Assorted Women's Accessories

What is a ‘Vegan’ Accessory?

A vegan accessory is simply a cruelty-free version of a generic accessory, such as a belt, bag, iPad case, phone case, coin purse, or virtually any other fashionable item used for keeping pants up, storing goods, or protecting your portable electronics. What makes them cruelty-free is their lack of animal-derived materials and by-products, such as leather, suede and ostrich skin.

What materials are used?

Rather than leather or crocodile skin, for example, vegan accessories can be made from a wide-variety of materials that are considered cruelty-free and vegan, including (but not limited to):

• Hemp
• Acrylic
• Wood
• Cork
• Aluminum
• Jute
• Polyester
• Nylon
• Linen
• Cotton
• Funky ‘up-cycled’ materials such as old jeans, soda cans, driftwood, bank bags, and much more
• 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, shoes and jackets, you’ll find that the materials used are often derived from cruel and unnecessary methods. If you buy a vegan-friendly accessory, you’re buying an animal-friendly accessory. In addition to the animal-welfare side of things, some of these cruelty-free materials are more sustainable than leather, like those made from up-cycled pop cans and repurposed coffee bean bags.

Does buying one vegan accessory really make a difference?

Yep! Here’s how it works; let's say you buy a vegan purse and you tell your pals about it, and show it off. They think it’s funky and unique, so they bite your style and buy one… and so the cycle goes on. All of a sudden you’ve started something; every vegan accessory that's bought and sold tells manufacturers, designers, retailers and marketers, that there’s demand for animal-friendly products. Revenue coming in from these products will help support the product line, so in turn, more of that product will be made and stocked in stores. Demand fuels supply. This works the same way in terms of reducing the demand for products made from the skin of cute, friendly animals (even crocodiles smile if you look close enough!).

Are vegan accessories expensive?

It really depends on the item. Vegan bags, wallets, watches and multi-purpose 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. Some are more affordable than others, and some are bought as an occasional treat to yourself for being an awesome vegan ambassador.

What companies make vegan accessories?

There are basically 2 types of companies that make vegan accessories; companies whose main products are made from leather and similar backwards materials, but includes a vegan line to appeal to the vegan or eco-conscious market, and then there are companies that exclusively make vegan products. 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 via social media, word of mouth, and other means, whose entire line of accessories seems to be vegan-friendly. We then contact those companies to double-check that they don’t use any animal-derived materials or by-products in the making of said items. If we’re convinced they’re vegan-friendly, and they can be purchased on Amazon, then we list them here for your convenience.

Why don’t you list vegan accessories from non-vegan companies?

We think it’s a step in the right direction for non-vegan companies to add vegan products to their lineup. However, when we contact these companies, we often 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.

...For companies that make vegan accessories

If you or your employer makes vegan bags, 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!