vegansaurus!

Get this Groupon for a sweet vegan bag!  »

Social couponing: It is a real epidemic affecting our children! And also me! But at least it’s cheapish, and when it’s explicitly vegan, all the better — raising awareness and shit.

So PEEP IT: Sacs of Life (teehee, “sacs,” also, hi, I’m five years old) is offering this Groupon deal for a $19 (usually pushing $70!) cross-body bag/tote thing, your choice of four different colors. It’s kind of a weird shape, but I dunno, I like it? I got the olive one and I’m gonna wear it every day on my bike so I quit dirtying up my nice yellow Melie Blanco.

Better yet, this deal is ONLINE, SUCKAS, so there’s no location-based excuse for you not to buy it. And I saved the best for last: IT COMES WITH A GOD-DAMNED TOTE, Y’ALL. Use it for your groceries and shit.

There are only two days and some change left to buy it, so do it to it, bag lovers, before I buy all of them and keep them all to myself and rule the Sacs of Life universe forever and ever, muahahahahaaaa. Do you guys think I have a conquering fetish? JUST WONDERING.

More vegan ways to blow your paycheck: Compassion Couture!  »

I know I’m a little late reporting but I just have to put in a good word for this online shop, Compassion Couture. It’s adorbs. It was started by two sisters who I’m guessing are adorbs too. They don’t have a ton of stuff but it’s well curated so what they do have is dope. I’m into these Olsen Haus shoes. I couldn’t wear them because I get cranky if the heels are over two inches. But if you wear them, I’ll totally hit on you.

Of course we all know Olsen Haus but they also have some brands I’ve never seen, especially in the purse department. Have you guys heard of Dialog? Well I hadn’t. Kind of wacky but I’m into it. They also have those Reveal iPad cases that I want! Why does no one think I’m important enough to have an iPad? Damn it! I need one! Angry Birds is so tiny on my iPhone!

[P.S. Have you bought your super-sexy Vegansaurus shirt yet? They’re going fast!]

Vegan bags from Melie Bianco!  »

I guess I’m late to the game because I had never heard of Melie Bianco but I saw these bags on fashion-conscience.com and dudes, I’m into them. I think. Well, I’m definitely into the clutch below but we have to see what Cally says for the official word. And I know some of you get concerned about wearing stuff that looks like leather even if it’s faux, but I don’t think anyone will mistake this for real leather. Will they? On the environmental tip, I’m not sure how high they score but their site says they try to use every piece of fabric they have. I hear there’s a lot of that type of waste in modern production. And they wear sweaters instead of turning up the heat in the winter. So, there’s that.

So, we will wait for Cally to weigh in but in the meantime, what do we think?

Today only: Matt & Nat on super-sale!  »

Matt & Nat on sale at ideeli! Best purses ever, I loooooove Matt & Nat. This fancy little number retails for $135, and ideeli’s got it for $59! That is like 56 percent off and a GOOD DEAL.

They have 26 bags—including some adorable wristlets, Megan Rascal’s favorite!—and five wallets on sale and if you have bag-buying money, you should BUY ONE. The sale only lasts one day!

Ideeli is one of those join-to-get-deals sites, so here is a referral from Vegansaurus to you. Don’t say we never did anything for you. Like encouraged rampant consumerism.

Vegansaurus Giveaway: $50 gift card to Lulu’s + 15 percent off for everybody!  »

Check it out! We are giving away a $50 gift card to Lulus.com! Lulu’s has a ton of faux leather shoes and purses* and plenty of other good stuff. To win, leave a comment telling us your favorite vegan recipe and what Lulu’s outfit you would wear if you had a vegan dinner party featuring that dish. Go crazy!

Even if you don’t win, everyone is getting a 15 percent discount to Lulu’s from today until May 9. The coupon code is “VEGANSAURUS” and it’s case-sensitive! It is valid for customers in the U.S. and Canada and is a one-use-per-customer coupon. Sorry!

Have at it! I will be choosing a winner next Thursday. I know, the suspense will kill you! But don’t die! You might win!

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m pretty into these:
How cool would I be? (Hint: SO COOL)

*I can’t speak to the glue, it’s a bunch of different companies.

The vegan dopeness: five faux-leather messenger bags  »

What’s not to like about a messenger bag?! Besides the boob-divider thing. But some people find that attractive! I’m not saying you should fill these with PBR and hop on your bike, but they are all cross-body bags and they are all dope. This Espe one from Alternative Outfitters is what inspired my round-up today:

So professory! And at one point or another, everyone wants to bang a professor.

This next one is also from Alternative Outfitters, the Luella by Shiraleah:
I’m in love with this bag, goddang it! And I don’t care who knows! I’m a big fan of Shiraleah, I have one of their wallets and it RULES.

Here’s a hot Matt and Nat number from Mooshoes:
I like odd, shapely pockets. That’s also how I like my men, BTDubs.

Also from Mooshoes, the Strap Hanger bag from Tano:
LOTS OF POCKETS. That’s how you know how important someone is, by how many pockets they need. And keys.

Lastly, here’s a mini messenger from Beg for a Bag on Etsy:
I don’t feel super-confident about the quality of this one but sometimes you just want some damn pleather.

There you have it! Five faux-leather messenger bags curated by yours truly. Dishes are done.

Vegan laptop bag round-up!  »

Finding a vegan laptop bag isn’t really the most difficult thing in the world but finding a dope one? Chances are slim. Lucky for you, I’m here with the vegan laptop bag round-up! Now, I’m not talking bags that could fit a computer, I mean like legit, padded laptop bags, all right? All right!

First shout out goes to Matt and Nat. Did you know they did some bags in collaboration with Apple? Well they did and they are fly. Here’s my favorite, the Ritual:

SO FLY. Matt and Nat also has some other dope laptop bags that aren’t in that collection, like the slick-ass Phoenix here:
I’m also into the Gordon but it’s a little busy.

From super awesome, eco-obsessed company Reveal we have this eco-denim number:

It’s a little exciting but not over-the-top.

Next we have The Kate by San Francisco’s Acme Made:
This one is a bit futuristic, I’m into it. Not the Jetsons future, the Matrix future. Plus, matching change purse? BONUS.

From Etsy, we have the Niko:

This one is kind of siiiiick, bra. Very handsome indeed.

This iPad case from Reveal is so dope, I’m about to buy an iPad. There are some excellent manly ones, too. That I also need. It’ll be great, I’ll get an iPad and dress her up in different outfits every day!

That’s five-plus-one for now! Soak it in. Which one is your favorite? I need a new laptop bag but I can’t decide. I’m allergic to decisions.

Guest review: Sway Noe Valley!  »

Sway opened this summer in Noe Valley. It’s a boutique with a selection of affordable clothing chosen by a vegan buyer with great taste. Sway is part of a local chain—there are stores in Alameda, Berkeley, Concord, and Oakland—that reminds me of a less-expensive, less-trendy LF or Urban Outfitters: boho-chic styles like skinny jeans, flowered shirts, dresses, and jumpers, the store caters to the same teen-to-30-something demographic. But what struck me was the variety of vegan fashions for sale.

“We definitely offer a large array of animal-friendly shoes and belts that are fashion-forward,” says buyer Michelle Halprin. “A lot of my vegan friends—especially those coming from out of town—stock up on our non-leather shoes and bags because we are able to get the looks that are often only available in leather.”

Michelle says for as long as she can remember Sway never carried leather or any other animal products. Some of the jackets are wool and the occasional shoes leather due to costumer demand, but she buys vegan fashion whenever possible. Even Sway’s owner is vegetarian.

Not all items at Sway carry Vegan Action’s relatively new “Certified Vegan” label, outside of the purses they carry from Urban Expressions. She hopes more lines will carry the label in the future. For now, Sway’s non-leather brands include Pink Duchess, Miss Me, Soda, Qupid, Dreams, and Breckelles. Purses include sleek, buttery soft ones by Ebisu, Super Trader, Urban Expressions, and Let Them Eat Cake. This fall, find more non-leather purses by Flying Tomato and cool non-leather jackets.

Sway is located at 3979 24th St. at Noe Street. You can also follow the store on Twitter.

This is Vera Churilov’s from Nourish the Spirit’s first post at Vegansaurus. Thanks, Vera!