Adventures in Veganland

[Guest guest]

Adventures in Veganland

Walking in the shoes of a woman who lives her beliefs

By Ann Bergman , Erin Loomis 06/19/2008

 

It was a beautiful sunny day in Pasadena, and we were beyond mortified. We couldn’t remember another occasion where something like this had happened. We were wearing the wrong shoes for the occasion and we had no time to correct it. “How can you go wrong with awesome vintage cowboy boots and a pair of adorable strappy leather sandals?†you might ask.

Well, if you are en route to chat with the owner of a vegan clothing company about, among other things, the cruelty-free footwear she sells, these shoe selections might make you feel a bit sheepish. No pun intended.

Luckily, the owner was very friendly, and if she noticed our faux pas while showing us her fine selection of faux leather, she didn’t let on.

Jackie Horrick started Alternative Outfitters vegan boutique (located at 408 S. Pasadena Ave.) when she realized how difficult it was to be both animal friendly and überfashionable. Raised in the San Fernando Valley, Jackie developed a love for animals early which, to her mother’s chagrin, drove her to adopt her neighbor’s pet goat and lambs when she was only 9 years old. Shortly thereafter, she became a vegetarian.

Alternative Outiftters began as a Web site that Jackie ran out of her home. As the concept gained momentum, the current storefront/warehouse combination was born. The boutique is tiny and jammed full of colorful handbags, accessories, tops, bottoms, cosmetics and shoes — lots of shoes. They even have a decent selection of men’s wear.

The in-house active-wear brand (which was recently featured in the “Sex and the City†movie) touts slogans like “GO VEG!†and “Cruelty free†on comfy and worker-friendly American Apparel products. They even carry certain animal-free items from well-known brands that are not otherwise specifically vegan.

Essentially, Jackie and her team do the footwork (again, no pun intended), investigating and discovering trendy vegan products from all over and stocking them in one convenient place. They make a point not to stock “common†or “easy to find†vegan items (like plastic flip-flop sandals) instead choosing to focus on more “difficult†everyday products like wallets, lip-gloss and handbags. T-shirts were abundant. Motifs ranged from delicate floral patterns to declarations of peace and love for tofu to PETA slogans preaching animal liberation.

In fact, PETA has granted Alternative Outfitters more than one “Proggy†award, recognizing their progressive attitude and animal-friendly practices.

We may not be vegan, but we certainly appreciate and respect people like Jackie Horrick, who stick to their beliefs and work hard to make their dreams a reality.

As avid carnivores, we were slightly put off by a prominently displayed tote with a cute little chicken proclaiming “I hate meat eaters!†Hate is, after all, a very strong word.

To be honest, we expected to encounter more of that kind of mindset and were pleasantly surprised when we didn’t receive the cold shoulder due to our carnivorous, leather-loving tendencies. Though at first we felt a little bit like fish out of water, Jackie’s attitude was accepting and refreshing, especially considering the fact that we were traipsing through her oasis of animal love clothed in carcasses.

It was quite an adventure to spend the afternoon walking in vegan shoes. We saw a lot of things we liked and might even look into buying a pair or two. However, fear not! We have no intentions of abandoning our vintage leather favorites. Our boots too were made for walking, and that’s just what they’ll keep doing. After all, it’s the little differences that make the world — and fashion — more interesting. Plus, you can never have too many pairs of shoes. Contact Pasadena Fashionistas Erin Loomis and Karol Ann Bergman at writeloomis.

 

Peter vv_,_._,___

 

Sent from Mail.

 

A Smarter Email.

[Guest guest]

Yet another " we didn't drink the koolaid " piece.

 

It'd be an interesting anthropological exercise to look at all

the articles on " I talked to a vegan and didn't join the cult "

and figure out what's going on. Their editors seem to think it gives

them more credibility if they visit veganland but aren't vegan, and

the writers themselves seem to go out of their way to point out that

they've emerged with assumptions untouched by their brief

encounter.

 

 

At 7:01 PM +0000 6/20/08, Peter VV wrote:

Adventures in Veganland

 

Walking in the shoes of a woman who lives her beliefs

 

.....However, fear not! We have no intentions of abandoning our

vintage leather favorites. Our boots too were made for walking, and

that's just what they'll keep doing. After all, it's the little

differences that make the world - and fashion - more interesting.

Plus, you can never have too many pairs of shoes.