Just like, people from every country who have certain traditions or cultural memes carried out and understood by them, for people who live in Canada, surviving the winters is always a topic of conversation. And since this year we’re experiencing a winter colder than the recent past years, I found myself struggling with finding fashionable yet extra warm and most importantly, vegan clothing options.
Since I follow a vegan diet, it’s very important to me that the clothes and shoes I wear are cruelty-free as well. And just to provide you with another incentive, vegan options are often much more sustainable and environmentally-friendly as well.
Here are a couple of brands that have helped me stay warm without harming animals.
- NOIZE
-
NOIZE is a Peta-approved vegan brand that specializes in making winter clothes which are environmentally conscious and cruelty-free. Their outerwear and sweatsuits are especially popular for being colorful and fun whilst also warm and convenient. In addition to using vegan fur and vegan leather, Noize uses recycled plastic and algae-based insoles. Full disclosure, Noize is having a sale for up to 70% off.
- MATT & NAT
-
MATT & NAT is a Montreal-based cruelty-free brand that sells a variety of outerwear such as coats, puffers, jackets, raincoats, and trench coats. They have been experimenting with using different recycled materials such as cardboards, nylon, cork, rubber, and recycled water bottles. Lucky for us, MATT & NAT also sells shoes and all sorts of accessories such as bags, belts, hats and scarves, and more.
- DESIGN LAB
-
I recently encountered a very warm and cute pair of winter boots while I was browsing Hudson’s Bay and was introduced to a brand named Design Lab. Design Lab’s shoes are made from faux-leather and faux fur, in addition to recycled TPR (thermoplastic rubber) soles. This brand, which I have only been able to find in Hudson’s Bay, also makes everyday clothing that are vegan, but not many outwear.
- NORTH FACE
-
Now, while North Face is not a cruelty-free brand, it has some very practical, warm, and sometimes quite trendy outerwear options that are made 100% vegan. In fact, most of their jackets and vests are made from 100% recycled polyester or nylon. Unfortunately, most of their winter boots are made from real leather.
- CALL IT SPRING
-
From Spring 2019, Call it Spring declared that they would be going fully vegan. Call it Springs is an affordable Peta-approved brand that sells vegan shoes, handbags, and accessories. Their vegan boots are rated for up to -30℃ and waterproof.
I’m glad that we are fortunate enough to live at a time and in a country, where so many possibilities and options are made available to us. Staying warm, even in this frosty place many of us call home, meanwhile ensuring that no harm is done to any animals nor the environment is now not only possible but easy, what’s stopping us? Keep in mind, the sooner we boycott non-vegan brands, the sooner they take actions towards becoming cruelty-free.