The vegan lifestyle is booming. Between 2012 and 2016, there was a 185% increase in vegan products available in the UK and the annual Veganuary challenge saw 440,000 people sign up for the 2021 challenge before the month had begun, up from a mere 3,300 in its 2014 launch.
But how did this grassroots movement get so big? And what have goths got to do with it?
The Vegan Diet
Veganism is primarily associated with diet, and more and more high street retailers and restaurants are now providing vegan alternatives. Whereas only a few years ago you’d have to sniff out a vegan-friendly store in a quiet part of town, you can now find vegan food filling the aisles at supermarkets such as Tesco and Sainsburys, and even in more unlikely places such as Toby Carvery and Pret A Manger.
This kind of accessibility has led to a boom in vegan influencers, and if you haven’t checked out gothintheraw on Instagram, you’re missing out on some seriously delicious dark delights that are completely vegan and completely gothic too.
The Vegan Lifestyle
Changing to a vegan diet is a huge part of it for sure, but for most vegans, a change in menu isn’t enough. There are a few key motives for going vegan, the most popular being animal welfare, environmental concerns, and health. The first of these two reasons tie in not only with diet, but with fashion and beauty choices. That’s where we at Attitude Clothing have been quietly working away, waiting for the mainstream to catch up.
Gothic Vegan Influences
The alternative scene has always driven change, so it stands to reason that we’ve been fighting the good vegan and vegetarian fight for many years before it hit the mainstream. Hippies and punks were the leaders of adopting a vegan lifestyle back in the day, and have continued to champion the cruelty-free way of life ever since – even after the culture changed to include a huge cross-section of people from all walks of life.
Vegan Fashion For Everyone
Mainstream fashion brands are starting to sit up and pay attention to the increasing demand for vegan leather and cruelty-free fashion and beauty products. Ethically conscious consumers are making a cruelty-free approach to fashion high on their list of priorities when shopping, and while many high street retailers are catching up, alternative brands have already got huge ranges of vegan-friendly clothing and cosmetics for you to choose from.
Straight Edge Vegan Punks Lead The Way
For a long time, straight edge punks had the monopoly on the vegan lifestyle, but looking at our vegan collection we think it’s clear that goths and alternative fans of all kinds are now taking the torch and paving the way for the alternative scene to get more involved in saving animals and the environment. Whichever alternative subculture is your favourite, you’ll now be able to find vegan-friendly fashion, vegan footwear, and vegan cosmetics including vegan makeup for you to enjoy with a squeaky clean conscience.
Vegan Fashion
When we talk about vegan clothing, we’re usually talking about vegan leather. A lot of the vegan womenswear and vegan menswear you’ll find at Attitude Clothing contains some form of vegan leather whether it’s made from it entirely or simply has a few design features made from vegan leather. Whatever the style, you can be sure that vegan fashion in our collection is entirely cruelty-free and available from some of your favourite alternative vegan brands including Punk Rave, Restyle and more.
Vegan Footwear
For many years, the best boots around were made from the finest leathers, meaning that a kickass pair of alternative boots or classic goth boots were far from vegan. However, we have good news. Tons of the biggest names in gothic footwear are on the vegan train and there are now huge ranges of vegan boots and vegan footwear for you to choose from. Check out women’s vegan footwear and men’s vegan footwear in our collection, by some of your favourite alternative footwear brands such as Demonia, TUK Shoes and New Rock.
Vegan Cosmetics
Cosmetics companies have long been publically against animal testing, but how many of them actually commit to removing animal cruelty or involvement with their beauty products as a whole? Here at Attitude Clothing, our vegan cosmetics are 100% vegan and therefore 100% cruelty free throughout the whole process, from production to creation and testing. This means that when you shop our vegan beauty products, you’ll find vegan cosmetics including vegan makeup, vegan hair dye and more by brands that are completely committed to the vegan cause such as Mermaid Salon, Manic Panic, and Medusa’s Make Up.
We’ve only mentioned a few of the gothic and alternative brands that are involved in supporting the vegan revolution, but you can check them all out in our full vegan collection at Attitude Clothing – a hub for all things alternative and cruelty-free. Together, we believe that goths and vegans can make a difference!
