These days I’m obsessed with finding the perfect leather jacket. I want to wear it with my feminine dresses or on my lazy t-shirt-and-jeans days. I imagine myself looking edgy and effortlessly cool. But we all know style requires effort, especially for the fashionista who wants to be on trend while remaining ethical.   The obvious solution? Vegan-leather jackets.  In the past it was difficult to find faux-leather products that were stylish; words like “tacky” and “cheap” come to mind.  These days, conscience fashion labels are putting out amazing shoes, bags and jackets without harm to animals. Hipster fashion company Silence and Noise makes fantastic faux-leather jackets at a decent price. They can be purchased online at Urban Outfitters.

If you’re not satisfied with the look or feel of faux-leather you can adapt the look with this amazing velvet motorcycle jacket.

Or this awesome Nylon version.

Still want the real thing? Then look no further than vintage stores for pre-worn leather jackets. Buying pre-used clothes reduces landfill waste and decreases the environmental impact from the production of new clothes. Added bonus? Buying vintage means buying a unique item that others can’t find at the local mall. Here in Houston, stores like Texas Junk (215 Welch St) carry leather goods like cowboy boots and jackets.  In Chicago, US#1 (1461 N Milwaukee) in the Wicker Park neighborhood has stylish leather jackets in excellent quality. Even your neighborhood Salvation Army can carry leather jackets.  If you live in a city lacking in hip vintage stores, you can always search Ebay for unique items.

If you’re iffy about wearing used clothes and have no qualms with leather (it is a byproduct of the meat industry for all of us meat eaters out there), then consider purchasing a jacket that has been “vegetable tanned”. Typically, harsh and toxic chemicals, such as chromium, are used to process the skin. Vegetable “tannin” on the other hand, occurs naturally in tree bark, vegetables and other sources. The use of the natural chemical is more sustainable in practice and is safer for production workers.  This light brown Vegetable-tanned leather jacket by Forzieri is a classic and versatile item.

Tags: Ebay, Faux-leather, Leather, Leather Jackets, Nylon, Style, Vegan-leather, Vegetable-tanned Leather, Vintage

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 22nd, 2009 at 2:15 pm and is filed under Style. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.