Autumn/Winter can be a tricky season to find the clothes you’re after in vegan materials. Everywhere you look it’s always wool, leather or even fur – although thankfully we’re seeing much less of this now. It can be a minefield, especially with knitwear, you might fall in love with a piece just to find out it’s made from sheep’s wool. 

As a vegan fashion blogger, I often get questioned on why I avoid certain animal materials, aside from the ethical reasons. So here’s a fact for each material I mentioned earlier that will explain why I don’t buy/wear that fabric:

·     Wool: One sheep can produce about 30 litres of methane each day. Methane is a greenhouse gas is roughly 30 times more potent than carbon dioxide as a heat-trapping gas. (Sources: PETA + Science Daily)

·     Leather: Chromium is commonly used in leather tanning and pollutes the water sources and soil where the wastewater is disposed. It also causes cancers, skin defects and respiratory problems for the people who tan the leather. (Source: Trusted Clothes)

·     Fur: Farmed fur outscores other textiles from 2-28 times for ozone layer depletion, soil and water pollution, and toxic emissions. (Source: The Fur Bearers)

Now, back to the fashion. If you’re on the hunt for something new for the colder months, you might have checked with Vogue to see what trends are emerging for the F/W’19 season. They actually posted their predictions back in March (everything in fashion is done way before the actual seasons), and picked 7 trends to watch out for this year. I love analysing trends and seeing which ones I’d be into, and which ones I will definitely be steering clear of! 

For all you eco-conscious, vegan fashionistas out there, I’ve done all the damn legwork for you! I spent a couple days as a vegan fashion detective finding cruelty-free alternatives to Vogue’s top 7 trends for F/W’19! As I expected, most (if not all) of these trends contained wool, leather, fur or silk, so I’ve gone on the hunt for vegan materials that can replace these but still achieve the same desired look. I know, you love me right?

Well have a look through and see which of these trends you might be into this year, and let me know what you think! A lot of these alternatives I’ve found are more expensive than what I normally promote, but it’s just to give you an idea of how the trend can be translated into vegan alternatives. You can definitely go out to vintage or charity shops and find versions of these outfits, or even Depop! 

The Anti-Statement Statement Coat

Big coats are in - go big or go cold!

Call It a Bad Romance

Think Goth-gypsy at Halloween

Suit Yourself

This season puts the POW in power suits

The Lady and the Camp

Can an outfit ever be too shiny? The answer is no. Always no. 

Stay Bougie

Simple single pieces, outstanding outfit

Multipurpose Knitwear

Shopping this trend needn’t be a knit-mare!

Pump the Volume

Stun (and confuse) people with big silhouettes and print

(Disclaimer: all of these trend titles are taken directly from the Vogue article linked at the beginning of this blog post)