Chic vegan clothing grows, pushing frumpy hemp aside

With so many inspired fashion choices in the marketplace, it’s never been easier to dress animal-friendly, or in vegan parlance, “cruelty-free.”

No more of the frumpy, unhip hemp and shapeless sartorial choices of yore; the last decade pushed chic vegan clothing onto the global fashion scene.

Designers such as Stella McCartney and Vivienne Westwood led the way, and with consumers continually pushing for better cruelty-free choices, the category continues to grow.

With scores of fully vegan brands such as Vaute Couture, Alabama Chanin and Brave Gentleman expanding their reach, traditional designers are increasing their animal-friendly output utilizing once scoffed at ’70s and ’80s materials including faux leather, vinyl, polyester, Ultrasuede and spandex.

Natural fabric innovations in cotton, bamboo, hemp and jute, along with new tech breathable fabrics such as Coolmax, polar fleece and Tencel, mean plentiful consumer choices other than animal. Just remember to read labels carefully.

In honor of this month’s World Vegan Day — it was Nov. 1 — here are our choices for some animal-friendly fashion.

ALSO

Jacquie Aiche expands her pot-themed Sweetleaf collection to include smoking accesories

Emma Stone, Katy Perry and a baby goat help showcase emerging designers in LA

From the LAT archives: Erin Fetherston gets casual and comfy with Juicy Couture