WHAT’S SO GREAT ABOUT VEGAN LEATHER? ONLY EVERYTHING.

Number one, it’s not made from the skins of dead animals. Plus, it’s easier on the planet—and très chic. 

But what is it? 

1) Most vegan leather is made of polyurethane, a polymer that can be made to order for any designer’s whim. It can sparkle, have a nice glossy sheen, or be saturated in all kinds of shades that put leather to shame.

2) Speaking of designers, Stella McCartney is among those who feature only vegan leather in their collections. And no wonder: Vegan leather is versatile. From moto jackets in every cut and color to the perfect little black dress—and even intimate items that are sure to tickle one’s fancy—there’s a vegan leather version. 

3) That’s just for starters. You can also find vegan leather shoes, boots, handbags, billfolds, and seat covers for your car. And if you have deep pockets, Tesla recently became the latest luxury automaker to offer vegan leather seating, joining BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, and Ferrari. 

4) Not only does vegan leather make you look good, it also makes you feel good because it’s cruelty-free. More than a billion cows, pigs, goats, sheep, alligators, ostriches, kangaroos, and even dogs and cats are cruelly slaughtered for their skins every year. Many of these animals have their tails and horns cut off without painkillers, and some are even skinned and cut apart while still conscious. Vegan leather offers a killer look without any killing.

5) Planet Earth loves vegan leather, too. Turning skin into leather takes loads of energy and a toxic brew of chemicals—including mineral salts, coal-tar derivatives, formaldehyde, oils, dyes, and finishes, some of them cyanide-based. Tannery waste contains water-fouling salt, lime sludge, sulfides, acids, and other pollutants. 

So what’s in your closet?