When is clothing vegan?
It is undoubtedly the first question we must answer: clothing is vegan when its composition does not include raw materials of animal origin and at the same time does not exploit them in laboratory tests.
Contemporary fashion highlights this rapidly growing trend: giving up materials of animal origin (leather, fur coats, silk, feathers, wool) in favor of alternative materials such as natural ones of vegetable origin, but even more often synthetic ones.
It is certainly not just about "being vegan" or not. Vegan, Cruelty Free, Animal Free .. change the term, but the goal remains the same:
- STOP to textile fibers of animal origin.
- STOP the exploitation of animals.
Certifications for vegan clothing
THEvegan clothing women, men and children, but also products such as bags, shoes, scarves, belts and other fashion accessories can be defined as such when they have at least one of these textile certifications:
- People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)
- VeganOK
- Anti Vivisection League (LAV)
- Animal Free Fashion
These certifications are not assigned to the single product, but to the fashion brand that makes it.
Although in some cases, such as for Animal Free Fashion, certified fashion brands can produce clothing in wool or leather, but clearly products made with these materials will not have the “vegan” label.
It seems contradictory, but there is a reason that we will see later.
What does cruelty free clothing mean?
Vegan clothing and cruelty free clothing are synonymous, since cruelty free is equivalent to saying "without cruelty": in the textile sector violence against animals is comparable to that attributed to the food sector, but with the substantial difference "in utility".
Humanity is not ready to give up animal food, neither from a logistical nor a cultural point of view, and however cruel we can consider it "rational", but it is not at all rational to see millions of animals locked in cages just to dress, since we can consider it as a pure question of vanity.
In fashion there are alternatives that do not make you regret the materials of animal origin.
Vegan clothing with PETA
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) is an international association that fights for the rights and against the exploitation of animals.
They act through sector surveys, information disclosure and targeted campaigns.
Their efforts are concentrated in 4 specific sectors:
- Intensive breeding
- Entertainment industry
- Fur farms
- Experimentation and vivisection
Buy from certified fashion brands PETA is equivalent to buying vegan clothing.
Vegan clothing with VeganOK
VeganOK it is a very widespread certification especially in food products, but it is also possible to find this label in fashion.
For over 20 years the brand VeganOK it fights for animal rights, creating and disseminating information thanks to a dense network of thematic sites, sector magazines, internet, TV and other communication channels.
Buy from certified fashion brands VeganOK is equivalent to buying vegan clothing.
Vegan clothing with Animal Free Fashion
Animal Free Fashion is a project conceived by the Anti Vivisection League (LAV) with the aim of certifying the fashion brands that request it. The brands undertake to comply with a series of requirements imposed by the same certification Animal Free Fashion.
Certification Animal Free Fashion uses a simple rating system to evaluate fashion brands, which undertake not to use one or more materials of animal origin in their products.
Any clothing, handbag, shoe or fashion accessory company can apply for certification Animal Free Fashion giving up exclusively to furs and obtaining the first certification rating called V (followed by VV, VVV, VVV +).
As the brand renounces other materials of animal origin, it will get a rating Animal Free Fashion higher.
Buy from certified fashion brands Animal Free Fashion is equivalent to buying vegan clothing.
Vegan clothing considerations
There are many fashion brands that cannot afford to give up all materials of animal origin in one fell swoop, consequently the Rating of Animal Free Fashion seems to be a really good choice by LAV: it encourages the search for alternative fabrics and gives companies time to convert their production without upsetting the business.
By carrying out research online, we immediately understand that thevegan clothing is far behind in Italy compared to other European countries such as Germany and England, where the demand for vegan clothing is much higher.
With this we do not want to justify those who continue to cause suffering for animals, but we want to encourage consumers to make more informed choices, the rest will be a pleasant consequence dictated by the growing demand for certified vegan clothing.
Don't just buy synthetic or in products natural fibers, but look for one of the 3 labels we showed you if you really want buy vegan clothing.
5 reasons to buy vegan clothing, even if you are "omnivorous"
1. Stop Useless Torture on Animals
Intensive breeding increasingly cruel to the employees of such businesses forced to become cold-blooded killers. We can blame those who work for these companies, but we are sure that most of them would change jobs if they had the chance.
Intensive farming is much worse than slaughterhouses, a hell for animals forced to live their short lives in very narrow spaces, abused, and finally brutally killed.
We do not believe that the world is ready to give up the "pleasures of the flesh", but those who continue to buy clothing in fabrics of animal origin could do without them. Simply avoiding them, or even better by choosing to buy from brands of sustainable fashion that they use vegan fabrics.
It is essential to understand that we can buy products in artificial, synthetic, or natural materials of plant origin, thus avoiding those of animal origin, since the vegan fabrics they are so avant-garde that they have nothing to envy to fabrics of animal origin.
Even if you don't want to follow a vegan lifestyle, giving up animal-based materials would still be a huge contribution to them.
2. Vegan is synonymous with eco-sustainable
We often think of the connection between the words "vegan" and "eco-sustainable" and the more we think about it the more we are convinced that these two go in the same direction. The fashion companies they use vegan fabrics They are always at the forefront in terms of environmental footprint: they use ecological manufacturing processes and energy resources from renewable sources.
The earth is polluted and we are not in good shape. One of the main causes is the intensive farming of animals, which release enormous quantities of greenhouse gases into the air.
Living an eco-sustainable life must be considered as a primary goal. Passing on to future generations additional values, beyond those that our parents have handed down to us, since 30/40/50 years ago these problems were not as evident as they are today.
We all have the duty not to turn our backs, being aware of what is happening to the planet is fundamental, as is knowing the companies that respect the environment and recognizing ecological products simply by looking at the label.
Vegan is eco-friendly, choose vegan fabrics and Animal Free certified fashion brands, Peta, LAV and VeganOK is equivalent to polluting less.
3. We try the Best Vegan and Ecological Fabrics
Vegan-certified fashion brands create clothing collections or fashion products using vegan and ecological fabrics. Unfortunately we are used to always seeing the usual fabrics in clothing stores, but we assure you that the list is really long: there are in fact more than 40 sustainable vegan fabrics and materials on the market:
Natural vegan fabrics
Excluding natural fabrics of animal origin such as wool, silk, leather, feathers, we can buy vegan clothing made in textile fibers natural of plant origin: organic cotton, pipeline, hemp, ramia, jute.
Artificial vegan fabrics
I artificial fabrics they are made by man starting from a natural raw material and thanks to science they are able to improve the already known properties of natural fabrics. Unique performance for fabrics such as modal, lyocell, Bamboo, castor, corn and orange fiber which are all forms of viscose.
Synthetic vegan fabrics
Vegan clothing with synthetic fabrics? Yes, as long as it is a certified fabric with low environmental impact, and usually these are made thanks to the recycling of resources. Not that there are many, but something is moving in this direction: Newlife, Recycled microfiber, Econyl.
Vegan alternatives to skin
Here a world opens up, alternatives to leather are evolving rapidly and becoming more and more sustainable from an environmental point of view: Muskin, fruitleather, AppleSkin, Ligneah, Malai, Mylo, Piñatex, and Rinnova, but also the municipality cork , bioplastic.
4. We stimulate the development of new vegan fabrics
Give up animal-based fabrics in favor of vegan fabrics pushes science to new challenges. Let's take a practical example by taking one of the main characteristics of wool: thermoregulation (ability to keep warm in winter and cool in summer).
If our city is very cold during the winter period, we should choose suitable fabrics to protect us from the cold.
Suppose we have to spend most of the day outside in temperatures well below freezing, a job that involves a lot of physical movements would allow us to stay warm, but what if it were a decidedly static job? We would be cold and need more clothing to wear, probably an extra couple of shirts in addition to a heavy jacket.
Man is revolutionizing textile fibers thanks to science (see nanomolecules, electronic fabrics, etc), and sooner than we think it could create an ecological fiber with characteristics superior to wool, a fiber that would allow us to wear only one garment even in freezing temperatures.
5. We save humanity from itself
The textile industry is the second most polluting in the world, but not only that, as it contributes to the deaths of millions of animals and thousands of human beings every year. Social exploitation, child labor, are just a couple of the downsides of the Fast Fashion, a fashion that flows fast without any more logic.
Imagine those who are forced to work and breathe toxic substances every day, but also those like us who wear contaminated clothing daily and for life.
Companies NOT attentive to the environment are the majority and completely out of control, especially in developing countries. The damage caused by the textile industry in countries like China and India is incalculable, and it is impossible not to reflect on the fact that these damages will fall heavily on us, even if thousands of kilometers away.
It is unthinkable to wait for politics to find "intelligent" solutions when we ourselves are the solution to the problem: we know the facts, we have the necessary information, we only have to make the right choice when we buy a product, we should not be based only on the price, but be more careful in looking at the labels.
Buy vegan clothing online
acquistare vegan clothing it is not just a personal choice, but a contribution to the protection of many animal species, the environment and future generations:
