Vegan or not, I hope we can collectively agree that cruelty towards animals is just not acceptable. And that’s not only when it comes to our diet but also any other area in our lives, clothing, and fashion included.
Fortunately, fashion brands are awaking about the issues with animal rights and some are even labeled PETA-Approved Vegan. However, the catch is that “vegan” is not necessarily a standard for quality, ethics, or sustainability.
The disappointment is real when we realize that some vegan alternatives (such as faux leather) are of low-quality - or worse - bad for the environment. The feelings are similar when companies claim to care for animals but behind the scenes treat their own people “like animals”.
This is why we scoured the depths of the internet and put together a list of ethical vegan fashion brands that also use the highest quality materials! And no, this is not a drill.
What Is Vegan Clothing?
Vegan fashion is clothing that is cruelty-free and made without the use of animals or animal by-products. It is a part of veganism which as a whole rejects the commodification of animals.
Vegan Clothing Materials:
- Cotton
- Linen
- Hemp
- Cellulosic Fibers / Rayons (viscose, modal, lyocell, cupro, etc.)
- Synthetic Fibers (acrylic, polyester, nylon, spandex)
- Fleece
- Faux Leather
What Materials Are Not Vegan?
Leather. It is made from the skin of animals such as cows, sheep, and pigs, who are usually killed for their meat. Leather tanneries are also a major source of pollution.
Alternatives: Faux leather (made from polyurethane), Plant-based leather (made from cactus/ leftover leaves of the pineapple plant)
Wool. From sheep, goats, and alpaca. Mulesing is a cruel and traumatic practice often used by farmers to prevent flystrike. In addition, shearing can be painful and extremely stressful to the animals because the workers are paid per count, and speed is prioritized over animal welfare. In many cases, older and injured animals are sent to the slaughterhouse once rearing is done. Read what PETA has to say about wearing wool.
Alternatives: Fleece, Acrylic, Organic Cotton.
Silk. Silk is made by killing the silkworm, often by suffocating them with steam or by heating them in an oven.
Alternatives: Cupro, Viscose, Modal, etc.
Down. Some suppliers source feathers from farms that pluck the geese alive and force feed them to yield more liver for the food industry.
Alternatives: Synthetic insulation (such as polyester)
Fur. One of the popular animal products used in luxury fashion, animals such as mink, fox, and rabbits are bred and then killed cruelly for their fur which is used to make coats, scarves, and mittens.
Alternatives: Plant-based fur (made from hemp, viscose, cotton), Vegan fur (made of polyester/ acrylic).
Velvet. Typically made using silk, wool, or mohair, velvet is not vegan unless specified otherwise.
Exotic Animal Skin. Animals such as alligators and crocodiles are cruelly killed, and their skin is used to make bags and shoes.
Many fashion products use animal glue which is made by boiling an animal’s connective tissue and bones. Animal dyes are also something to look out for. They are extracted from the secretions and dried bodies of animals or insects. So, a product that seems vegan may not actually be.
Is Vegan Clothing Eco-friendly?
Vegan does not necessarily mean eco-friendly. In fact, many vegan products such as polyester, generic rayons, and faux leather are cruelty-free, but they cause harm to the environment. For example, fleece is a common alternative to wool. But fleece is a synthetic PET product that is not biodegradable and releases microplastics into the ocean when washed.
Vegan leather is also a synthetic material usually made from two types of plastic polymers. Plastic, as we already know, is NOT good for the environment. Non-organic cotton is a natural product, but it is usually GMO and causes harm to the environment because it needs a lot of water and pesticides to grow. GMO and pesticides are a major threat to biodiversity leading to poisoning and population declines. So the bottom line is that vegan alternatives might be cruelty-free, but that doesn't make them eco-friendly.
However, more sustainable vegan clothing materials do exist. Some examples are:
- Organic Cotton
- Hemp
- Linen
- TENCEL™ Lyocell / Modal
- Recycled Polyester / Nylon
- Recycled or Plant-based Vegan Leather
Vegan Clothing Brands
We put together a list of sustainable vegan clothing brands to make it easier for you! Most of them are approved by PETA, while others have collections free of animal products and by-products.
Groceries Apparel
From: Los Angeles, USA
Materials: Recycled Cotton and Polyester, Hemp, TENCEL™
Product Range: Loungewear and Activewear for Women, Apparel for Kids
Certified: PETA Vegan, GOTS
This brand wanted its consumers to explore “the true colors presented by nature,” which is why it uses non-toxic vegetable dyes, especially food waste. Some examples include pomegranate, carrot tops, onion skins, roots, bark, and flowers, and even real indigo. How cool is that? Now your food waste can be turned into colors! Groceries Apparel believes its products are made in the future because it uses non-toxic materials and dyes, pays fair wages, and manufactures everything locally. Not only are the brand's clothes colorful, they are also soft and very comfortable.
Similar:
- Girlfriend Collective [Washington, USA. Activewear for Women.]
Norden
From: Canada
Materials: Recycled and Repurposed Materials
Product Range: Outerwear for Men and Women
Certified: PETA Vegan, OEKO-TEX 100
Norden sells outerwear that means something; outerwear that you can make a difference with. Made locally in Canada, its products are made from recycled materials and are ecological inside and out. Even its workplace is eco-friendly with its repurposed furniture! Its minimalist contemporary designs allow you to style its products any way you want. Not only will they make you look good, they will also keep you as snug as a bug in a rug! It also has a “full circle” program in Canada where you can give back/ trade your old products. They will be repaired and given a new home, and you get $100 off! This is a brand that is really committed to sustainability and minimalism.
Mata Traders
From: Chicago, USA
Product Range: Women’s Apparel
Certified: PETA Vegan, Fair Trade
With fair trade at the center of their philosophy, this brand strives to create fashion with an impact by employing several women from marginalized communities in India and Nepal. By empowering women from poor households, Mata Traders makes sure that the ripples of the social impact they make will be felt for generations to come. It makes colorful clothes using traditional handmade techniques such as block and screen printing, and hand embroidery. This way, each article of clothing keeps a tiny piece of ancient heritage alive. The brand is size-inclusive and it also has a range of maternity wear!
Kuyichi
From: The Netherlands
Materials: Organic Cotton, Recycled Materials, TENCEL™
Product Range: Apparel for Men and Women
Certified: GOTS, GRS, OEKO-TEX 100
Kuyichi is making a difference in the fashion industry by making timeless wardrobe essentials (including sustainable denim). It believes that all pieces of clothing should last long enough to tell a story, and takes great care when it comes to design to ensure that. It strives to make its products as cruelty-free as possible, which is why even its jeans have vegan patches instead of the usual leather ones. The brand does use leather for some of its products, but all of the leather is salvaged from the European cow meat industry. With its simple, everlasting clothes and good practices, Kuyichi is trying to fix the system as much as it can.
People Tree
From: Europe
Materials: Organic Cotton, Linen, TENCEL™, Wool
Product Range: Women’s Apparel
Certified: PETA Vegan, Fair Trade, GOTS
People Tree makes conscious clothing for women ranging from loungewear to office-wear to activewear. It has a close-knit relationship with people from developing countries. Most of its clothes feature traditional artisanal skills such as weaving, knitting, embroidery, and block printing. Since these techniques are handmade, they reduce the carbon footprint. This brand believes that organic cotton is its DNA - even its denim is made from it! People Tree’s entire clothing range is not vegan, but it does have a vegan-approved collection. Though not ideal, it aims for animal fibers that are responsibly sourced, such as wool from non-mulesed sheep. This is a brand that is stylish and responsible!
Organic Basics
From: Denmark
Materials: Organic Cotton, Recycled Materials, TENCEL™
Product Range: Essentials, Underwear, and Activewear for Men and Women
Certified: PETA Vegan, GOTS
Organic Basics has one rule: invest in sustainable materials and quality workmanship, and make clothes that last for a long time. Its clothes are simple and are designed with functionality in mind. Its underwear is so soft and seamless that you won’t feel like you are wearing anything underneath. After all, that is what we want, right? The brand uses circular denim and recycled wool in order to keep the waste away from landfills. Organic Basics assumes responsibility by tracing almost all of its supply chain, using renewable energy, and also reusing textile offcuts. Its clothes are made using your comfort in mind!
NU-IN
From: Sweden
Materials: Organic Cotton, Recycled Materials, TENCEL™, Seaqual
Product Range: Women’s Apparel
Certified: PETA Vegan
Nu-In makes sustainably driven fashion using eco-friendly and upcycled materials. It believes that veganism and sustainability are not isolated concepts and that veganism is the single biggest way to reduce your carbon footprint. It strives to make the lowest possible impact on the environment and your wallet! Apart from being affordable, the brand is size-inclusive and versatile, too! Manufacturing locally in the EU helps Nu-In reduce its carbon footprint. All its clothes are seamless and antibacterial. Its products are designed for circularity so that they can be enjoyed for generations to come.
Boyish
From: Los Angeles, USA
Materials: Vegan Denim, Organic and Recycled Cotton, TENCEL™, Deadstock Fabrics
Product Range: Women’s Jeans, Women’s Apparel
Certified: PETA Vegan, GRS, OCS, GOTS
If you have been searching for a vegan jeans brand with great ethics - look no further! Combining the vintage with the modern, Boyish makes jeans for women out of men’s fabrics for the tomboy in you. It uses non-toxic and natural plant-based dyes while also recycling water to minimize environmental impact. Its jeans are durable and recyclable, and will outlast even you! Boyish’s jeans are as green as it gets - even its washing practices are ethical. The brand is zero-waste and carbon-neutral, recycling every scrap of fabric left behind and using recycled metals for zippers and buttons. Its sustainable practices make it feel good to buy its products, but they feel even better to wear.
Similar:
- MUD Jeans [The Netherlands. Denim Products for Men, Women, and Kids]
Mayamiko
From: UK
Materials: Organic Cotton, Linen, Salvaged Silk, Deadstock Fabrics
Product Range: Women’s Apparel
Certified: Fair Trade
Can vegan clothes be colorful? Mayamiko says yes! Made for joy, each Mayamiko dress has its own story. Each garment begins its story in local markets in Malawi, South Africa. The fabrics sourced from here are then turned into beautiful garments in solar-powered workshops. It provides employment to underprivileged and differently-abled people. Each garment has a QR code embedded in it which tells you the story of who made your clothes. Mayamiko is a zero-waste brand that employs cutting techniques that makes sure fabrics are utilized to the maximum. Any scrap material left behind gets turned into something else: headbands, parcel bags, and even reusable sanitary pads which are donated to young girls in refugee camps. It also uses salvaged silk which would otherwise have gone to landfills. With its clothes, you can send the message of sustainability across - bright and bold!
Kent
From: California, USA
Materials: Organic Cotton
Product Range: Underwear for Women
Certified: GOTS
Kent is on a mission to save the planet by making the most comfortable organic underwear. It uses organic pima cotton which is as soft as cashmere. It is also the first brand in the world to make compostable underwear! Tried and verified by LA compost, Kent underwear can be planted or added to your compost, and they will disappear completely in 90 days. Talk about being circular! It also reuses 100% of its textile offcuts. Not only is this brand reducing its impact on Earth, it is also providing comfort and ease to you and the planet.
Similar:
- Boody [Australia. Underwear and Activewear for Men, Women, and Kids.]
- Miakoda [New York, USA. Underwear and Essentials for Women.]
Ecoalf
From: Spain
Materials: Recycled Materials, Linen, TENCEL™, Organic Cotton
Product Range: Apparel for Men, Women, and Kids
Certified: PETA Vegan, GRS, Bluesign, OEKO-TEX 100
Ecoalf gives a new twist on sustainable fashion by respecting animals and using recycled and eco-friendly materials including post-consumer coffee grounds. Its goal is to use the least amount of natural resources possible because there is no planet B. Its recycling philosophy helps keep trash out of the oceans and landfills. Even its knitwear is made using recycled wool. This brand has even won the PETA Vegan Fashion Award. Its garments are given a post-consumer coffee grounds finish instead of using chemical treatments. Apart from being sustainable, this gives the clothes fast-drying, UV protection, and odor control properties. Ecoalf also does its part in spreading awareness about climate change!
Made Trade
From: North Carolina, USA
Materials: Organic Cotton, Linen, Hemp
Product Range: Apparel for Women, Loungewear for Men and Kids
This BIPOC and women-led brand celebrates diversity and sustainability by using only eco-friendly materials and using zero animal products and by-products. Its clothes are stylish and colorful, making them perfect for any occasion. Soft and breathable, these clothes make you look good and feel good. It also has a range of plus-sized clothes. Manufactured locally, it offsets 100% of its carbon emissions. When you buy Made Trade, you support inclusive and ethical practices!
Thought
From: UK
Materials: Organic Cotton, Recycled Polyester, Hemp, Bamboo, TENCEL™
Product Range: Apparel for Men and Women
Certified: Fair Trade, GOTS, OEKO-TEX 100, Ecocert
True to their name, this brand puts a lot of thought into what it does, right from responsible sourcing to considered design. The natural fabrics it uses are soft on your skin, and the beautiful patterns are kinder on your eyes. Each pattern has its own backstory and is made by people, not machines. Practical as well as flattering, its garments are made to be worn time and time again. It aims towards being zero-waste whenever possible: all its scrap fabrics get turned into headbands, and even the leftover yarn is made into socks. Its glue is vegan, and its labels are made from organic cotton. It also has a Code of Conduct to make sure workers get treated fairly. Some of its products use wool from non-mulesed sheep. It has an animal welfare policy that states that it only uses responsibly sourced and salvaged animal products. A little bit of thought can make a big difference. Thought encourages you to live a little more thoughtfully.
Toad and Co.
From: California, USA
Materials: Organic Cotton, Hemp, Recycled Materials, TENCEL™
Product Range: Apparel for Men and Women
Certified: OEKO-TEX 100, Bluesign
Toad and Co. is proud to say that it has broken up with plastic and only uses eco-friendly materials. Its simple clothes are “designed for good,” and fit the minimalistic criteria. This brand supports the circular economy by partnering with different programs that will give your clothes a new lease on life. It is also doing social good by co-founding the Planet Access Company (PAC), a state-of-the-art warehouse that trains and employs adults who are differently-abled. This brand believes that sustainability is the only way.
No Nasties
From: India
Materials: Organic Cotton
Product Range: Apparel for Men and Women
Certified: PETA Vegan, Fair Trade, GOTS
With the motto of “emit less, balance the rest,” No Nasties is proudly #planetpositive with the data to back it up. It achieves this by manufacturing locally and offsetting 300% more than what they emit. Apart from that, its website and parts of its factories are powered by renewable energy. It is also a zero-waste brand that uses 50% overstock fabrics and reuses its textile offcuts. Its cotton classics add to your elegance and make the planet better.
Blue District
From: Los Angeles, USA
Materials: Organic Cotton, Linen, Bamboo, Vegan Leather, Recycled Polyester, TENCEL™
Product Range: Apparel for Men and Women
Certified: PETA Vegan, OEKO-TEX 100, GOLD WRAP
Show stopping one-of-a-kind pieces that make you look like you just got out of a runway? Yes, please! Blue District sells colorful, unique pieces (at an affordable price) that encourage you to celebrate your individuality. Its motto is to be cruelty-free and use eco-friendly materials for everything - right from its tags to its clothes. It refuses to use animal products because it likes animals “living by them, and not dead on them.” Most of the time, it also uses deadstock fabrics and all its products are manufactured locally. Shop sustainable. Buy unique clothes. Set your own trend.
Vege Threads
From: Australia
Materials: Organic Cotton, Hemp, ECONYL, Wool
Product Range: Apparel for Women
Certified: PETA Vegan, Ethical Clothing Australia
Vege Threads makes ethical everyday wear that are practical yet beautifully designed. Its pieces are manufactured locally in Australia and are made to last. It provides jobs for locals and ensures garment traceability. It uses GOTS cotton and responsibly sourced merino wool for its knitwear. All its dyes are non-toxic and are ACO (Australian Certified Organic) dyes. Shop here for some everyday basics in a variety of colors!