I’m Fashion Forward And Cruelty Free. Here’s How
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I rarely leave the house without looking like my best self, and that often means sleek leather handbags to go with my favorite outfits. That said, I also kind of hate leather — not the look of leather, but the idea of leather. I know that my handbags and wallets are yet another product of animal cruelty and leather tanning processes are terrible for the environment, and I can’t help but feel guilty each time I use it.
For a year or so, I only bought secondhand leather goods to avoid adding to the problem, but I still feel wrong draping these bags across my torso just to look good. Eventually, I made the switch to “pleather,” but that too disappointed me: it looked and felt cheap, nothing like the leather I was used to. Was there a true leather substitute out there that would serve looks while saving animals? I joined some vegan Facebook groups in search of a trustworthy pleather handbag, and that’s how I found the first and only vegan handbag brand to do it right: MERSI.
As I explored MERSI’s website, I saw a massive selection of handbag colors and styles that immediately excited me. I read about the brand’s thorough commitment to cruelty-free products, and I saw that part of my purchase would fund animal sanctuaries. I also saw women who looked like me, a first in my handbag shopping experience – I was tired of seeing the same lifeless model in every handbag photo, and MERSI addressed that. Now, that’s a brand I can get behind!
MERSI also did this all at unusually affordable prices. At first, this scanned as suspicious, but it was actually a sign of more ethical practices. MERSI eliminates middlemen who artificially inflate prices, instead offering their products directly to the consumer — me. It also handmakes all its handbags using fair labor, and it swaps out common PVC pleather for much eco-friendlier polyurethane (PU). With both ethics and affordability to MERSI’s name, I started shopping.
I first bought the Isabel Bucket Bag, a bold yellow bag that combines a shimmering, detachable snakeskin strap with a high-quality, sturdy magnetic closure. When my Isabel arrived, I saw that this bag is just as beautiful in real life as online. It fit all my belongings and stunningly complemented most of my outfits. To get a bag that complemented my remaining outfits, I bought the black Ruby Cross-Body, a fantastic go-to that fits all my essentials and looks great with everything, even with its unique multicolored strap.
Speaking of complementing, I started getting compliments all the time from friends and total strangers about my MERSI bags. When I mentioned that MERSI is entirely vegan, cruelty-free, and completely affordable, most people just didn’t believe me. The commitment that MERSI and I share to ethical, plant-based, high-quality fashion is having a ripple effect on my friend group, and we’ve never felt so good about looking this good.
If you too want vegan handbags that make lasting impressions and are built to last, shop MERSI now and get a free gift with your $100 purchase! With your first MERSI bag, you’ll see that ethical looks go hand in hand with high fashion and quality.