What do some a-list celebrities, devout Hindu’s, and a giant panda have in common?
They are vegans, of course!
More people today than ever before are choosing the vegan way of life as new trends show that being vegan is “cool”, “hip”, “sexy” and “trendy”. This may be true but plant based diets can also be very healthy, in fact many people initially choose to go vegan to benefit their health. Vegetarians have lower body weights, cholesterol levels, blood pressure, as well as lower rates of heart disease and diabetes. Fashion trends for 2012 reveal that vegan clothing is hot hawt haut amongst vegans and non vegans alike. Vegan fashion trends are greatly influenced by famous vegans such as Ellen Degeneres and Pamela Anderson.
According to eco3P.com, a leading online vegan shopping destination that connects vegan consumers with small independent merchants who sell vegan clothing products, this trend is here to stay because more and more people are not only enjoying the health benefits of a vegan lifestyle but also the environmental and ethical benefits as well. “We are seeing a real shift from traditional vegetarianism to a more ‘social, personal lifestyle choice,’” said Mikael Thakur, director of marketing at eco3P.com. “Vegans are not just shopping for vegan clothes but rather making a statement with their wallets and influencing their peers around them, and retailers are listening!”. Retailers today are adding more vegan clothing and ethical products to their product catalogue and if imitation is the highest form of flattery, don’t be surprised to see vegetarian wordplay on products such as “tofurkey”, a tofu product meant to mimic turkey, or “Vegan fur”, an animal free vegan leather/fur alternative.
So what is the difference between a vegetarian and a vegan anyways? The line is often blurred but the key difference is that vegans not only avoid eating animal based products, which depicts your typical vegetarian, but also avoid all animal derived products altogether. But wait, there is also a third category of herbivores known as “Raw Vegans”. Raw vegans are like vegan but they do not cook their food. They claim that cooking food destroys its nutritional value and the cooking process itself results in the creation and release of harmful chemicals.
Who are vegans? Data for the demographic makeup of vegans is hard to come by however majority of vegans are between the ages of 23-36, 65% female 35% male, with an average household income of $60,000. Vegans spend on average 15 hours on the internet per week and most are active on online social media websites, especially Twitter, Facebook, Google Plus, and Foursquare.
The growing concerns of the environment, personal health and animal welfare have created a surge in demand for vegan clothes and accessories by both hardcore vegans and non-vegans alike. More and more retailers today, like luxury brand Coach, are increasingly launching vegan products. Part of the reason for the switch is that research has shown that the single largest impact an individual can have on their planetary footprint is to switch to a vegetarian lifestyle. So if you are concerned with your health, fashion, the planet, and the welfare of animals, you may want to consider veganism.