Ultimate Vegan Fabrics List: Is Sherpa-Fleece-Velvet Vegan?
Different lifestyles influence the type of clothing and fabrics one will wear. That is the great thing about having a little freedom and freedom to choose. People get to wear what they want in accordance with their chosen lifestyle.
Is sherpa vegan? Fleece is usually considered vegan while sherpa is a type of fleece so it should be considered that as well. Velvet depends on what fabric was used to make it. It can be both vegan and non-vegan fabric.
To learn which fabrics are or are not vegan-friendly just continue to read our article. it comes with an easy to read table to give you the best idea possible which fabrics are best for your vegan family members or friends.
Vegan Fabrics List 101
Is Fabric Vegan?
Not all fabrics are considered vegan or vegan friendly. Usually, those materials made from animal furs, skin, or worms are not considered vegan. This does limit the selection of materials a vegan sewer can use when they do their own sewing projects. But as you will soon see vegans still have a long list of materials to work with.
What are Vegan Fabrics?
Vegan fabrics are those materials that do not have their source in animals or any animal products were used in its construction, growth, or maintenance. For example, cotton will be seen as non-vegan as its processes may contain animal products even though it comes from a plant.
Organic cotton is seen as vegan because no animal products were involved in any of its processes. Also, many vegans refuse to wear clothing made from wool, silk, or similar fibers because the animals producing those fibers were exploited and not treated in the manner the vegan thinks it should be.
List of vegan fabrics
| Fabric | Description |
| Acrylic | a synthetic fiber |
| Aertex | a trademark name for loosely woven cotton |
| Baize | a bright green material resembling felt |
| Bamboo | an in between fabric made from grass and considered vegan |
| Batiste | plain weave cotton or linen fabric |
| Broadcloth | when made from synthetic materials |
| Buckram | material used for book binding |
| Bunting | material used for flags |
| Calico | plainf woven material made from unbleached cotton |
| Cambric/Chambray | finely woven white linen |
| Canvas | heavy cloth closely woven |
| Challis | lightweight fabric and when made from synthetic materials |
| Chenille | heavy fabric usually made into cords |
| Chiffon | when made from synthetic materials |
| Chino | twilled cotton used for uniforms |
| Chintz | a glazed cotton |
| Cord | cut piled fabric having ribs |
| Cotton and its other versions | made from cotton plant |
| Crepe | when made from synthetic materials |
| Cretonne | when made from hemp or linen |
| Damask | when made from the right materials |
| Diaper | when made from the right materials |
| Duck | heavy plain weave cotton |
| Elastic | made from synthetic materials |
| Faille | when made from the right materials |
| Fiber | leatherlike material made from paper or cloth |
| Flannelette | when made from cotton |
| Fleece | when made from synthetic materials |
| Foulard | when made from silk like fibers |
| Gabardine | when made from the right materials |
| Gingham | a light plaid weave fabric |
| Grosgrain | when made from silk like materials |
| Jersey | when made from synthetic materials |
| Khaki | made from cotton or linen |
| Lame | has metal threads interwoven throughout it |
| Leatherette | faux leather |
| Linen | from the flax plant |
| Lint | made from cotton or linen with a raised nap |
| Mackintosh | rubberized material that is light weight |
| Madras, Marseille | from cotton |
| Moleskin | from cotton with a velvet texture |
| Monk’s cloth | heavy basket weave cloth from cotton |
| Moquette | velvery texture and made from synthetics |
| Mouseeline de sole | when made from synthetic materials |
| Muslin | plain woven cotton |
| Nankeen | from cotton |
| Ninon | made from nylon or rayon |
| Nylon | made from chemicals and petrol;eum products |
| Oilcloth | made with synthetic materials |
| Organdie | made from muslin |
| Organza | made from silk like materials |
| Orlon | made from acrylic fibers |
| Percale | made from cotton |
| Pilot cloth | used for overcoats |
| Pique | raised cords on this tightly woven fabric |
| Plush | when made from synthetic fibers |
| Polyester | made from chemicals and petroleum products |
| Pongee | when made from imitation fibers |
| Rayon | made from synthetic fibers and wood chips |
| Sateen | made from cotton |
| Satin | when made from synthetic fibers |
| Screening | metal or plastic mesh |
| Scrim | made from flax or cotton |
| Seersucker | puckered cotton fabric |
| Shag | when made from synthetic materials |
| Shantung | when made from cotton |
| Spandex | made from petroleum products and chemicals |
| Sponge cloth | when made from vegan fabrics |
| Taffeta | when made from synthetic fibers |
| Tappa | made from paper |
| Tapestry | when made from the correct threads |
| Toweling | when made from vegan approved fibers |
| Ultra suede | faux suede |
| Velcro | made from nylon |
| Velour | made from synthetic fibers |
| Velvet | when made from the right materials |
| Velveteen | same as above |
| Viscose | a form of rayon |
| Voile | made from cotton, linen and polyester materials |
| Wire cloth | made from metal wire |
What Materials Can Vegans Not Wear?
Technically, vegans can wear just about any fabric they want. They just choose to limit their materials to materials made in a specific way. But generally, vegans avoid any fabrics that are made from animals, exploited animals, or animal products.
The term cruelty-free is interchangeable with the word vegan and doe snot mean the same as it does for the beauty industry. Usually, fabrics are not tested on animals thus the term cruelty-free does not really apply to this aspect of veganism.
The tough question for vegans is do they wear clothing made by a company that also makes beauty products, etc., and tests those products on animals?
List of Non-Vegan Fabrics
| Non Vegan fabrics | Reason |
| Aba | made from goats or camel hair |
| Alpaca wool | made from the alpaca animal |
| Brocade | made from silk |
| Camel hair | made from camel hair |
| Camlet | made from silk or camel hair |
| Cashmere | made from the cashmere goat |
| Cerecloth or alter cloth | shroud material made with wax |
| Doeskin | made from wool |
| Duffel | made from wool |
| Felt | when made from non vegan fabrics |
| Flannel | when made from wool |
| Frieze | made from wool |
| Georgette | made from silk |
| Grogam | made from silk |
| Hair cloth | made from horse hair or camel hair |
| Horse hair | made from horse hair |
| Leather | made from a variety of animal hides |
| Lisle | made from lisle thread |
| Mackinaw | made from wool |
| Mohair | made from the angora goat hair |
| Moire | made from silk |
| Moreen | made from wool |
| Motley | made from wool |
| Paisley | made from wool |
| Permanent press clothes | when made from animals etc |
| Russett | made from wool |
| Sarcenet | made from silk |
| Samite | made from silk |
| Serge | made from wool |
| Shark skin | made from horses and donkeys and sometimes sharks and sting rays |
| Silk | comes from the silkworm |
| Stammel | made from wool |
| Suede & leather | comes from animal hides |
| Swan’s down | made from wool |
| Tammy | made from wool or cotton |
| Tweed | made from wool |
| Vicuna | made from wool |
| Viyella | made from wool and cotton |
| Wincey | made from wool and cotton |
| Wool | comes from sheep, goats and other animals |
| Worsted | made from wool |
Is Sherpa Vegan?
Normally, the answer would be yes to this question. When sherpa materials are made from polyester or synthetic fibers, cotton or acrylic and those are at 100% levels then sherpa is considered vegan.
The problem comes in when those fibers are blended with non-vegan fibers like wool and so on. That wool fiber is usually cashmere and if you look at the table above you will see that cashmere is in the one containing the fabrics vegans can’t wear.
Just check the label to see if the material used to make sherpa fabrics are 100% pure or not. The term Sherpa is used in honor of the wool-like clothing the Sherpa people in Nepal wear in the winter.
Is Fleece Vegan?
Yes, fleece is vegan even if it is made from cotton. Like Sherpa, you do have to be careful and check to see if the synthetic fibers have been blended with non-vegan fibers. Manufactures want to get rid of that artificial feel and look so they often blend fleece with natural fibers.
Also, those natural fibers help the fleece breathe better making you more comfortable at night. The key to finding vegan fleece is to look for the word fleece. if it is mentioned alone then it is most likely vegan. If it has other words next to it, then it may not be.
Finding vegan fleece can get tricky if you are not careful.
Is Velvet Vegan?
Yes and no. In our table above, we put the Vegan and non-vegan fabrics in the vegan chart. That is because it will depend on what the fabric is made of if it is going to be considered vegan or not.
So velvet fits both categories and you should ask the sales clerk what the fibers are that made the velvet material. Hopefully, they will know and not lie to you to make a sale. Velvet can be made from a variety of fibers and usually, the in-between fabrics like rayon are considered to be vegan.
That means that velvet made from rayon, bamboo, and so on should be safe for vegans to wear.
Is Cotton Vegan?
Generally yes it is. We put this fabric in the vegan chart because it does come from a plant and if no animal parts are used in its processing then it is vegan. we also said and its various forms or versions.
But be careful as some cotton materials are not considered vegan and you may have to do your homework to find out which ones those are. Canvas is a good example of this exception.
Do an online search to see for yourself which cotton variety is or is not considered vegan. Organic cotton most certainly is considered to be vegan and if you can afford it then go with that option.
Sometimes you need a road map to figure all the fabrics out and where they stand.
Is Viscose Vegan?
This is one of those in-between fabrics and since it is made from chemicals and wood chips, it is like rayon and considered vegan. And there is a but to this category of fabrics that do not find themselves in one side or the other.
If viscose is blended with a non-vegan fiber, then it is not considered vegan. Like all vegan fabrics out there, you have to check those labels to see if the clothing item, etc., is 100% viscose or a blend of a variety of fibers including non-vegan ones.
You shouldn’t go wrong with rayon, bamboo, and similar fabrics that are created through special processing and ingredients.
Is Polyamide Vegan?
Polyamide is a fancy name for a different form of plastic. This category of materials includes the most famous polyamide of all-- nylon. Since nylon is considered vegan all polyamides are considered vegan.
Many people do not like to think that they are actually wearing plastic so that material gets a fancy name. In reality basically all synthetic fibers are a form of plastic. They just have different monomers and polymers that create a different type of plastic fabric that is soft and comfortable.
Those monomers and polymers contribute to the stretchiness or lack thereof in the fabrics in which they are placed. They also help stop the fabric from shrinking on you when you wash them in your washing machine.
Is Neoprene Vegan?
Yes, neoprene is another synthetic material that is approved for and by vegans, for all vegans to wear. The reason they may not choose to wear this fabric is because of the lack of sustainability of the raw materials that go into making this product.
It is a very stretchy material that is best used in wet suits, waders, and shoes. It is close to being waterproof but nothing is 100% waterproof. One thing that any user of this material needs to watch out for is allergic reactions.
There are harmful chemicals used in making this material and some people are allergic to those chemicals. To be exact the chemical name that causes this problem is dialkyl thioureas.
Is Elastane Vegan?
Again, the answer will be in the affirmative. No matter which name it goes by, elastane or spandex, this is a man-made fabric that also uses a lot of chemicals but no animal products.
You should be able to wear any clothing with elastane in it as long as it is not blended in with those fabrics not considered to be vegan. Yet, there is one caveat to this fabric. While elastane is made from linen, cotton, polyester, and nylon, other natural fibers may be used to create this material.
There is no guarantee that those other natural materials are not from animals. Check the labels to make sure what you are getting is pure vegan fabric or not.
Is Denim Vegan?
Yes, denim is considered to be vegan friendly. We did not make a specific mention of it in the charts above as it came under the cotton and its versions section. Anyone can wear denim and make themselves look good, feel comfortable, and be able to do hard work without worry.
Because the cotton has a myriad of varieties we did not list them all in either charts. You will find fabrics listed under their regular labels and cotton may not have been mentioned in the descriptions but they are cotton.
If you want to be sure that there are no animal parts used in the creation of your cotton clothing, you may have to go to organic cotton materials. This option is said to be totally free from those products and very safe for vegans to wear.
Is Acrylic Vegan?
Yes, acrylic is vegan, and since its label starts with the letter A you should see it as the first vegan approved fabric in the top chart. Acrylic is made from synthetic materials including petroleum products, petrochemicals as well as other chemicals.
While it is a cheaper fabric to buy and has lots of colors it comes in, one must be careful about the chemicals used in its creation.
Also, acrylic is blended with natural fibers so read that label to make sure the fibers you do not want to wear are not blended in. Acrylic materials can be lightweight, very attractive, as well as very durable.
Is Spandex Vegan
Spandex and elastane are the same material. So if one is considered vegan then the other is as well. The reverse is also true. Spandex is just another name for elastane and is probably better known than that other tag.
It is easier to pronounce and people understand the purpose of that material when they hear the spandex name. As with other vegan fabrics, spandex is often blended in with non-vegan materials. There is no escaping reading that label to make sure you are getting 100% vegan fabric.
Having a specific lifestyle can make living life a lot harder than it should be. Especially when it comes time to figure out which fabrics you can and cannot wear.
Is Bamboo Vegan?
Bamboo is considered vegan and it is a good thing it is. Right now it is one of the more popular fabrics you can wear or materials you can use around your home. if it wasn’t vegan there would be a large gap in those industries that would need to be filled.
Also, this material is used to create many options of rayon, viscose, lyocell, and even modal fabrics. It is also a very good material to put on your bed. if you want to sleep well as a vegan then bamboo sheets is a great way to accomplish that goal.
Bamboo has some great properties that help you stay healthy and not trigger your asthma or allergies.
What is vegan wool made of?
One version of this unique fabric is called weganool and it's a wool substitute that looks like wool. It may also have the texture of wool but it is not that fabric. Instead, it is made from 30% calotropis and 70% cotton.
In addition to that, the calotropis plant is said to not need water. This plant helps clothing manufacturers cut down on their carbon footprint. To give you an idea of that savings, 2.2 pounds of this fake wool saves about 9,000 gallons of water.
Plus, it doesn’t shrink and is seen as very durable.
Is Felt Vegan?
This material is like velvet. It will depend on the type of material it is made from before it can be classified as vegan or non-vegan. This is another case where you have to check the label to make sure you can use it in your next sewing project or not.
Felt is used for all sorts of products so it is best if you are living the vegan lifestyle to be careful where you use this material. Felt is often used as padding so if you do not want non-vegan material in your home, you will have to be careful and check all aspects of those fabric items you want to buy.
What is the Vegan Suede Fabric?
Basically, it is faux or fake leather. This material is made out of different plastics and manufactured in a way that it feels and resembles suede or even leather. It can be as durable as real suede but without the cleaning hassle.
Vegan suede is a fake suede material that should hold up under difficult weather conditions a lot better than a real suede can.
Some Final Words
Being a vegan does not mean you have to miss out on all the good fabrics in the world. There are enough materials that you can create your own fashion style and continue to look good without spending a lot of money.
Being different does not mean you have to look different. It just means that you have to spend more time filtering through all the options available and find what fits your referred lifestyle.
