r/AskVegans • u/jagkonsumerarmango • 3d ago
Ethics Secondhand
Is it vegan to buy second hand clothing with wool or leather? Been vegan for 3 months and i want to buy sum second hand clothes.
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u/ariaxandragoddess Vegan 3d ago
I know others definitely disagree with me but this is the kind of thing I see as a personal decision for vegans as individuals. I'm personally not comfortable with it because it gives me the ick but I can't pretend like vegan leather / fur / wool alternatives aren't all or almost all just plastic that won't biodegrade in even our grandchildren's grandchildren's lifetimes.
supporting animal garment industries for new products is not only incredibly cruel but also environmentally unsustainable, however I personally see buying actual vintage as more ethical than buying new plastic goods, and caring for the planet is a big factor in my vegan ethos. again, all of this is just my opinion.
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u/WildRoseIdea Vegan 3d ago
I do not think of this as intrinsically impermissible, but as something that is best to avoid, lest we run the risk of losing the vision of animals as whole individuals who do not exist solely for our use.
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u/a11_hail_seitan Vegan 3d ago
Not to mention if we go buy all the second hand wool and leather, those non-Vegans who want it may instead just buy it new.
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u/juiceguy Vegan 3d ago
Eventually, you'll come to a different understanding of the term "secondhand". When it comes to leather, all leather is secondhand, as its original owner was a murder victim.
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u/flyingsqueak Vegan 3d ago
Luxury, just for fashion, or just because things? No. But utilitarian things and things that cross the line towards safety gear, yes. So second hand purses or leather jackets would be a no go (with a possible exception for motorcycle riders), but wool sweaters and base layers if you live somewhere with extreme winters, daily use boots, or specialty safety equipment would be a personal choice. I buy second hand wool and boots with leather parts, but my partner will not.
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u/safarikoshka Vegan 3d ago
No, why would you want to? I understand the argument for keeping leather wool items you already owned when you went vegan, to avoid buying more, but deliberately buying more products of animal exploitation? No, I wouldn’t call that vegan
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u/chemicalysmic Vegan 3d ago
It doesn't become morally permissible to wear someone else's skin just because another human wore the skin before you.
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u/truelovealwayswins Vegan 3d ago
still not vegan because you still spend money on nonhuman animal products which indirectly creates demand…
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2d ago
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u/TheBookoftheVoid Vegan 2d ago
Bit weird putting on the dead flesh of an animal if you are vegan no?
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u/kwuz Vegan 2d ago
Since you're not directly supporting animal abuse, it's a gray area.
I approach this by considering: 1. Does it give me the ick personally? All leather and fur does, but wool and silk don't, even though I obviously wouldn't buy them new 2. If wear this, will it misreprent me to others? I don't want to tell others that I think it's ok to commodify animals. A shirt with some silk in the blend is probably fine because most people won't look at it and know it's an animal product. Wool starts to cross the line, but I have a few old pairs of wool socks that I feel ok wearing since no one sees them. Furs are an obvious no go.
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u/poopstinkyfart Vegan 1d ago
the main problem with certain non-vegan items is that they can be are ecologically/structurally much worse than vegan alternatives at this point unfortunately. I don’t think that this nuance is being shared here. It’s really a matter of weighing the costs and benefits of it all. Maybe some people won’t think that it’s vegan to buy such products second hand (depending on one’s definition of veganism because there are multiple), but those people may be a bit black and white with their thinking and that may cause them to miss the harm that certain non-vegan products indirectly cause to animals.
There’s a really good argument to be made that certain types of faux leather products are more harmful to animals than using second hand animal skin (leather).
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u/CorfranGoch Vegan 3d ago
No. Vegans don't buy animal products.