HOW TO WEAR
VEGAN

Humans may differ in appearance from cows, sheep, and other animals killed for clothing, but we're alike in all the ways that matter most. We all think and feel; experience pain, fear, love, and joy; and, most importantly, share a desire to live. Speciesism—like any form of discrimination—is an oppressive belief system that allows humans to reduce other living, feeling beings to fur on a jacket, a pair of sneakers, or a handbag.

When we shop, we have the power through our purchases to reject speciesism by choosing clothing and accessories made from vegan materials. Wearing vegan allows us to respect other animals as individuals who have as much interest in freedom and staying alive as we do.

Animals are not objects that belong to us—they're individuals with their own interests, just like us.

Shopping for vegan clothing, shoes, and accessories is super-easy. We'll show you what to wear, where to find your next vegan outfit, and which materials to avoid and why.

1What to Wear

Vegan clothing is easy to find when you know what to look for. Swipe or click through below to find out which materials are vegan and which materials to avoid.

shoes

Peruse more shoes by this designer:
Susi Studio

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

Faux leather, all synthetic materials, human-made materials, polyurethane, microfiber, pineapple leather, biofabricated leather, cork, paper leather, mushroom leather, waxed canvas, "mock croc," "fake snake," Ultrasuede, microsuede, and faux suede

What to Avoid

Leather, suede, alligator skin, snakeskin, and kangaroo skin
Tip: Look inside the shoe toward the heel or under the tongue to find this information.

purses & wallets

Peruse more bags and accessories by this company:
Matt & Nat

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

Faux leather, all synthetic materials, human-made materials, polyurethane,
microfiber, pineapple leather, biofabricated leather, cork, paper leather, mushroom leather, waxed canvas, "mock croc," "fake snake," Ultrasuede, microsuede, and faux suede

What to Avoid

Leather, suede, alligator skin, snakeskin, and kangaroo skin

Ties

Peruse more ties by this company:
Jaan J.

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

Tencel, microfiber, hemp, bamboo, viscose, linen, nylon, polyester, rayon, cotton, and acrylic

What to Avoid

Silk, wool, and cashmere

Sweaters

Peruse more sweaters by this company:
Abercrombie & Fitch

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

Tencel, microfiber, polyester fleece, cotton, hemp, bamboo, viscose, linen, rPET, acrylic, and cotton flannel

What to Avoid

Wool, angora wool, pashmina, cashmere, shearling, camel hair, mohair, silk, and alpaca

Blouses

Peruse more tops by this company:
ModCloth

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

Tencel, hemp, bamboo, cupro, nylon, polyester, cotton, rayon, modal, and viscose

What to Avoid

Silk

Suits

Peruse more suits by this company:
Brave GentleMan

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

Tencel, modal, linen, polyester, cotton, viscose, and rayon

What to Avoid

Wool, silk, cashmere, and fur

Coats & Jackets

Peruse more jackets by this company:
Hemp Tailor

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

PrimaLoft, Thinsulate, Polartec Wind Pro, Thermolite, hemp,
down alternative, synthetic down, faux fur, polyester fleece,
polyester, waxed canvas

What to Avoid

Wool, fleece, down, fur, and shearling

Scarves & Bandanas

Peruse more items from this company:
Free People

Vegan Materials and Common Terms

Tencel, satin, linen, cotton, acrylic, and polyester fleece

What to Avoid

Silk, pashmina, cashmere, shearling, camel hair, mohair, alpaca, and angora wool

Check the Label

The label in shoes is often printed inside toward the heel or under the tongue. On garments, look for the label inside the item's neck or waistband or near the bottom.

For all the hottest tips and tricks for keeping your vegan outfits on point, visit PETA Living. »

2Where to Shop

Whether you shop online, at the mall, or at boutiques, vegan fashion is everywhere. A quick search for #VeganFashion on social media will lead you to plenty of brands and inspire you!

Tips for Identifying Vegan Items

Check the Price

Vegan clothing and accessories are often more affordable than those made with animal-derived materials, but be sure to read the label, too.

Search for Answers

If all else fails, whip out your smart phone and use this guide or a search engine to find answers.

Top Retailers and Brands

Many of the biggest names in fashion offer vegan apparel to suit every style. Here are just a few brands offering vegan items for the most fashion-forward looks:

Remember: Not all the products offered by these companies are necessarily vegan, so always check the labels.

More Ways to Shop Vegan

Look for companies that use our "PETA-Approved Vegan" logo to identify their animal-friendly clothing and accessories. The PETA Mall features companies that support our vital work for animals, including many fashion and accessory brands. And if you're looking for animal rights clothing and accessories, check out the PETA Shop. Vegan fashion is just a click away:

Take your wardrobe to the next level by checking out PETA's clothing guide »

3Materials to Avoid

No one wants a horror show in their closet. Shoppers are ditching leather, wool, and fur, but animals suffer for other materials, too. Learn about all the materials that are a big “fashion don’t” and why:

Leather

Millions of cows, pigs, sheep, goats, and other animals are slaughtered for their skin every year. They're castrated, branded, and dehorned, and their tails are docked—all without pain relief. Then they're trucked to slaughter, bled to death, and skinned.

Wool

Sheep shearers are usually paid by volume, not by the hour, which encourages fast work without regard for the welfare of the animals. Shearers have been caught on video punching, kicking, and cutting sheep as they hastily shear their wool. Much of the world's wool comes from Australia, where millions of sheep undergo "mulesing," in which workers use tools resembling gardening shears to cut big chunks of skin and flesh from the backsides of sheep—often without painkillers.

Fur

Animals on fur farms spend their entire lives confined to cramped, filthy wire cages. Fur farmers often use the cheapest killing methods available, and animals are suffocated, electrocuted, gassed, or poisoned before their skin is torn from their body. Animals trapped in their natural habitats for fur can suffer for days before eventually dying of blood loss, dehydration, frostbite, gangrene, or attacks by predators.

Angora Wool

Angora rabbits scream and kick in panic as farmers violently tear the fur from their sensitive skin. And it doesn't end there—rabbits endure this nightmare every three months.

Watch "The Truth Behind Angora Fur" to learn more.

Down

Workers tear feathers from geese and ducks while they're still alive or after slaughter. Birds shriek in pain and terror as workers hold them down and tear out their feathers. Workers often pluck them so hard that their skin rips open, leaving gaping wounds that workers crudely stitch back together—all without any painkillers.

Shearling

Shearling, which is used to line UGG boots, is a lamb or sheep's skin with the wool still attached.

Cashmere

Investigators have documented that goats are pinned to the floor with their legs tied together as workers use shears or large clippers to remove their hair as quickly as possible. Workers commonly remove kids' horns at the age of 1 or 2 weeks, typically by burning them off with a hot iron or caustic chemical paste, sometimes resulting in severe burns or blindness. Males endure painful testicle removal using rubber rings, all without pain relief.

Mohair

Much of the world's mohair comes from South Africa, where an investigator revealed that workers dragged, roughly handled, and mutilated fully conscious angora goats on farms. Shearers are paid by volume, not by the hour, which motivates them to shear goats quickly and carelessly, leaving the terrified animals cut up and bleeding. Robbed of their natural insulation after shearing, many goats die of exposure to cold wind and rain. Angora goats endure the stressful shearing process for five or six years, and most of the surviving goats in South Africa are sold for crude backyard slaughter.

Watch "Goats Thrown, Cut, Killed for Mohair" to learn more.

Reptile Skins

"Exotic" animals such as alligators and crocodiles are farmed for their skin and meat. To kill them, workers commonly hack into their necks and scramble their brains with metal rods, sometimes leaving them conscious and in agony for minutes after they're skinned. Two or three crocodiles are skinned to make one handbag.

Watch "Reptiles Killed for Their Skin" to learn more.

Ostrich Skins and Feathers

Ostriches are often killed when they're just 1 year old so that their skin can be used to make handbags and their feathers can be used as accessories. Workers have been caught striking ostriches during transport and forcing terrified birds into stun boxes, causing many to slip and fall. The young ostriches are stunned and their throats are cut before workers tear feathers from their still-warm bodies and skin them.

Watch "Ostriches Killed for Handbags" to learn more.

Silk

Silk is the fiber that silkworms weave to make cocoons. While the worms are in the metamorphosis process to become moths, workers steam or gas them to death in their cocoons. Roughly 3,000 animals are killed for each pound of silk.

Watch "Is Silk Vegan?" to learn more.

More materials made or derived from animals:

Alpaca • camel hair • fleece • kangaroo skin • Karakul lamb fur • pashmina • shahtoosh • suede • vicuña

You're on your way to a chic, cruelty-free lifestyle

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Going vegan means celebrating animals by not wearing them, not using products tested on them, and eating delicious meals that are free of animal products. If you haven't yet made the compassionate decision to go vegan, we have a handy guide that will show you how easy it is to go vegan in just three simple steps.