Why I Decided Not to Get Rid of My Designer Handbags When I Went Cruelty-Free

In 2015 I made the decision to go cruelty-free. My diet is vegan, so why shouldn’t my lifestyle be too? I haven’t purchased any fashion items or beauty products that were not entirely cruelty-free and vegan. But guess what? I still own a few fashion items and accessories made from real leather. There is a disclaimer on my blog, stating that although occasionally these items may appear on my blog or in my Instagram feed, they will have been purchased prior to my ethical lifestyle change.

In reality, there are going to be people who will criticise you either way. If you keep your leather goods, people will wonder why you preach or have strong views on supporting vegan fashion. If you sell them, you’re financially profiting off a cause you feel strongly against. Yet, simply throwing away perfectly good fashion items feels somewhat irrational.

I’m positive that most of you will completely understand my point of view because you have probably done or would do the same. On the other hand, to some it will sound almost as though I am trying to have the best of both worlds: have my designer wardrobe while having a clear conscience about my future fashion choices.
There is a disclaimer on my blog that explains that any item featured on my blog or on my social media that doesn’t meet my current ethical standpoint, will have been purchased prior to my lifestyle change in year 2015. Not everybody will accept or understand my choices, but I’d rather prioritise honesty in favour of anything else. Sometimes I do share pictures and posts featuring older items that I own purchased from years ago. I don’t really feel good about sharing pictures of goods that I’d previously deem “luxury fashion” but on the other hand, I’ve seen how some ethical lifestyle changes have prompted people to act completely hysterical, throwing away everything and anything that reminds them of their previous way of life. It’s like with all changes in any area of your life – there has to be a transition period, phasing out the old and slowly but evidently welcoming the new.

It doesn’t matter whether you wake up one day and decide to embark upon a healthier lifestyle or go cruelty-free, there will probably be leftover cake in your fridge, unopened bottles of shampoo that aren’t vegan. Admittedly, it can be tough to continue using products that no longer meet your conscious way of living. However, don’t forget that you won’t be re-buying them again and by using them up, you’re preventing unnecessary waste! There is no way that I would go out replace one of my leather handbags with another non-vegan leather handbag should one of my own break, so I’d rather accept the situation and observe the fact that I am making positive progress in my new vegan lifestyle. After all, doing something positive is better than doing nothing! 
If you have any questions regarding cruelty-free and vegan fashion please do get in touch and I will do my best to answer them for you!
 

If you'd like to follow my journey in photos and daily outfits, head over and follow me on Instagram. 

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