In January 2021, more than 580,000 people signed up to do ‘Veganuary’, pledging to cut all meat and dairy from their diet for the month. But what about their wardrobes? Veganism, if taken on fully, would involve cutting all animal products from your wider lifestyle, too, and the prospect of navigating the clothes shops might suddenly sound like a bigger commitment than eating a few extra seed-rich meals.  

Fear not; there are now dozens of vegan-friendly fashion brands out there producing clothes that are truly stylish, without using any leather, fur, wool, feathers, silk, exotic skins or other animal-derived materials. 

Ethical fashion remains a minefield. Some argue that vintage leather is OK. Stella McCartney has never used leather or fur in her designs, but will use responsibly sourced wool as she believes the quality is better than alternatives. In March 2021 she introduced her first line of garments made from Mylo, or ‘mushroom leather’ which is grown from the natural fibre mycelium, and was one of the first designers ever to do so. Meanwhile the Duchess of Sussex is a fan of vegan leather trousers (more on those shortly), but still has many leather handbags in her collection.

Ruling leather, silk and wool off your sartorial menu will enlarge your environmental footprint in ways you might not have predicted, however, as many vegan labels need to produce their products with plastic-based fabrics instead. But a lot of brands are aware of the issue, and are seeking to make clothes that are both animal and environmentally friendly.

If you are thinking of making some changes to the way you shop in 2022, here is a guide to 15 brands that are vegan-friendly whilst also trying to limit their environmental impact. And, crucially, they don’t compromise on style either…

Nanushka

After the Duchess of Sussex said that ‘cropped pants in vegan leather’ were one of her fashion essentials in 2017, searches for what exactly ‘vegan leather trousers’ are soared by 67%. In short, they are ones made from synthetic leather-look materials like PU and PVC, without using any animal skins or derivatives in the coatings or glues. But of course some designer incarnations offer better quality.

Nanushka designer Sandra Sandor’s vegan leather collection has expanded to offer glossy dresses, bags, shoes, shirts and jackets recently, as well as trousers, all of which have a luxe edge and are cut into more exciting silhouettes than your standard biker attire.