Have you ever had a friend (or been the friend) who finds shopping to be an endless series of trials, frustrations and disappointments?
Yeah, me too.
For a couple of my tall female friends, finding jeans that fit well is nearly impossible. One friend often laments that women's shoe selections in size 11 are limited, and in many cases, god-awful ugly.
Another friend, who lives a vegan lifestyle -- she neither uses, wears nor eats any animal products or derivatives, ever -- often finds herself perplexed by the difficulty of finding animal-free clothing and shoes in particular.
While it's certainly possible to find vegan-friendly items mixed into the selections at a run-of-the-mill retailer, it's no fun to have to scrutinize each and every label then pass on item after item because it contains even a hint of wool, silk or leather. So I set out to find some all-vegan retailers and found a wealth of options and retailers with selections that ranged from trendy to classically high end to clothes and shoes that would look most at home at a Widespread Panic concert.
The site veganshoes.com has quite a few shoes, though most are of the sandal/clog variety and tend to look a like they belong at the aforementioned concert. Sandals range from $59.95 to $89.95, though many of the sandals do look very sturdy and comfortable. Clog-style shoes range from $54.95 to $99.95, while the small selection of Mary Jane-style women's shoes ranged from $88.95 to $99.95.
Mooshoes.com is a New York-based business that carries shoes, of course, but also stocks a good selection of boots, bags and purses, jackets and winter wear, wallets and belts.
The Kristie and Dakota boots (both $109.95) are a lot cuter and far more trendy than many a vegan option out there, and the vast selection of handbags goes way beyond canvas to offer lots of bags that appear to be leather in a lot of great designs.
Alternativeoutfitters.com also carries vegan-friendly shoes, bags, wallets, accessories and clothes, as well as cosmetics and skin and hair care products. I got a kick out of the site's carb couture section in particular, which offers message T-shirts proclaiming, "carb queen," "I eat carbs" and "I (heart) carbs" ($22 each).
Those looking for high-end vegan products need not fret, either. Designer Stella McCartney uses only non-animal materials in her products, including her new line of athletic wear for Adidas. Her products are available at stores including Nordstrom and Neiman Marcus, or at www.stellamccartney com.
And Montreal-based www.mattandnat.com also carries high-end, animal free bags, wallets and shoes and is without a doubt my favorite of the animal-friendly accessory retailers. The products are beautifully designed and range from about $40 to $120 for bags, while shoes run about $65 to $120.
Old Navy also has a selection of women's mini cargo bags ($19.50) and women's slouchy bags ($32.50) in various colors that all appear to be made of distressed leather but aren't, as well as a women's black faux-leather tote that looks like patent leather.
For excellent and extremely functional vegan sneakers, check out New Balance. Most athletic apparel shops carry New Balance shoes, but for a greater selection you might want to pay a visit to one of the valley's two New Balance stores, located at The District at Green Valley Ranch, 2260 Village Walk Drive, and in Summerlin at 1037 S. Rampart Blvd. You can also peruse the company's goods online at www.newbalance.com.
Maria Phelan is a reporter for the North Las Vegas and Sunrise Views. Retail information appropriate for mention can be sent to mphelan@viewnews.com.
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