Philosophical Vegan Forum

What did you do with old leather? I chose to wear mine out being that I don't want to waste it. Lately It has been bothering me
A. It grosses me out the more I think about it
B. People often point it out when they find out I'm Vegan to portray me as a hypocrite.
I suppose I could give it away to charity.
What about you? what did you do with old leather?

I dont use it and wouldn't use it. The only conceivable scenario where I would tolerate it is if someone had no money and it was the only cloths available.

Would you wear or give away clothing made by human skin?

that's why it grosses me out but if I bought it before being vegan I feel a certain responsibility to make sure it's used rather than wasted

TheVeganAtheist wrote: Would you wear or give away clothing made by human skin?

Generally, yes. What's done is done, we should just avoid providing more economic incentive.

It's even better to sell it (at just below market value), because it displaces profits of the leather industry if it's in decent condition. Somebody who may have otherwise bought new leather buys old instead.

thats a great idea

brimstoneSalad wrote:

TheVeganAtheist wrote: Would you wear or give away clothing made by human skin?

Generally, yes. What's done is done, we should just avoid providing more economic incentive.

It's even better to sell it (at just below market value), because it displaces profits of the leather industry if it's in decent condition. Somebody who may have otherwise bought new leather buys old instead.

I wouldn't. I think wearing human or non-human skin is a tacit acceptance of the industry. The more people wearing skins as clothing/fashion/etc, the more they normalize the use and further the industry. Only when people know that you object to an industry and vote with your wallet, will they even begin to question the industries they support

TheVeganAtheist wrote: I wouldn't. I think wearing human or non-human skin is a tacit acceptance of the industry.

Most people understand "this is old".
It's the same case with elephant ivory.
As long as you're not wearing it fashionably as a trend setter (which does encourage people), I don't think it's a huge thing. And wearing old leather can help establish you as non-dogmatic when you explain it that way to people who know you.
It's somewhat important for vegans not to have the financial burden of giving up much of their wardrobes.

TheVeganAtheist wrote: The more people wearing skins as clothing/fashion/etc, the more they normalize the use and further the industry.

I think that ship has probably sailed.

It's possible to explain to people why you still leather, but the majority of people that you walk by on the streets doesn't even know you're vegan.

If I would have a fur coat, no way that I would still wear that after going vegan. But I do make the exception for leather (although I try to get rid of it), and the reason is mostly financial, but also because it's socially not intolerable (or even noticed). But I also recognize that by still using leather in the public, I support the view that it is normal to use, which is pretty hypocritical.

Volenta wrote:But I also recognize that by still using leather in the public, I support the view that it is normal to use, which is pretty hypocritical.

Of course, so does wearing fake leather. Or anything that even looks a little bit like leather (despite the functional properties of synthetics). And at that point, this idea of normalizing its use all becomes pretty silly.

The same could be said about eating anything that possibly looks a little bit like meat in public, or in view of anybody who may take that as tacit endorsement of eating meat, when they didn't know it was vegan.
But then, you should also never eat in private, because people will then assume you're eating meat since that's what most people do, so that too would be a tacit endorsement.

Basically, if you aren't standing on a table with a megaphone explaining every personal habit you have, you're tacitly endorsing something bad which is socially normal.

You'd drive yourself crazy thinking like that.

Don't worry too much about what other people may or may not assume, just do the best you can, and serve as the best example you can for people who know you.

Good points brimstoneSalad, thanks.