Vegan Fashion on the Hill

Vegan Sonya Harway makes cruelty-free, fashionable good looks seem easy.

Now that actress Natalie Portman’s vegan shoe line has gone extinct, er, belly up, what’s a vegan girl  to do when she wants to look fashionable? And stay chic and comfy without feathers, fur, or fluffy, warm wool, spun silk or those toasty cashmere socks from The Forecast?

Sure, it is easy to avoid fur, but good shoes are often leather, while wool, cashmere and goose down are staples of warm winter wear.

Sonya, a classically trained musician, who works with many children and teaches music to children on the Hill, acknowledges she does shop for most of her shoes online from Earth Shoes and Simples (not all of them are vegan- some are merely sustainable, gasp!) and Moo Shoes. Moo Shoes also sells great-looking belts to tie around that svelte vegan waist!  Even a lot of traditionally leather shoes like Doc Martens and Dansko have vegan options now.  Felt clogs. Tapestry fabrics. Polyurethane outsoles. All the comfort of clogs without hauling in the farm to your feet! And look, some vegan boots in the Ugg style!

If you want cold weather wear that is dashing, chic and sexy, head online to Chicago’s Vaute Couture , which just had a sample sale here in D.C., Sonya says. (Designer Leanne Mai-ly Hilgart, owner and founder of the smashing line coyly tells THIH that Vaute may come back  to D.C. in the fall.)

Speaking of coy, thanks Sonya, for this naughty vegan look on what to wear under your Polartec layers: Purrfect Pineapples?

Vegan clothing uses a lot of fleece and developed synthetics like Polartec® Wind Pro® Fabric for cold weather in its Luxe collection, and is water and wind resistant and also great for sensitive skin, and hemp and linen.

A Polartec® Thermal Pro® Fabric used by Vaute Couture for its Recycled clothing collection is designed for insulation and to retain heat while staying slim and flattering, according to the company.  “It has a chic honeycomb texture that gives a similar appearance to a wool knit coat and is made from 64% recycled fibers,” Vaute claims.

“A great green way to shop for clothes is to go second-hand,” says Sonya. “Remix on Capitol Hill is closing later this month, but I have seen lots of cute coats, dresses, boots, etc. there that are not made from animal products. We also have the Salvation Army on H St NE, Clothes Encounters on 7th St. You very often have to dig, but I find it’s worth it. I found a ridiculous pair of silver pleather go-go boots at a thrift shop on Georgia Ave. a couple months ago for $7.”

Jennifer Howard, a Hill parent who is very eco-concious, if not totally vegan or even fully vegetarian, although she tries, also suggested buying  clothes second-hand. “Then even if you buy a wool sweater, you’re not supporting the cruelties of factory farming.”

“I do try to avoid buying leather when I can,” Jennifer says. “It’s especially tough with shoes, though, and so I do buy some leather ones. (Purses tend to be easier–I have some leather bags that were gifts but I don’t buy anything with leather on it if I can help it.) I have an unusual foot size–11N–which makes finding non-animal options even harder.” Sorry, Jennifer, we put your foot size in print!! But we figure others may have trouble, as well.

What to do? Jennifer also plugs Simple Shoes, which has eco-conscious and vegan options, and a website she likes, DesignerShoes.com sells large-size women’s shoes with a section devoted to vegan offerings.

If you’re willing to trek all the way over to NW, Capitol Hemp at 18th and Columbia is a good place to go for alternative fibers, Sonya says. “It’s a little more crunchy-hippie, but there’s some well-made clothing and shoes made of hemp.”

As always, check http://www.dcvegan.com/ for updates on food and fashion. Sonya is, of course, a contributor.

And what about outfitting –and explaining things to–the kids?

“We do try as a family to be as eco-conscious and animal-friendly in our choices as possible,” Jennifer says. “Whenever we can, we talk with the kids about why we do or don’t eat something and why we will or won’t buy certain products.”

She added, “We don’t dwell too much on the particulars (the kids are only 5 and 7), but my daughter (the 7-year-old) did ask me the other day whether I always buy cosmetic products with the “Cruelty Free” symbol on them. (I told her I try.) She also has some idea that shearing might be unpleasant for the sheep. So there seems to be some dawning consumer consciousness that will, I hope, lay the foundation for making compassionate choices when they’re grownups.”

Now that’s something that won’t wear out!

Do you own something stylish, practical and vegan?

EL Coat in Luxe Blue, Weather Prepared: Windproof, Heat Retaining, Water Resistant. Courtesy Vaute Couture. .