Vegan Fashion with Style Blogger Tina

Why is it important to choose vegan when shopping for clothes/shoes?

As someone who once never knew the extent of how we attain materials such as leather, wool, silk, cashmere, etc, I think it’s important that as consumers when we shop for clothing, shoes, etc. that we are mindful, conscious and refrain from purchasing products that support animal exploitation.

Sadly, not only are the animals’ lives taken from them but they are also faced with extreme and unimaginable cruelty, pain, and suffering. A practice that is truly barbaric and discerning in every way possible.

I do believe it is possible to be fashionable without it being at the expense of an animal. Put simply, the death of an innocent being does not equate to fashion, and consumers should be aware that what they’re paying for enables these industries to continue exploiting animals unnecessarily.

With so many alternatives to fabrics, there is no need for harm or suffering to be inflicted on any animal.

How you spend your money says a lot in terms of what products continue to be produced to meet demand. Supporting and purchasing vegan and cruelty-free fashion will continue to create a demand and therefore innovation continues to develop in this space that will replace animal-derived materials.

Over time we have seen many brands releasing limited edition vegan items or items that are accidentally vegan however, the demand for a permanent commitment will enable the fashion industry to transition away from the use of animal-derived materials and opens up a pathway for an entirely vegan and cruelty-free industry.

Where is your favourite place to shop for vegan clothing?

This is something that is always changing for me as more awareness and brands are introduced into this space it will become a lot easier to shop for vegan fashion without having to triple check every item is vegan-friendly. To summarise some of my go places where I have been able to shop and find vegan-friendly clothing are:

• The Iconic – Stocks a wide range of brands and styles for all price ranges.
• ASOS – Similarly to The Iconic there is a wide selection of brands and styles. I do love that they cater to curvy, petite and tall. It’s a great concept and allows women of all shapes and sizes to take advantage of various seasonal trends.
• Country Road, Seed & Witchery – Generally very similar styles across each brand. You do need to be wary of wool and leather however, you can find some great quality pieces such as basics, shirts, pants, denim etc… that will last a long time.
• Dissh – Mostly has lots of styles that are vegan friendly. Unfortunately, none of the shoes stocked are vegan.
• Zara – Generally has lots of options for bags, shirts and jumpers. I have found that the lower-priced coats tend to also be vegan friendly!
• H&M – Great options for jackets and shoes (knits are generally a no-go as they contain wool or cashmere)
• Glassons, Cotton On & Kmart – Very affordable for trending/seasonal items or to stock up on basics.

When it comes to bags and shoes, this is very broad and spans various brands such as Stella McCartney, Billini, and ASOS design for dressier styles to Zara, H&M, Sportsgirl, Target, and Kmart for everyday styles. Billini also offers a great selection of bags and shoes in a range of different styles and colours. The glue used is vegan friendly however, some shoes have leather stacked heels, so it’s always best to reach out to them directly to check if a particular shoe is vegan. You can also find a wide variety of men’s and women’s vegan shoes stocked at Betts. 

What are your top picks for affordable vegan fashion finds?

Vegan brands are not necessarily synonymous with being affordable and everyone’s definition of affordable is different. However, it is possible to find vegan-friendly fashion without breaking the bank!

You don’t need to spend a lot of money when it comes to vegan fashion.I tend to think about the item that I’m purchasing and consider how often I will wear it vs. how much I’m willing to spend. For example, jackets and coats are something that will not vary too much across each season with the exception of seasonal colours trending. If you stick to a neutral palette, you can get at least 10+ years of wear so you can justify spending a little more on something that catches your eye! On the other hand, for special occasions and functions, you can consider hiring dresses. This is an excellent way to wear something that is seasonal but without making the commitment to purchase something that will most likely end up in the back of your wardrobe never to be worn again and avoids buyer’s remorse when making impulse purchases on items that are trendy rather than classic.

Online retailers such as The Iconic and ASOS definitely cater to being able to find the perfect seasonal styles and they have a number of filters that can be used to narrow your search results based on price, brand and even down to the fabric & material. Other brands such as Forever New and Bardot have also released a vegan leather range including dresses, skirts, jackets and tops as well as accessories (sold at Forever New) that are ‘Peta approved‘. Zara also offers a number of faux leather items such as skirts, pants and biker jackets!

Recently, I also came across an entirely vegan brand called Noize. They cater to all clothing categories including shoes and accessories. Further, the range extends to women’s, men’s and children’s apparel.

Footwear is still a tricky area and you can easily get caught out as glues used can be animal-derived even if the shoe materials are synthetic. Thankfully, there are increasingly more options becoming available to consumers as the demand grows for vegan fashion. Some brands that offer affordable footwear include ASOS design, Kmart, H&M (all synthetic styles do not contain glue), Cotton On/Rubi (the range is Peta approved), and Veja has a great selection of vegan runners and sneakers.

Your favourite (quality) vegan brand for winter?

This one is tricky and I definitely feel there is a market gap for vegan brands & vegan-friendly clothing, particularly throughout winter. This year I found it particularly harder to find knitwear that didn’t contain wool or cashmere and found myself putting away or having to scroll onto other sites to find wool and cashmere-free styles. Although the composition in these garments is very minimal (5-10%), there is a massive opportunity to omit these materials entirely and use alternatives such as modal, recycled polyester, cotton etc. Thankfully, there is a variety of brands that I have found suitable winter apparel that is very good quality that I love and have kept me warm, especially during the cold and icy Melbourne winters:

Who is your fashion icon & why?

I don’t have a fashion icon per se as I don’t particularly follow or feel too influenced by celebrities. However, I would say that Hailey Bieber is fairly close to what I would say is a fashion icon that I can reference for style inspiration. Overall, I do think her style is very effortless and chic and she always looks very polished without being too out there. She had an edge to her that is very subtle.

I mostly follow a lot of “Street Style” bloggers and content creators & I’ve regularly found myself drawing inspiration from these women; @fancyandparis, @dom.overseas, @e.s.j.a.y, @sarawears, @gabriellasmith__, @nhd.idri just to name a few. Similarly, to Hailey Bieber, these women are the epitome of effortless chic and bring an entirely new meaning to everyday effortless street style.

Although none of these bloggers nor Hailey Bieber promotes vegan fashion, their looks do inspire me to source vegan-friendly alternatives mainly when it comes to shoes, bags and accessories.

What is a staple item of clothing that you think everyone should own?

I think the most obvious answer is good quality jeans, a coat, a black dress and a white t-shirt, however, everyone’s taste will vary depending on their overall style and what suits their body shape and personality.

If you have a great foundation of staple pieces in your wardrobe, I certainly that everyone should own a good quality bag. There are no rules as to what style, colour, shape, or size it can be and this is a really unique and creative way to polish off a look. I’m no stranger to splurging and investing in a good quality bag for all occasions and it is something we should all splurge on! Think Stella McCartney, Senreve & Nanushka for luxury high-end piece/s and for more affordable bags, Matt & Nat, Brie Leon and Peta & Jain have excellent options that achieve the high-end look for a fraction of the price!

What materials do you opt for when choosing vegan clothing?

Depending on the season this will change. I do prefer clothing that contains recycled materials and this is something that is very much becoming a common practice across various brands that are actively trying to do their bit to reduce their impact on the environment. This is just one of the many ways the fashion industry is becoming innovative while bringing more sustainable options to consumers.

For the summertime, cotton, linen and other breathable fabrics are best.

Favourite purchase so far?

Although a tough question everything I have either serves a purpose or is sentimental and over the years I have found so many great fashion pieces that I have fallen in love with. I do go through phases of what my favourite purchases are and this really comes down to different seasons and what I am wearing.

If I had to pick a few of my favourite purchases, they would have to be:

• $45 coat from Kmart – I bought this back in 2020 and have had so much wear over the past couple of years. I always get a lot of compliments when I wear it so this was definitely a great purchase overall.
• Trench coat from Seed – For years I have eyed off the Burberry trench. It is a classic style that would be a great and timeless addition to any wardrobe. However, most of the styles do have leather buckles, therefore, are not vegan friendly and with a price tag exceeding $4k it’s not really an item everyone can afford. Seed, however, nailed this coat which is probably the closest style inspired by the Burberry trench. Many brands have interpreted this style in their own way and you can easily find them in any price range from $80+.
• Givenchy clutch – This is actually an accidentally vegan item I found at the Chadstone store serval years ago. I happened to be looking for a designer bag and spoke to the salesperson who happened to be vegan. The clutch is made from polyamide which is a great alternative to leather.
• Over-the-knee boots from Vegan Style – My fiancé came across the store in Fitzroy when we first went vegan. Of course, I had to check it out and fell in love with the over-the-knee faux suede boots. These are a timeless style that I have gotten a lot of wear as I can pair them easily with skirts and skinny jeans.

Favourite vegan eatery?