Professional use of "Synthetics" for Uniforms

Having been hit with a TOTALLY ORIGINAL instant Vegan-killer, that made me realise the error of my ways, and immediately kill and eat my Chicken Friends,

I replied with how Vegans do not *have* to wear shoes made from flax, although we'd certainly "be allowed to", if we *wanted* to wear flax clothing :-)

Much of it is rather nice, and patriotic for New Zealanders!

I'm currently sporting the "blue" ensemble

Choice is a great thing.  There is much choice for Vegan appropriate clothing, more than just the stereotypical "robes made from sack cloth, and bare feet" look :-)

I'd think we are often not taken seriously when we talk of "synthetic skin" clothing, as it may sound rather odd, to be trying to "rip off nature".

I myself do not like the idea of wearing clothing that looks like the skin of an animal.  For shoes, I most often wear canvas, Chuck Taylors, or similar, which also have an advantage in being dirt cheap, where dirt= ~$15NZD per pair of size 13's amount. 

***UPDATE the Invercargill Vegan Society put in a group order for very nice Etiko shoes, fairtrade, organic cotton and Vegan :-)  Buying together, each pair came out to around $56  Lets support Etiko for being such a great company :-) ***

Why not mention professional uniforms that are turning away from the use of animal skin?

"Many Canadian police departments have had officers complain of having back pain due to their supposedly rigid leather belts and in response, many Canadian departments are now switching to nylon belts because they are considered by some to be more flexible."

"Nylon duty gear is generally less expensive, lighter, and easier to maintain than leather gear of comparable quality. However, leather gear is generally regarded as having a more traditional and professional appearance. To combine the best of both materials, companies like Bianchi manufacture nylon duty gear that has the appearance of leather."


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Police_duty_belt

Or of military dress shoes, often made of "synthetics", as they have a *nicer* appearance to actual animal skin.

"Clarino is the brand name of a synthetic leather-like material, commonly used in gloves, footwear, handbags, and law enforcement duty gear. Versions are made that simulate suede and top-grain leather. It is manufactured by Kuraray Co., Ltd. of Japan.
Being a man-made material, it is washable and retains its softness when wet, unlike natural leather."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clarino

"Benefits
There are many benefits to using CLARINO, which makes it one of the world's most popular synthetic leathers.

Stronger and lighter than real leather

Thanks to many innovative technological acheivements, CLARINO manages to be both lightweight and inherently strong, sharing the same tensile strength as genuine leather. However, CLARINO is three times stronger than real leather, requiring only a third of real leather's weight to achieve equal tear strength.

Comfortable and Breathable

Like leather, CLARINO lets your body feel naturally at ease; it is dense yet microporous, allowing water vapor and heat to pass through. And because CLARINO is a breathable material, heat is dissipated in warm weather and retained in cold weather.
For suede material, the nylon composition gives CLARINO the same permeability-to-air and moisture found on high quality leathers. 

More durable and consistant over real leather

CLARINO resists abrasion better than real leather.
This thoroughly tough yet supple material is tremendously resistant to tearing, will not dry out or become brittle, and does not wear down even after many years of use.

Easy to care for

CLARINO/AMARETTA can be washed either by hand or with a machine. Light rain has no effect and will not leave water spots.
For more details on care, please see our maintenance page. 

Excellent versitality, many colors

CLARINO comes in dozens of colors and can be used in an incredible variety of ways: from supple and refined, to waterproof, to anti-bacterial use... the applications are nearly limitless!"

http://www.clarino-am.com/benefits.php

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_leather

Who'd you rather be, The Stig in MODERN racing gear, demonstrating how "traditional" German sports cars get humiliated by GT-R's several times less expensive:

or some overweight guy on a Hardly-Davidson, trying to relive a macho stereotype from 1950?  Especially when any Japanese bike is far superior, and perhaps half the price!

Lets never be afraid to mention "manly" professions which are turning away from the use of skin, and for technical reasons too, because synthetic is *superior*.

The times, they are a changin', so please, the-use-of-animal-skin, get out of the way if you cant keep up (with cutting edge Vegan appropriate fashion), this is the autobahn mate!