The Best Vegan Leather Belts: Ethical Style
Vegan leather belts have surged in popularity, blending ethical values with daily fashion. These belts look and feel much like traditional leather, but they use plant-based or synthetic materials.
Leather is not a by-product of the meat industry. Most leather goods are made in the Far East, an area with little or no animal welfare laws, and not good human rights welfare either.
It takes 17,000 litres of fresh water to make 1kg of leather, with 80% tanned with chrome that is toxic to tannery workers.
Benefits of Vegan Leather Belts
As well as not harming animals or polluting the world with tanning chemicals, these brands are also more ethical, ensuring workers are treated and paid well.
And the brands send items in sustainable packaging. Some use recycled materials, and make use of innovative new ‘fruit leathers’ (made with apple or pineapple waste, blended with quality Microfibers).
Vegan belts are naturally water-resistant, and easy to clean with a damp cloth. They are also more affordable than leather belts, and designed to last years. Many brands have take-back recycling schemes too.
Watson & Wolfe (London)
Watson & Wolfe is a premium brand of vegan leather belts and other accessories (like wallets), beautifully crafted in classic black or elegant brown, in beautiful embossed gift packaging. Crafted in Portugal using eco corn-based vegan leathers, these are designed to last years.
The vegan corn leather belts use non-food grade materials and are three times more environmentally-friendly than real leather, as well as being kind to animals.
Each belt has three layers: a faux nubuck, a lining and top layer of corn-based faux leather, bonded and securely stitched. Many belts feature rectangular bucks in polished silver, and are sold in 4 sizes.
V.GAN Vegan Leather Belts
V.GAN Belts are handmade in Spain, using a traditional three-piece construction. Each belt has three layers and is bonded together and securely stitched for extra durability and longevity. With subtle stud branding details.
Vegan Leather Belts from London
Will’s Vegan Store offers a nice line of quality vegan belts, all sent in zero waste packaging. They are made from Italian quality vegan leather, and sold in cotton bags, and you can return to recycle, at end of life.
You can also buy nice vegan leather belts (in zero waste packaging) from Will’s Vegan Shoes (also for women). And from Vegetarian Shoes (handmade in England from quality Italian microfiber).
Votch Sustainable Vegan Belts
Votch is a company known for making quality vegan watches, and has now branched into making other accessories like belts. Each month, a portion of profits goes to a different animal charity.
Many are made from eco materials like recycled nylon and bamboo, and there are a wide variety of colours and styles, including braided belts.
Cork Belts from Portugal
Corkor is a Portuguese fashion brand, which makes beautiful cork belts, which look and feel like leather. Cork is stripped from the bark, so no trees are cut down.
And keeping the cork industry alive (in a world of plastic wine corks) helps to keep forests intact, to stop them being chopped down to build glass buildings.
