Ultimate Guide to Vegan Fabric, a blog post by EcoGoodz, a used clothing bulk supplier

“Cruelty-free is a label for products or activities that do not harm or kill animals. Products tested on animals are not considered cruelty-free, since these tests are often painful and cause the suffering of millions of animals every year. The term cruelty-free was first used in this way by Lady Dowding [an English animal rights activist] who persuaded manufacturers of fake furs to use the label Beauty Without Cruelty and went on to found the charity Beauty Without Cruelty in 1959. The term was popularized in the USA in the 1970s by Marcia Pearson who founded the group Fashion With Compassion” (source)

We’ve compiled a few of the top resources available for identifying cruelty-free fabrics.

Treehugger.com recently published the article What You Should Know About Sustainable Vegan Fabrics. If you’re new to the cruelty-free ideals, it’s a great place to start. The main takeaway: ‘Vegan’ and ‘cruelty-free’ do not automatically mean ‘eco-friendly’ or ‘green’.

January Threads has a comprehensive list of vegan and non-vegan fabrics. The list is long and detailed; beginning with Aba (a goat or camel hair woven fabric….not vegan), ending with worsted (twilled fabric of wool, whipcord, gabardine, serge, etc…also not vegan). Here is another version of the same list.

You can even get leather-like items that are vegan and cruelty-free. Some faux leathers are made from petroleum-based materials, but others are being developed that are plant-based (like this awesome fabric called pinatex, which is made from pineapples!!). PETA recently published an article about vegan leather–what it is exactly, and why it’s important as part of the cruelty-free movement.

As a used clothing bulk supplier, we always encourage others to be wise with their clothing purchases. Educate yourself; familiarize yourself with fabric types; find out where your clothing is manufactured; find out whether your clothing is ethically sourced and/or fair trade.

“Everyone can do simple things to make a difference, and every little bit does count.” -Stella McCartney