DilEMma: What To Do About Leather?
An Ethical Maximalist (EM) Quandary
Bad vegan confession time: I love, and have always loved, the look, texture, and feel of leather. I’m sorry! Never have I ever eaten cow or lamb meat as an adult, but I’ve had a hard time shaking my adulation of the luxurious sexiness that is leather. While I don’t buy real leather products first-hand, I do have 100% genuine leather bags and shoes that I’ve acquired second-hand. And I don’t know how to feel about it.
On the one hand, you absolutely can’t deny the environmental impact of leather production. While many argue that leather is a byproduct of the meat industry, and therefore espouses the values of no-waste production (since the animal is dead anyway for yum-yum purposes, ew), the process of rendering leather wearable by humans is wasteful and damaging to the environment. Let’s face it, leather is just dead animal skin (again, ew), so it has to be tanned and treated with nasty chemicals to soften it up and prevent it from rotting. Those nasty chemicals then run off to pollute the water supply, usually in impoverished regions of countries where leather production is popular, but environmental protection policies are not.
On the other hand, most readily accessible vegan leather alternatives are made from plastic derivatives like polyurethane, which (unlike real leather) is NOT biodegradable. Plastic-based synthetic fibers release microplastics into the ocean during their production, are worn a few times before they start to look ashy, and then end up tossed in a landfill, where they’ll remain until Wall-E saves us all. Brands are getting creative by adopting plant-based leather alternatives, such as cork, apple, pineapple, mushroom, and cactus-based leathers. While these all sound cool and tasty, some degree of synthetic fiber usage is still necessary in the binding process, even for so-called plant-based leathers. Plus, when was the last time you came across a mushroom leather bomber jacket while casually browsing Beyonce’s Internet? Never. Not many brands are innovating plant-based leathers, and the ones that are tend to be stupid expensive.
On the third hand, is it ethical to even want to simulate the look of leather? We all know what leather is supposed to represent (dead animal skin), so why would a true animal advocate even want to create that aesthetic? I truly don’t know the answer to this. A lot of similar discussions surrounding fur have led animal advocates to conclude that even faux fur creates a demand for real fur, thereby harming real animals. Perhaps the same is true of leather. Even if you’re not actually wearing the skin of a dead animal, you’re wearing something that’s supposed to evoke that concept, which still feels unsavory.
So, your choices as an Ethical Maximalist are:
1) Wear second-hand leather, thereby not contributing to the demand for production of new leather products while still being the luxe queen you are.
2) Only purchase vegan leather, with the understanding that this invariably introduces more synthetic plastic-based fibers into circulation and thereby increases environmental pollution.
3) Completely forego leather or faux leather products altogether, because even pretending to wear the skin of a dead animal doesn’t seem that ethical.
Jacket: Straight To Hell ($156) // Tank: Whimsy & Row (old) // Pants: G-Star Raw ($84) // Necklace: LookVegan ($29.99) // Bracelet: Burberry via TheRealReal (too much $, I don’t want to talk about it)
I’ve tentatively aligned myself with option 2 for now. In attempting to establish a more conscious wardrobe, each one of us has to decide what our values are, and which values we need to prioritize to maintain our peace. I personally care deeply about the environmental impact of the fashion industry, but I care even more for the people and animals who suffer as a direct result of the cruel and exploitative practices of corporations whose sole interest is profit. I’m buying fewer items overall, in an effort to reduce my wardrobe’s environmental impact, but the luxurious, elegant, bold, polished look of leather remains a staple in my closet. The few new items I’ve purchased are from Nanushka, Veda, and Stella McCartney. For slightly more, um, budget-friendly options, Straight To Hell has a line of stunning vegan leather jackets, one of which I own and wear the Straight To Hell out of.
Being an Ethical Maximalist is all about making fashion choices that sit well with your conscience without sacrificing your personal style. But there are times when your principles might eclipse your desire to maintain a certain vibe. I don’t see myself ever completely walking away from the look of leather, even when I won’t wear the real thing, since it’s just TOO much of a consistent theme underlying my style aesthetic. I wouldn’t even feel like myself without its texture, shine, and understated edginess. Until someone creates an affordable and fierce leather jacket made out of potato skins or whatever, I’ll continue to search for low-impact faux leather materials.
