UK Vegan Clothing - What's it all about?

WHY IS UK VEGAN CLOTHING ON THE RISE?

UK Vegan clothing and sustainable fashion brands have grown swiftly over the past eight years. The rise is due to veganism as a whole and more whereness ethical and environmental issues.

The days of veggie sausages, drinking black coffee due to a lack of non-dairy milk and only being able to order undressed salads when out for a meal are long gone. There seems to be an ever-expanding range of vegan products in supermarkets and increasing awareness and accountability of brands.

A study from Ipsos Mori and The Vegan Society found that the number of people who identify as vegan in the UK has more than quadrupled in the last eight years. Rising from 150,000 in 2014 to 600,000 in 2019. That is 1.21% per cent of the UK population, with a global vegan population of 3% worldwide.

The UK is leading the way as one of the most vegan-friendly countries in Europe, so it will be no surprise that many vegan clothing brands are based in the United Kingdom!

WHAT IS VEGAN CLOTHING?

Vegan Clothing/fashion, in simple terms, is clothing, shoes or bags and other accessories that were made without using and harming animals.

A vegan wardrobe should not contain wool, leather, silk, cashmere, fur or feathers. If any of these animal byproduct are there, they are not vegan.

So, what can be in a vegan wardrobe? Unfortunately, the most common vegan alternatives, like PVC, PU, polyester, and other synthetic materials, are anything but environmentally sustainable. Even conventional cotton harvesting requires more water than any other crop worldwide, which also comes with a high environmental price.

IS VEGAN CLOTHING SUSTAINABLE?

Vegan Clothing can also be considered sustainable clothing when made from ethically grown cotton. Artificial materials such as polyester can be sustainable when recycled and used in manufacturing to create new apparel items or accessories.

The good news is that increasingly clothing manufacturers and brands are moving toward organically grown cotton instead of conventional cotton. In addition, other plant-based materials such as cork leather, pineapple leather, cactus leather, and Hemp, linen, and bamboo fabric are on the rise too.

Although not strictly vegan, the trade in second-hand fashion plays an integral part in the future of sustainable fashion, along with upcycling old fashion items. For those who live local to Manchester, we recommend visiting the 'Future Fashion Fair' on Bent Street in Cheetham Hill on Saturday the 24th of September. More details on the event can be found here.

UNDER THE SPOTLIGHT - Stanley/Stella

Sustainable clothing brand Stanley/Stella is renowned for its vegan-friendly and ethical stand on supporting cotton farms. For garments such as hoodies and sweatshirts, Stanley/Stella uses a mixture of organic, ethical-grown cotton and recycled polyester in their manufacturing process, lowering their carbon footprint.

Stanley/Stella offers unisex, sustainable men's clothes and ladies' wear in their collection. Due to the high production standard, the Stanley/Stella collection has the same level of quality that you might find in a luxury designer brand. An ideal choice for anyone looking to set up a vegan or sustainable clothing brand.

See our full range of customisable Stanley/Stella products.     

THE WAY FORWARD

With the ever-increasing number of UK-based vegan clothing brands finding ways to substitute animal products with eco-friendly alternatives, it's never been easy to find a vegan-friendly style.

The T-Shirt Bakery is one company leading the way in the print-on-demand industry. We offer a wide range of sustainable clothing and vegan-approval products for our customers to customise or create their own designed clothing or product.