Women's Shoulder Bags
We've contacted each company personally to ensure that these shoulder bags are vegan and animal-friendly. No animal-derived materials or by-products are used in their production.
Women's Shoulder Bags
What is a ‘Vegan’ Shoulder Bag?
A vegan shoulder bag (or purse, tote, etc.) is simply a fashionable or practical bag that’s made from material that’s considered cruelty-free, rather than from the skin of an animal… and has a strap to wear over your shoulder, of course. A vegan shoulder bag can be worn to dress up or dress down an outfit.
What materials are used?
Rather than leather or crocodile skin, for example, vegan shoulder bags can be made from a wide-variety of materials that are considered cruelty-free and vegan, including (but not limited to):
- Hemp
- Aluminum (yep!)
- Jute
- Polyester
- Nylon
- Linen
- Cotton
- Funky ‘up-cycled’ materials such as old records, soda cans, coffee bean bags, and many more
- MuSkin (mushroom-based ‘leathery’ material)
- Faux Suede or “Suedette”
- Faux Leather (sometimes known as “Leatherette” or “Pleather”)
Please Note: Faux leather can be made from many different polymers and fibers, such as PVC, microfibre, recycled plastic, recycled polyester, degradable polyurethane and many others.
Why buy a shoulder bag that’s vegan?
All too often when we’re buying something, we overlook the origin of the materials used to make it; we only seem to worry about its look, feel, and price. But if you take the time to look into it, you’ll find that oftentimes the materials used in our bags, shoes, wallets, jackets and other everyday items, are derived from cruel and inhumane methods. If you buy a vegan-friendly shoulder bag, you’re buying an animal-friendly shoulder bag. Aside from the animal-welfare aspect of production, some of these cruelty-free materials are more sustainable than leather, like those made from up-cycled pop cans and repurposed denim.
Does buying one bag make a difference?
You bet it does! Here’s how it works; you buy a vegan shoulder bag, you tell your pals about it, they think it’s cute, so they buy one… and so on. All of a sudden you’ve started something; all of these vegan accessories being bought and sold are telling manufacturers, designers, retailers and marketers that there’s demand for animal-friendly products. This will help support the product line, so that in turn, more of that product will be made and stocked in stores. Demand fuels supply. This works the same way in terms of reducing the demand for products made from animal skin.
Are vegan shoulder bags and purses expensive?
It really depends on the bag. Vegan bags, just like their non-vegan counterparts, originate from different designers and brands, are sold at different stores, and can be made from a diverse range of materials; their prices can vary accordingly.
What companies make vegan shoulder bags?
There are basically 2 types of companies that make vegan bags; companies whose main line of products are made from leather but includes a vegan line to appeal to the vegan or eco-conscious market, and companies that exclusively make vegan products, whether ‘accidentally’, or for ethical, ecological or business reasons. Some companies whose women’s bags are completely vegan include:
- Big Buddha
- Alchemy Goods
- LeSportsac
- Rock Rebel
- Deux Lux
- Melie Bianco
- Matt & Nat
- Gunas
- Cri de Coeur
- Mlavi
- 88 Handbags
How do you choose which companies to list?
We keep a growing list of companies that we find through social media, by word of mouth, and by other means, whose entire line of shoulder bags seems to be vegan-friendly. We then contact those companies to double-check that they don’t use any animal-derived materials in the production of their bags and accessories. If we’re convinced they’re vegan-friendly, and they can be purchased on Amazon, then we list them here for your one-stop Amazon shopping convenience.
Why don’t you list vegan bags from non-vegan companies?
We think it’s a step in the right direction for non-vegan companies to add vegan products to their catalogue. However, when we contact these companies, we often have a hard time getting straight answers with regard to which of their products are 100% free of animal-derived materials, and which aren’t. We need to be 100% confident that what we list here for you is vegan, so when we don’t get straight answers, we don’t list their products.
Similar product categories
If you’ve found this page on vegan shoulder bags helpful, check out similar product categories to learn or shop more:
For companies that make vegan shoulder bags
If you or your employer makes vegan bags, belts, shoes, soap, lip balm, makeup or vegan products of any kind actually, we’d love to feature those products on our site... for free! Contact us at - info(at)getitvegan(dot)com - to get the ball rolling!