Gone are the days of limited fashion choices for the environmentally and ethically continuous among us. There are many brands in the market today that offer fabulous collections of vegan and eco-friendly “leather” goods. Wallets are the most used and ignored accessory in our wardrobes. There are many companies that offer great sustainable vegan wallets. Here are four such companies we love by category.
- Oliver Co London - Best Gents Wallet
- Tashi SarL - Best Full-Size Ladies Wallet
- Watson & Wolfe - Best Cardholder
- Elvis & Kresse - Best Small Ladies Wallet
Oliver Co London:
Oliver Co Premium wallet is our favorite sustainable gents wallet. It’s designed in London and beautifully handcrafted in Istanbul, Turkey. The design of this wallet is so sleek and slim. It can be seamlessly stored in your back pocket without creating a bulge. It can hold up to 12 cards and notes and is RFID-protected.
The exterior of this wallet is made of apple leather, a plant leather made from apple waste from the juice industry. It's OEKO-TEX certified and is made in Italy. The juicing industry creates significant waste. This waste is up-cycled to create a plant-based leather that acts as a bio-based substitute for PU and conventional leather.
Tashi SarL:
Tashi Kiara is a great full-size zip-around ladies' wallet. It has been created by pairing carefully sourced plant leather with durable hardware and expert craftsmanship of artisan manufacturers in Florence, Italy. It has 12 card slots, two note pockets, and a zipped coin purse. Its slim and functional design means it fits well into your handbag and your your cards and notes are always easily accessible.
Tashi is built on the belief that through fair pay, local production, sustainable materials and practices and durable products a stand can be taken against fast fashion and its negative impact. Kiara wallet is made with cactus leather, a sustainable and environmentally friendly organic material made of Nopal cactus. This cactus variety is resilient and can grow in harsh climate conditions, and on degraded land without excessive irrigation. It does not require fertiliser or pesticides. Cactus leather is up to 92% biodegradable. While there are several plant-based leather varieties available, cactus leather seems to be the most scalable and environmentally friendly alternative.
Watson & Wolfe
The slim cardholder by Watson & Wolfe is a slim and practical cardholder that can hold up to 6 cards comfortably. Its slim design means it fits into your pockets or small handbag/ gym bag easily. It's made with corn leather that contains more than 30% plant-based material. There is no PVC in the product and the lining consists of a fabric made with recycled bottles. The cardholder comes in three stylish colours black, brown, and red. Its good quality vegan and cruelty-free cardholder is offered at a very attractive price of £32. Watson & Wolfe additionally offers a one-year guarantee on this item.
Elvis & Kresse
This is perhaps the most exciting and unique company on this list. Their story takes us back to 2005 when Elvis & Kresse fell in love with decommissioned fire-hoses. They learned that after 25 years of service or once a hose is damaged they are sent to the landfills. Elvis & Kresse tried to rescue and upscale the old hose by giving it a new life as wallets, belts, and handbags. Present day they upscale 15 different reclaimed materials including parachute silk, printing blankets, and coffee and tea sacks.
The Elvis & Kresse folding purse is a great compact ladies' wallet. It is part of the fire-hose collection so it's made 100% from decommissioned fire-hose. It comes in four exciting colors to choose from. It can hold up to 6 credit cards and comprises of a note pocket and a coin pocket. It’s a bit bulky but fits well into small handbags due to its short size. 50% of profits from this collection go to the Fire Fighters Charity.
A wallet is such a small item yet it's used every day and it's highly personal. Don't overlook this all-important accessory on your journey to creating a sustainable wardrobe.