Vegetarian and Vegan Clothing

Posted by Jill Harris Jan 29, 2008

I am a vegetarian, and I like to make ethical choices in other areas of my life too. Leather purses and shoes are a no-no.

Some people think I am being obsessive, that I could never “stop” the meat industry, or that the animals that die for fashion do so naturally and are just picked up and turned into leather after the fact. None of these ideas are true, and it bothers me how easily some people expect me to give up my beliefs.

It is difficult to go without in a society that prizes leather as a status symbol. Store clerks look at me like I’m crazy when I ask if they have anything not made from leather. Ordering from the Internet is hit-and-miss when it comes to size (and style) and stores like the Toronto-based Left Feet are few and far between, especially in smaller cities.

Would you be willing to give up footwear choice – and sometimes fashion – to join the good fight for cruelty-free clothing and shoes? I would appreciate more voices telling manufacturers we need more vegan options. To walk into a store and try on something stylish without checking the tag first would be a dream.

My quest for new shoes, however, has taken so long my old shoes are wearing through the soles, and I’ve resorted to trying to get away with running shoes with every outfit.

Since I became vegetarian, one idea has stuck with me. Vegetarianism is not about being perfect; about finding every product that contains gelatin or about not “being allowed” to eat certain things.

It is about making the most ethical choice in a given situation.

If there were no vegan shoes, of course I would wear leather. But we have the technology. So why are there so few choices?