Women's Accessories
From handbags to belts, we've taken great care to ensure that every women's accessory listed on this page is vegan; free from any animal-derived materials and by-products.
What is a "Vegan Women’s Accessory"?
A vegan women’s accessory is simply a cruelty-free version of a generic ladies accessory, such as a belt, a purse, an iPhone case, a makeup bag, or virtually any other fashionable item used for storing items on the go, keeping pants from falling down, or protecting your portable devices. What makes them cruelty-free is their lack of animal-derived materials and by-products.
What materials are used in vegan accessories?
Rather than leather, suede, ostrich or crocodile skin, for example, vegan accessories can be made from a wide-variety of materials that are considered cruelty-free and animal-friendly, including (but not limited to):
- Hemp
- Acrylic
- Wood
- Cork
- Aluminum
- Bamboo
- Jute
- Polyester
- Nylon
- Linen
- Cotton
- Up-cycled materials such as firehoses, pop cans, coffee bean bags, and others
- MuSkin (mushroom-based ‘leathery’ material)
- Faux Suede or “Suedette”
- Faux Leather (sometimes known as “Leatherette” or “Pleather”)
Please Note: Faux leather can be made from many different polymers and fibers, such as PVC, microfibre, recycled plastic, recycled polyester, degradable polyurethane and many others.
Why buy an accessory that’s vegan?
When you look into the materials used to make everyday items, such as purses, backpacks and boots, you’ll find that oftentimes the materials used are derived from disturbingly cruel and unnecessary methods. Bottom line is that if you buy a vegan-friendly accessory, you’re buying an animal-friendly accessory.
Does buying one thing that’s vegan really make a difference?
You bet your bottom vegan dollar, and here’s how it works; let’s say you buy a vegan clutch and you tell your girlfriends about it. They think it’s funky and unique, so a few of them go out and get one…this cycle repeats. You’ve now started a vegan movement within your circle of influence. But it goes even further; vegan accessories being bought by you, your friends and their friends, tells manufacturers, designers, retailers and marketers, that there’s an upswing in demand for animal-friendly products. Demand fuels supply.
Are vegan accessories expensive?
It really depends on the item. Vegan bags, wallets, watches and tote bags, just like their non-vegan counterparts, are produced by a variety of designers and brands, are sold at different kinds of stores, and can be made from a diverse range of materials. Their prices can vary accordingly.
Should I get rid of non-vegan accessories that I already own?
This is as as hotly a debated topic as any within the vegan community. In our opinion, it’s up to you to decide. Many people see it as wasteful, expensive, and quite honestly impractical to just get rid of every non-vegan thing they own all at once. For example, does your car have leather seats? Are you going to buy a new car because of it, or just get one without leather next time you need a vehicle? Everyone’s level of tolerance for price, time spent shopping and general wastefulness is different, so it’s up to you. So, whether you want to wear things out before you replace them, or sell them and replace them immediately, it's ultimately up to you.
What companies make vegan accessories?
There are 2 types of companies that make vegan accessories; companies whose main products are made from leather, suede and other cruel materials, but include vegan items to appeal to the vegan or eco-conscious market. Then there are companies that exclusively make vegan products, for ethical, sustainability, business or others reasons. Some companies whose accessories are entirely vegan include:
- AB Aeterno
- Alchemy Goods
- Big Buddha
- Cri de Coeur
- Corkor
- Deux Lux
- Dosh
- Gunas
- Jaan J.
- Lavishly
- LeSportsac
- M.R.K.T.
- Matt & Nat
- Melie Bianco
- Mlavi
- Reveal
- Rock Rebel
- The Vegan Collection
- Tokyo Bags
- 88 Handbags
How do you choose which companies to list?
We keep a growing list of companies that we find through social media, by word of mouth, and by other means, whose entire catalogue of accessories seems to be vegan-friendly. We then contact those companies personally to double-check that they don’t use any animal-derived materials in the production of these items. If we’re convinced they’re vegan-friendly, and they can be purchased on Amazon, then we display them here for your convenience.
Why don’t you list vegan accessories from non-vegan companies?
We think it’s great that more and more non-vegan companies are adding vegan products to their lineup. However, when we contact these companies, it's not unusual for us have a hard time getting straight answers with regard to which of their products are 100% free of animal-derived materials, and which aren’t. We need to have complete confidence that what we list here for you is vegan. So when we don’t get straight answers, we don’t list their products. We also want to be careful about sending you to a company’s Amazon store with the impression that all of their similar products are vegan, just because the ones we listed are.
Similar product categories
If you’ve found this page on women’s vegan accessories helpful, check out similar product categories to learn or shop more:
For companies that make vegan accessories
If you or your employer makes vegan purses, clutches, belts, watches or vegan products of any kind actually, we’d love to feature those products on our site... for free! Contact us at - info(at)getitvegan(dot)com - to get the ball rolling!
Sources
Some of the information for this mini guide on women’s vegan accessories was compiled from the following source(s):
- Wear the Change: “Cruelty-Free Fabric Guide.” Erica Roth (September 2, 2014). TheCompassionateCloset.com. Retrieved April 10, 2017. https://www.compassionatecloset.com/blogs/wearnoharm/63049091-cruelty-free-fabric-guide