find a vegan look-a-like of just about any article of clothing. The following words are good indicators for if a piece of clothing is vegan-friendly or not: canvas, corduroy, cork fabric, cotton, cotton flannel, down alternatives, faux suede, “manmade” materials, polyester, satin, synthetic materials, and Thermoball. There are many resources available online such as guides to shopping vegan, YouTube videos, and much more. There are also many websites online that have large collections of vegan specific clothing in styles that would typically not be vegan.

This winter, my faux fur coat and Ugg look-a-likes are keeping me warm and no harm had to be done to animals for either. Wearing these items, I look just the same as the girl next to me wearing a Canada goose jacket and real Uggs. Every time you go clothes shopping, ask yourself not what are you wearing, but WHO are you wearing.