Written by Menswear Style in Tips & Advice on the 15th February 2021

When choosing to go vegan there are plenty of options you can explore to minimise your environmental impact. Aside from not eating meat or any animal-based foods, more people are looking into wearing clothing that doesn’t require animal materials or support animal cruelty in any form in the manufacturing process. The fashion industry is adapting to these new customers, and you too can join the cruelty-free lifestyle while looking your best. At first, you might feel discouraged and overwhelmed with how limiting your options appear to be, but all you need to know is where to look. Once you know the right places to shop, buying high-quality clothes will be a breeze. There are some steps you can take if you’re new to this lifestyle, so without further ado, here are some fashion tips from the experts for going vegan in style.

Know What Brands Are Vegan 

Thanks to the increased exposure of social media influencers, certain fashion brands have become more popular in the public eye thanks to their vegan approach. You may be surprised at the number of manufacturers that don’t include any animal-based material in their products, and many brands are starting to incorporate vegan sections to their clothing range in response to these new requirements. You can recognise these options thanks to international certifications that verify their compromise to using vegan alternatives in their fashion products. In this way, you get to buy a brand that won’t compromise your vegan values.

Research Cruelty-free Options 

While doing your research, write down which options are more accessible to you and look for the ones that appeal to your fashion style. It may take longer to find the perfect match, but following vegan choices come with additional responsibilities that will have a positive impact on our society. The good news is that you can research specific garments to narrow down your search and look fabulous with vegan designer bags if you look in the right places. And to put the cherry on top, you won’t need to spend your entire budget on a single item since alternative materials tend to be way cheaper than their animal counterparts. 

Go With Faux Leather Or Cotton Products 

If you want to lead a more sustainable and animal-friendly lifestyle, there are some materials you may want to avoid. There’s no need to be a fashion expert to know that leather is the first material that needs to stay away from your wardrobe, but what most people don’t realise at first is that wool and silk also count as animal-based materials. Due to the dubious processes behind the extraction of these materials, many vegan enthusiasts avoid these materials like the plague. Your best bet is to go with faux leather or cotton products since you’re guaranteed 100% animal-free material. You’ll be able to identify fake fur if you check the label. If you want to take an extra step towards being mindful of the planet, make sure to select eco-friendly fabrics or go to a vintage shop where you can choose depending on your personal criteria. Other vegan materials available can be polyester, spandex, bamboo, microfiber, and hemp, just to name a few.

Always Read the Labels 

If your clothing store choices are limited, the second-best option you have is to check the material breakdown listed in the labels. What may seem like a nice vegan jacket at first may be hiding nocive animal-based components if you decide to read the fine print. Aside from learning about how to properly take care of your clothing to make it last longer, you can easily discern if your chosen garment is completely ethically manufactured. When checking the instruction label included in any clothing item, make sure that you don’t see any animal ingredients and that the manufacturer explicitly states that they didn’t test their product on animals, nor they used animal cruelty methods in their processes. Discard the garment from your shopping cart if you find any button made out of real pearls or if you’re inspecting a rain jacket coated with beeswax. Any material that comes from another living being, be it a mammal or insect, is not considered vegan. 

Almost everyone starts by either going into a vegetarian or vegan diet and afterward they decide to look into other areas of their life to see where else they can make a positive impact. It may seem difficult to purchase cruelty-free clothes, but fortunately, the fashion industry has heard the worries and demands of animal activists and have adapted their processes. Never give up on your search for a more sustainable, cruelty-free lifestyle, and show off your elegant wardrobe and high-quality clothing that keeps you dapper and warm without exploiting other living beings.

We look into vegan brands, cruelty-free clothing, and faux leather for this blog post on Going Vegan in Style.