When people think of the vegan lifestyle their thoughts often end at the diet, as vegans consume no animal products. However the vegan lifestyle also includes ethical clothing that does not come from an animal. Examples of materials include cotton and other synthetic fabrics. Fabrics such as wool, leather, silk, and down are not used as they come from animals, and cause animals harm. Many of these fashions are also environmentally friendly, which goes in hand with the beliefs of many vegans. 

Materials that are not vegan are leather and suede, which come from the skin of cattle, and are used to make shoes, belts, wallets, and handbags. Wool comes from sheep, and often the sheep are left mutilated and mistreated after the shearing process. Silk is also considered not vegan because the silkworm is boiled alive to get the silk. A new advancement in the vegan clothing industry is called peace silk. This allows the silk worms to live out their natural lives and emerge from the cocoon before the silk is extracted. Fur and goose/duck down is also not vegan, due to the process used to put obtain these materials is cruel and results in the deaths of animals. 

Often times the feeling of wool, silk, and down can be mimicked by synthetic fabrics. Faux fur is an excellent alternative to animal pelts that are obtained from minks, rabbit, and foxes. This material can be made from acrylic and polyester, which mimics the furry feeling of animal pelts. Other alternate materials include acrylic wool, synthetic fleece, and bamboo. By choosing these types of alternative fabrics a person is choosing to make a positive ethical and environmental decision. 

The materials used to create vegan clothing, such as bamboo, often time benefit the environment. Bamboo releases 35% more oxygen than other trees, and improves soil quality. This is a huge boost to the environment, and allows for more crop growth. Soy is also used to create fabric, and utilizes the leftover material from tofu production. The process to create this fabric creates no pollution and since it is created in China means that there is no genetically modified materials. Clothing that is vegan generally does not contain pesticides or chemicals, and the production process does not exploit workers. Conventional cotton uses about 24% of all pesticides made in the entire world, where as organic cotton contains next to no pesticides. Polar fleece is made from petroleum, whereas artificial fleece is made with no petroleum or chemicals. Most vegan clothing is made without exploiting workers, and is made following environmental guidelines. 

Vegan clothing can be found virtually everywhere, and is becoming more popular with awareness. Major clothing retailers such as H&M and Forever 21 are now selling vegan clothing in their stores, and designers such as Melissa McCarthy are now getting on board. There are numerous online clothing stores dedicated to vegan clothing providing belts, shirts, shoes, and pants. The cost of vegan clothing is comparable to the cost of regular clothing, and can sometimes cost just a fraction of the price. The benefits outweigh the cost, and with more awareness this type of clothing will become more widely available.