Animal-Free Vegan Winter Fashion

This time of year, when most of the country is blanketed in snow and even walking around the house requires a scarf and parka, you might feel that you need to sacrifice fashion for warmth. Thanks to slews of designers and retailers offering cruelty-free threads, you can find clothes that are cozy, chic, and (most importantly!) animal-friendly. With all of the wonderful alternatives to winter staples like wool, cashmere, and leather, you can be warm, comfortable, and au courant throughout the winter months in these stylish picks.

Out of the Arctic Outerwear
Goose down jackets and wool coats don’t hold a candle to this year’s haul of vegan-friendly outerwear. Patagonia uses organic cotton and recycled polyester in many of their men’s jackets—for a more classic look, try Vaute Couture’s handsome black pea coat. Ladies have myriad options when it comes to overcoats—Madewell’s 100-percent cotton, military-inspired parka is perfect for the everyday, while Kate Spade’s houndstooth cotton coat is a lovely choice for evening. Need something lighter? Anthropologie’s blazer is great for the office and when paired with skinny jeans for a night out.

Not Your Grandma’s Homemade Sweater
Sweaters are a cold-weather staple but can be a challenge when avoiding cashmere. Fortunately, we’ve found a laundry hamper full of cruelty-free options. For men, J. Crew makes the classic sailor stripe sweater in thick, warm cotton, and B:Scott has a button-down sweater that will make an understated statement in any situation. Ladies won’t sacrifice style or warmth in Gap’s biker-chic cardigan. Don’t worry if you’re jealous of the men’s J. Crew sweater—they have one for ladies too.

Alpine-Friendly Accessories
Scarves, hats, and gloves look good all year—but they’re downright essential in winter. Thick cable-knit and reversible patterned scarves for men and a grey cable-knit beanie and cap with an oversized pompom for ladies are just the tip of the iceberg at ASOS. Urban Outfitters makes it easy for vegan guys to keep their noggins toasty—a marled knit cap with earflaps is just one of many options. Women can wrap up in Shock Boutique’s pocket-adorned scarf or in this fine-knit silver snood from Topshop. Cold hands will stay warm (and look great) in faux fur-trimmed mittens or rust-colored palm warmers, both from Topshop. For the guys, REI makes fleece convertible gloves that can turn into mittens in a snap—perfect for texting during a chilly commute.

Warm and Fuzzy Feet
Vegans can keep their feet warm this season (without five extra pairs of socks!) with numerous animal-free options. Men’s toes will stay toasty while running errands in faux shearling-lined lace-up boots from Loomstate or in high tops from Keep. No need to wear leather kicks for business meetings and evenings out—Italian vegan shoe designer Noah makes many beautiful dress shoes for men and impossibly chic riding boots for women. Speaking of vegan shoes, Olsen Haus’ faux-suede heels and Wanted’s faux-leather biker boots are stylish picks for ladies.

These dashing options will keep you toasty and warm until spring arrives. Here’s to fireside cups of hot cocoa, sledding, and vegan snow angels!