11th
Leather
Are you all for the wearing of leather? Would you never wear leather? Would you only wear it if it was vintage or recycled?
Leather can be a pretty hot topic in the fashion world, along with fur (and sometimes even wool). Interestingly enough, I’ve never had too much of an issue with leather, but fur does give me a pause. To quote Wikipedia, “In the leather industry the raw materials are by-products of the meat industry, with the meat having higher value than the skin. The fur industry uses raw materials that are higher in value than the meat and hence the meat is classified as a by-product.” To me this says that the fur industry has a higher possibility of the abuse of animals than the leather industry.
What are some reasons to not partake in leather products?
There are religious reasons according to the same Wikipedia article quoted above— “…leather shoes will bear a label identifying the animal from which the leather was taken. In this way, a follower of Islam would not accidentally purchase pigskin leather, and a Hindu would avoid cow leather.” That doesn’t limit all types of leather, just certain kinds for certain people.
The website www.cowsarecool.com has many other reasons for not wearing leather such as, “Most leather comes from developing countries like India and China, where animal welfare laws are either non-existent or not enforced.” I take this site with a grain of salt however, due to such lines as, ” Since leather is normally not labeled, you never really know where (or whom) it came from.” I have not found this the case in my shopping experience, and reading the previous sentences, they are trying to get at that you may well be wearing Fluffy or Fido. I honestly do not have that fear.
If you do have these concerns? Read labels! Research where that leather came from (country and animal) and even check on where that product was made. You can email any Etsy seller and politely inquire about their materials. I am a firm believer that even with these concerns, the proper amount of research can lead a person to shop smart and still enjoy leather.
