by John Benson

Created on: December 02, 2009

Looking good doesn't mean you have to sacrifice your principles. Today, more than ever before, clothes manufacturers and retailers are designing and selling clothes that are both animal friendly, and very fashionable and stylish.

It was often the case that in the past it was both extremely difficult to find animal friendly clothing that was stylish, or that was affordable. However, the arrival of the internet combined with a growing awareness of the importance of an ethical approach to shopping has seen an explosion in retailers and brands that now offer animal friendly and very stylish clothes.

One of the best resources for anyone wishing to find ethical and animal friendly clothing brands is to visit the PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) website. They have a wonderful clothing section that looks at very stylish but compassionate clothing designers and companies.

By beginning your search using an organisation like PETA, you can be sure that you are buying from very reputable and compassionate companies that place animal welfare at the top of their agenda.

However, there are a number of clothing brands that offer consumers fashionable and stylish clothes. What's interesting at the moment is the number of stars and celebrities that are launching, or have launched animal friendly fashion ranges.

Stella McCartney has for a long time delivered cat walk fashion which doesn't compromise her ethical and animal friendly principles. She has been in the press recently after rumours that she is working on a collaboration with Leona Lewis for a new animal friendly collection.

The ethical clothing brand People Tree has recently collaborated with the young actress Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame) to create an ethical and animal friendly range. The range is aimed at the younger fashion conscious consumer, but links in nicely with the broader ethical position of People Tree.

Loomsgate are a very cool organic and ethical company that have a very strong ethos for compassionate and animal friendly clothing. Launched in New York in 2004, the company manages and oversees each process in the clothes manufacturing ensuring that it remains responsible and compassionate. Their collections can now been found in many high street department stores around the world.

For the funky young boys and girls there is the label Kuyichi which is an organic and ethical/compassionate label. Like many other animal friendly labels, it tracks and traces the clothes through manufacturing to ensure they remain true to the company's principles.

One of the best brands for animal friendly accessories and shoes is Bourgeois Boheme. This online boutique style brand has an incredibly stylish range of accessories from formal shoes to belts, hats and scarfs. Based on the mantra: Fashion with Compassion, this brand manages to combine fashionable men's and women's clothing. The brand also includes a number of handmade products for that unique and personal touch.

So, while it may feel like an oxymoron that an ephemeral and consumerist activity such as fashion can be animal friendly, it is down to all of us as consumers to make a difference. Buying compassionate and ethical clothing brands means we vote for animal friendly clothing with our wallets.

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