What is vegan clothing and why does it matter?

by Anna Bennington on November 14, 2016

These days it is pretty unlikely you haven't ever heard the word "vegan". Searches for the word vegan and related terms have doubled and tripled over the past few years, according to Google Trends. The number of people switching to a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle have been increasing by the thousands worldwide. More restaurants are implementing vegan menus and new fully vegan restaurants are popping up. Still, while you might know that vegans avoid bacon and cheese, you might not know a lot about vegan clothing and how it fits in to the vegan lifestyle.

fruit and vegetables laid out on a table

Vegans try to live a life that avoids the exploitation of animals, wherever is possible and as much as is possible. Most vegans see veganism as a way of life rather than a diet (people who just avoid animal products for health reasons say they are on a "plant based diet). That means rethinking not just the food we put in our mouths but also other things such as our forms of entertainment and the clothes we choose to wear.

But what's not vegan about clothing? Well, unfortunately many of the most common materials used for clothing these days are made from animal derivatives. Leather is usually made from cow hides or the hides of other animals. Wool comes from sheep (or cashmere from goats and angora from rabbits). Silk is actually made by moth caterpillars. None of these fabrics are considered eco-friendly, and of course not friendly to the animals who are being killed or used for the materials.

bamboo

However, many vegan fabrics do exist and can be used as altenatives. Cotton, a popular material in the textile industry, is made from plant material, as is rayon, which is becoming a more popular vegan alternative to silk. While cotton is picked and spun from the cotton plant, rayon is actually made from wood pulp and other plant fibers. Rayon can actually imitate the texture of wool or silk - without harming any sentient beings! Cotton and rayon are both animal-friendly, eco-friendly fibers as well as being extremely comfortable and breathable.

Today more and more people are realizing that they can live a vegan lifestyle in comfort and ease. Even if you aren't fully committed to living a vegan lifestyle, you can reduce the amount of animal byproducts you consume without hurting your comfort level. Such a move is kinder to the environment, the animals and ourselves.

Cotton vegan clothing

At Hippie-Pants we're committed to offering products that are sustainable, eco-friendly and animal-friendly, without compromising quality or comfort. Check out our online catalogue to find breathable, comfortable pants that you can enjoy while knowing no animal has suffered for it. If you share our passion for sustainable clothing, feel free to follow us on Facebook or Pinterest.