Vegan Clothes and Accessories – What Nonsense Part 2
, by Irene Kirchhoff , 4 min reading time
How can clothing / accessories be vegan? This is a sentence I hear very often. I will introduce you to some examples of non-vegan materials. Today, we will talk about the fur collars on jackets and coats, as well as buttons.
This is a phrase I hear very often.
I'm going to introduce you to some examples of non-vegan materials. Today we're talking about the fur collars on jackets and coats, as well as buttons.
You probably also often see the beautiful collars on the various jackets and coats. If you even consciously notice them, then you might have already noticed that some hang a bit scraggly on the garment, while others move beautifully and orderly with the slightest breath of wind. One might think that one is cheap jackets and the other is not.
No, the scraggly and the sorted doesn't necessarily say anything about the price. Or does it? First, let's talk about the material. If you see a collar whose hairs move elegantly with the slightest breeze, you can be almost 100% sure that it is real fur. The bad thing is that real fur is usually cheaper than good faux fur. That's why it's not uncommon for real fur to be used for cost reasons and declared as faux fur. This is a terrible consumer deception and yet common practice.
So how do you distinguish real fur from faux fur? One way is the scragginess. If it's scraggly, that's good, because then it's NOT fur. If it's not scraggly, then you have to pull the hairs strictly apart. If you can see a fabric underneath, you're sure, because then it's faux fur. But if you have a lot of hair and can't get to the bottom, or if a leathery surface appears, it's real fur. Stay away! You can also do the burn test. If the hairs melt, it's faux fur; if it smells singed and the hairs burn with sparks, it's real fur. In a store, however, this could lead to discussions... 😜
So how does this work with fur? The world's largest "fur supplier" is China. Around 50% of all furs come from there. Besides minks, ermines, foxes and other poor animals, it is primarily the raccoon dog that has to die for fashion. Not only is their life terrible, the end is no less cruel. The animals are beaten to death and skinned. Often, however, the animal is still alive during this procedure. One doesn't want to think about it!
Nothing about this is stated on the garment's label. A hat with a fur pompom, knitted from polyester yarn, will only list polyester as the material. If fur is indeed indicated, the term "Racoon" is usually found. Raccoon dog does not appear on the label, as many people love dogs. At least on a leash. Not in goulash, not on a hat. To avoid deceiving customers, the raccoon dog is simply called "Racoon," or raccoons, um. Raccoons are not held in high regard here.
Away from cute puppies with beautiful fur and button eyes to animals that lack this charm: Mussels.
Do you also love the colorful iridescence of mother-of-pearl in shells? Do you collect the washed-up shells on the beach? I'm completely on your side there. But for the industry, it doesn't work like that. The shells are grown in farms. At a certain size, they are "harvested" and violently broken open. Without their shell, the mussel is doomed to death. But it is anyway, because depending on the variety, it is either eaten or thrown away. The mussel shells are then processed further into buttons, jewelry, whatever. Are you thinking of oysters now? A splash of lemon is used to check if the oyster is still alive. If it twitches, you can eat it. For the oyster, this is the last, very painful moment in its life. Have you ever put lemon juice or vinegar on a wound? It hurts a lot. That's exactly how it feels for the oyster. And enjoy your meal after that...
This is just a brief outline of a very bloody, painful, sad content. Do you want to know more? Then read the following links:
https://www.vier-pfoten.de/kampagnen-themen/themen/mode-und-tierschutz/pelz-industrie/die-wahrheit-ueber-pelz
For strong nerves: https://www.peta.de/themen/chinapelz/
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