products. But now the more I educate myself on the subject of by-products of the meat industry, the less desire I have for buying any “new” leather goods. Yet, I would still buy used leather goods from a charity shop/thrift store as this I believe is helping the planet by recycling.
So what does it really mean to be ethical and is it possible to still be fashionable? I think the term ethical is such an umbrella term, but what does it mean exactly and can we be fashionable and ethical at the same time?
As defined by Collins English Dictionary: “If you describe something as ethical, you mean that it is morally right or morally acceptable.”
I like to think, “Ethical Fashion” symbolizes an approach to the design, sourcing and manufacture of apparel, which maximizes benefits to people, animals and communities, while succeeding in minimizing the impact on the environment. I guess it’s finding a balance that you’re morally comfortable and can live with.
I actually call myself a veggie because I don’t drink dairy milk or eat cheese or eggs, but I do wear leather shoes (sometimes I just cannot resist a pair of designer shoes) so I wouldn’t classify myself as vegan. I am by no means perfect at all, but I am aiming to live as ethically as I can and let’s just say, it is an ongoing process. But, I also remember when “vegan leather” used to be associated with tree hugging hippies who went around wearing ugly chunky granny-like footwear. Not what I call fashion forward.
So it’s great to see designers like Stella McCartney creating apparel suitable for vegetarians, proving that is possible to be stylish and ethical. Just a shame the price tag is so high and not affordable for everyone.
Thankfully there are several companies/high-street stores that include a good selection of non-leather shoes or other synthetic products in their stock, such as Accessorize, Faith New Look, Nine West, Shuh, Sketchers (trainers), Free people, ASOS, Rocketdog (their manmade shoes contain vegan glues) and Irregular Choice, which also have a line of vegan shoes too.
Or alternatively you can completely take out the guess work and visit BBoheme, or Wills vegan shoes as these are 100% vegan with a nice range of modern styles to suite all budgets.
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