When I became vegan, it of course meant it was time to clean out the closet and donate any leather, wool and silk items to charity. I proudly separated by wardrobe into two piles: the kind and the unkind.
Before long, I noticed that I’d more than halved my wardrobe. Gone were my sexy leather boots, my vintage silk scarf and even my warm woolly socks. This (as any fashion-loving gal would agree) is quite the predicament when one of my favourite phrases is “ugh, I have nothing to wear!”.
After much deliberation about what to do now I absolutely had nothing to wear, I came to a conclusion: donate at least 90 per cent of the cruel items to charity. The remaining 10 per cent stayed in my wardrobe, and then, when I would buy a new vegan piece, I would donate one of the old items.
Until my wardrobe became completely vegan, I made sure I wore any leather or wool item consciously, thinking about the animal and what it gave (ie its life) to make me warm.
This is my point: when you choose to lead a vegan lifestyle, it’s important to remember to be kind to yourself in the process—rather than beating yourself up because you couldn’t part with a pair of 1960s suede cowboy boots given to you by your late dear grandmother.
This also extends beyond the wardrobe. While I’m extremely strict about what I put into my mouth, I’m also kind to myself if I make a mistake. There have been times when I’ve found out there was indeed a fish sauce in the green curry, when there wasn’t meant to be. I consciously acknowledge it, and move on.
As for my wardrobe, I’m now eye-ing off this eco-fabulous coat from Vaute Couture, a hot vegan fashion brand that specialises in coats. I’m pretty sure I need a new tee too…
