Veganism can be understood as both a diet and a lifestyle. It is marked by an avoidance of using any clothing, food, or general products made with animals. While vegetarians cut meat out of their diet, vegans take it one step further and avoid animal products such as cheese, milk, or eggs. While the numbers of people who are strictly vegan are relatively low (somewhere around 1% in the United States), there has been a general move towards the increased use of vegan products.
Even people who don’t strictly follow the vegan diet but are concerned with cruelty towards animals are likely to purchase vegan-friendly products. Most commonly, this includes avoiding clothing made with animal products. This means all kinds of leather, sheepskin, and many other items are off limits. Wearing vegan clothing is one way that people can contribute to the vegan lifestyle, even if they can’t (or aren’t willing) to completely adopt a vegan diet.