We all know that you lost most heat from your head, so if you’re out and about in England’s chillier seasons, it’s important to invest in a good hat to go with your vegan winter woollies!. However most hats are made from acrylic (synthetic materials) that are not that warm, and leach microplastics in washing machines, when laundering.
This organic beanie is from Freedom for Animals, with profits helping to support their work helping bored and abused animals in zoos and circuses. And at end of life, it safely biodegrades back to the earth, leaving no trace behind. It’s even softer on skin, so ideal for people with eczema or psoriasis.
Organic cotton costs a little more, but it’s far better for the planet as it is free from chemicals and pesticides that harm water supplies and wildlife (and farmers who grow the cotton – they also don’t have to wear uncomfortable protective clothing if farming organically).
As the fibres have not been treated by chemicals, they tend to last longer too, which means garments are more cost-effective long-term.
Rapanui (Isle of Wight) is a sustainable fashion brand that makes lovely organic cotton jumpers and shirts. Everything is made with green energy and sent in plastic-free packaging. But what’s even better is that the offcuts are not thrown away. Instead, they are used to make these super-warm and fashionable beanie hats for women and men.
In various colours, the beanie hats are very soft to keep you toasty on chilly days, due to a chunky ribbed weave that is shaped to flex to whatever size your head is. And when it eventually wears out, you just send it back and they turn it into something new! Note the grey beanie does not feature the Rapanui logo.
Why Cotton Instead of Wool?
Although sheep do need shearing to avoid over-heating, falling over (right one up if you see it upside down or it will die) and to see predators, the conventional wool industry has many issues.
Some sheep are sheared too early (leading to hypothermia) and others suffer ‘mulesling’ (having chunks of skin sliced away to prevent flystrike, without painkillers). And many sheep are killed, when they get older and their wool production slows down).
If you wear wool, choose companies that don’t kill the sheep, simply shearing the wool: like vegetarian wool or sheepskins.
