When we first became vegetarians in 2013, the state of vegan fashion wasn’t nearly what it is now. And that was only 6 years ago! 
Today, as more and more people understand that we don’t need to use animals for food and clothing, demand for vegan and cruelty-free products has gone WAY up. 
One of those products is vegan leather. While vegan leather has been around for a while, the types of materials being used to make it has expanded greatly. 
Today we’re going to talk about vegan leather and share a few places where you can buy it.
Feel free to read on to learn more, or listen to us talk about vegan leather here:
 
What is Vegan Leather?
“Vegan leather” refers to faux leather — any material that resembles animal leather but does not include the skin of an animal. Originally, faux leather was made from either polyvinyl chloride (PVC) or polyurethane (PU or Pleather).
 
There are a lot of questions about how safety and eco-friendliness of PVC and PU. Luckily, these days, we vegan leather is made from a number of natural, eco-friendly materials.
 
5 Common Vegan Leather Materials
 

Cork

A few years ago, when Larissa asked for a new wallet for Christmas, I went shopping for a vegan-friendly option. 
This is when I found out that cork could be used in place of leather. 
 
Cork is great because it’s:

Vegan
A natural fiber
Sustainable
Lightweight 
Smooth

 

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Recycled Plastic and Rubber

Keeping those old tires and plastic bottles out of landfills is a goal that anyone concerned about the environment can get behind.
Fortunately, there are companies that recycle these materials in an environmentally-friendly sustainable way.
 

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Fruit 

Apples, and pineapples, and oranges…oh my! These are just a few of the fruits that are being fashioned into that new vegan leather bag you want for Christmas. 
Fruit-based materials are, of course, sustainable and are cruelty-free too. 
 

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Paper

I was intrigued by the use of paper to make faux leather, so I watched a few videos.
It looks like it could take some work, so I wouldn’t spend the time doing this myself (maybe Larissa would!). I’ll leave it up to the amazing designers who use this technique to create lovely faux leather using recycled paper.
 

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Tree Bark

This material is very similar to cork. Made from sustainable timber and renewable wood, it’s durable and flexible enough to sew.
 
Where Can I Find Products Made with Vegan Leather?
 

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Bead and Reel

What I like about Bead and Reel is that they have a variety of resources on their site.  They call themselves a “mindful living community” connecting brands, bloggers, and shoppers to create a compassionate world together. 
The products on their site are fair trade, artisan made, organic, and vegan but they also have interesting articles on topics like cooking and vegan-related news.
The brands they carry meet Bead and Reel’s standard of their exceptional commitment to mindfulness in fashion.
 

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Corkor

It’s no secret, we LOVE Corkor!
Their products are:

* Certified Vegan (PETA-Approved certification)