Other than the cafeteria’s rainbow tilapia, I haven’t craved meat since I’ve become vegan. Eating like a vegan has been amazing, but shopping like one has too.

Many vegans, including me, don’t only stray from animal-based food products, but also shun animal clothing as well. This includes furs, leather, wool, feathers and silk.

When we wear clothing made of animal products, our wardrobes essentially become advertisements for corporations that utilize animals for people. Fake or not, every animal-made accessory spreads the word that animal furs are for us, instead of the animals themselves.

Some vegans don’t see the wrong in fur substitutes. But, for me, buying faux fur, whether as a jacket, pillow, vest or blanket, sends a reminder to myself that animals everyday are exploited for economic gain and perpetuates this social norm.

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As young, educated women, we have tons to offer. Something we usually don’t perceive as a tool for change is how we use our wallets on a daily basis. Each purchase we buy should mean something ethically.

The dollar is a way to implement social change and I believe that wearing faux fur is sending the wrong message about what I believe. It says I think animals should be tortured. It means their lives should be to serve us humans. It means I need to make another suffer to feel beautiful.

Whether you buy fair-trade, grass-fed, or faux fur, money today is an enormous impact on the global economy.

Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday community.

– Emily Fuller – Video Editor –