We’re on a hot streak to keep us warm (pun intended). After cosy jumpers, this edit is all about big, warm scarves to get us through winter in the Northern Hemisphere.
Like jumpers, vegan—or simply animal-free—scarves are typically made from cotton, bamboo, acrylic, polyester, or blends of these materials. As plant-based and synthetic yarns come with their own environmental challenges (which wool supporters are quick to criticise while ignoring wool’s carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄), and nitrous oxide (N₂O) emissions), we advocate for certified fabrics, as well as recycled synthetics, to ensure cruelty-free credo aligns with sustainability efforts. Supporting these choices also drives tangible advancements in recycling, such as the latest enzyme and composition identification technologies designed to improve the efficiency of processing synthetic and blended fabrics.
You’re all welcome.
Urban Expressions (USA)
Since 2005 (happy anniversary!), Urban Expressions has been championing a cruelty-free and greener world while also offering styling advice through their blog. Originally a bag brand, they have since expanded their range to include all kinds of small accessories.
VFR’s pick: MAGGIO Scarf
Regular price: $41,75
Sybaritic (Usa)
A brand founded by Himal Kamdar out of her desire for a ‘one-stop’ destination that is as versatile as it is ethical, they donate a portion of each order’s revenue to Carbon Direct-vetted companies developing carbon capture and storage solutions—such as Grassroots Carbon (which focuses on soil restoration) and DroneSeed (which specialises in land reforestation).
VFR’s pick: Cold Front Fringe Scarf
Regular price: $20,00
Pudus (Usa)
Named after the world’s smallest and cutest deer—the Pudu, a South American herbivore currently endangered but carefully bred and protected by conservationists—this brand offers all things sleep– and home-sweet-home-wear related, with occasional outdoor accessories, made from certified breathable materials and recycled water bottles.
VFR’s pick: Blanket Scarf Stars
Regular price: approx. $25,00
Open Plan (Korea)
Open Plan, launched in Korea in 2010, works with cotton, linen, and eucalyptus tree fibre, which requires 80% less water than cotton and is 99% recyclable. Their buttons are made from Tagua nuts—also known as vegetable ivory due to their texture and colour—harvested from the Tagua tree, which can produce 13-23 kg of nuts over a century without being felled. If that’s not impressive, we don’t know what is.
VFR’s pick: Quilted Scarf
Regular price: ₩58.000,00
Kapok Knot (Japan)
Their outerwear items are as versatile as it gets. Kapok Knot’s patent on Ethical Down KapokⓇ – Indonesian kapok fibre processed into light, warm, fluffy sheets – allows the brand to create some sleek items for colder days without compromising on the ‘I’m too cool to layer up’ attitude. Also, a big shout-out for giving dear old kapok a hi-tech remake.
VFR’s pick: Long Boa Down Stole
Regular price: ¥25.000,00
Ashoka Paris (France)
A Parisian brand named after Ashoka, the first vegetarian emperor of India who banned animal slaughter for meat, Ashoka Paris has been renowned for its fabulous faux-fur outerwear since 2018. The brand has also built a reputation for its enthusiastic and steadfast support of plant-based, mushroom-based, and recycled material innovations.
VFR’s pick: Joséphine Faux Fur Scarf
Regular price: €90,00
Oraki (Canada)
This Montreal-based brand uses only recycled materials or natural plant fibres and has repurposed 16,475,000 plastic bottles since its launch in 2016. To combat one of the fashion industry’s biggest issues—overproduction—it releases only limited collections to minimise waste.
VFR’s pick: Écharpe en Tricot
Regular price: $65,00 CAD
BeeZee Ecoland (Slovenia)
Since 2010, BeeZee Ecoland has been committed to making sustainable and ethical fashion accessible to all, long before it became a trend. From organic production and fair trade to recycling practices and cruelty-free materials, every aspect of sustainability is incorporated. Their dyeing process relies solely on water-based, non-AZO dyes.
VFR’s pick: FOX Scarf
Regular price: €68,00 – €74,00
Explore more vegan accessories in our Directory.