Vegan Leather: Innovative Cruelty-Free Lifestyle Option

 Whoever thought the day would come when real leather jackets, handbags and shoes would become passé? Extremists who spray-painted  real fur wearers were certainly in the wrong, as individual choices are all about what America stands for. Their purist agenda of eliminating animal cruelty however, has finally seeped into the consciousness of apparel and accessories manufacturers, resulting in the creation of vegan leather.

Vegan Leather Jacket: Source: Sheknows.com

Today, clothing, shoes, upholstery, travel bags, laptop cases and fashion accessories made of artificial leather are produced and marketed as viable leather alternatives. Synthetic leather products have been around for a while, but earlier formulations were not pliable and breathable and utilized animal leather powder, which rendered them non-vegan.

Synthetic Materials and Vegan  Leather

 There are different types of vegan leather. The most common modern forms come from synthetic materials sourced from petroleum. Eco-consumers and animal welfare activists avoid those synthetic fabrics that are coated with polyvinyl chloride (PVC). In addition, many different types of plastics and artificial microfibers are sometimes used in the production of vegan leather.

Vegan Leather Ensembles: Source: Shoptiques.com

What on earth is vegan leather?

Is vegan leather like faux leather, faux pearls or the inevitable faux pas? Once the word, 'vegan' dares to enter the lexicon picture, the haughty and non-compromising eyebrows of the Whole Foods world are significantly raised. In theory, vegan leather is faux leather but is called by another name. Better put, there is no difference between most artificial, faux and vegan leathers other than terminology. And after all, as a famous, bearded Elizabethan bard once so eloquently said: A rose by any other name is stil a rose.

Breaking it all down, to impress friends, relatives  and harried sales personnel, here's what should and should not be in vegan leather products for all the world to know:

Vegetan: a microfiber material designated as an animal-friendly leather alternative. It is typically cow skin tanned using tannins from plant materials rather than chemicals.

Lorica: This hig-tech, eco-friendly leather substitute is patented and manufactured in Milan, Italy, by Lorica Sud. This special fabric is also utilized by other companies such as Birko-Flor, Birkibuc and Kydec.

PVC: Polyvinyl chloride is the third-most widely produced synthetic plastic polymer, after polyethylene and polypropylene. It is bad for the environment and animals. Period.

Vegan Leather Handbag: Source: Eluxemagazine.com

The Future of Vegan Leather

Overall, vegan leather  is an animal rights  activist's alternative to real leather and many types are so well made that the difference is difficult to decipher. Saving the world and its innocent animals may well begin with buying vegan leather goods, upholstered furniture, jackets, handbags and shoes.

Two opposing thoughts on the vegan lifetsyle:

Vegan- a mass murderer of thousands of innocent fruits and vegetables.~Bacon Wrapped Media

Would people feel more comfortable buying meat if the date the animal was killed was displayed alongside the 'best used by' date? ~ Anonymous