Order a Carlos Falchi faux
python bag from Target

Attention all fashionistas: Get yourself to Target and get your hands on a little piece of designer heaven that won’t cost you an arm and a leg … or cost snakes their lives. Just in time for the holiday-party and gift-giving season, Target stores will be carrying a super-cool, ultra-affordable line of fake python handbags by designer Carlos Falchi.

They come in fun colors like plum and teal, as well as the standard neutrals, and they range in size from compact evening clutches to larger bags to fit everything you need for a long day downtown. With prices at $49.99 or less, you can get one of each! These fab fakes are a lot more fun than walking around with the hides of snakes who were skinned alive hanging on your shoulder, if you ask me. It’s so easy to find affordable, nice fakes these days, so there’s really no excuse for buying the real (cruel, dead) thing.

We’d love to hear about other great fakes and where you found them—tell us in the comments!

With good-enough-to-eat ingredients and scents that revitalize and soothe, Pharmacopia body-care products are just what the doctor ordered to make your skin—and spirit—glow. Now, we are giving five lucky winners the chance to get a prize pack for free!

Lovingly crafted from organic, plant-based ingredients including essential oils, extra-virgin olive oil, chamomile flowers, sea algae, shea butter, and more, Pharmacopia’s hand creams, massage oils, body lotions, soaps, body washes, elixirs, and other products reflect the company’s belief that what you put on your body is just as important as what you put in it.

What won’t you find in Pharmacopia products? Nasty things like artificial colors, fillers, fragrances, synthetics, parabens, and animal-derived ingredients. That’s right—all of Pharmacopia’s products are entirely vegan! Best of all, Pharmacopia never, ever tests its products on animals. The company’s beautiful, hand-designed packages—which are inspired by 19th century apothecaries and herb stores in France—proudly feature PETA’s cruelty-free and vegan bunny logo.

To celebrate Pharmacopia’s kindness to animals, we’ve teamed up with the company to give five lucky winners a prize package, including Ginger Body Wash, Ginger Bath Salts, and Ginger Hand Cream—a $51 value! Just fill out the form below by November 23 to be entered in the running, and if you’re a winner, we’ll notify you by December 1. Good luck!

The following post was originally posted by PETA Files writer, Shawna Flavell.

Delia’s clothing company used to be one of several retailers that sold Ringling Bros. T-shirts.

I say “used to be” because today, the company’s CEO contacted us to say that Delia’s will be pulling the shirts from its Web site, its stores, and its October catalog by this Friday, September 11.

Thanks to the countless concerned people who took the time to write and call the company to ask it to stop promoting Ringling’s cruel treatment of animals.

We hope that you’ll take a second to write to Delia’s and thank it for making the compassionate decision.

‘I Am Not a Nugget’ Messenger Bag

A recent trip to the mall made me aware of exactly what time of year it is—school shopping time! So whether you are shopping for yourself as you head back to campus or prepping your kids with all the gear that they will need, check out the goodies we have lined up at the PETA Catalog:

1. ‘Cut Class, Not Frogs’ T-Shirt

2. ‘I Am Not a Nugget’ Messenger Bag

3. PETA’s Vegan College Cookbook

4. Skelanimals ‘Animal Testing Breaks Hearts’ Fitted Tee

5. Glamour Kills ‘Animal Testing Breaks Hearts’ Fitted Tee or
Glamour Kills ‘Animal Testing Breaks Hearts’ Standard Tee

In addition to these great finds, don’t forget to arm yourself with the knowledge you need when hitting the stores for cruelty-fee products. Research brands before you go so that you will be sure to choose only cruelty-free personal-care products, or if you have an iPhone, get the “Be Nice to Bunnies” iPhone app. Be sure to also check out our Shopping Guide for Compassionate Clothing for a list of resources on where to score vegan shoes, bags, belts and more. Happy shopping!

Beautiful vegan shoes
from Bourgeois Boheme

Some of you might remember that last summer, I blogged about the top 10 places to find vegan women’s shoes. Well, proving once again that when it comes to fashion—as with most things—vegans are ahead of the curve, the Wall Street Journal recently ran an article all about fashionable vegan footwear!

The authors of the article gave the thumbs up to cruelty-free pumps, boots, and flats by Olsenhaus, Neuaura, Stella McCartney, and Toms, schooling the Wall Street Journal’s more than 2 million readers in the virtues of vegan fashion. (Yes, I said 2 million—it is the second largest paper in the country, after all!)

No doubt, we’ll be hearing more buzz about vegan footwear (and cruelty-free fashion in general) as savvy shoppers seek out “green” additions to their wardrobe. Vegan products are pretty much synonymous with eco-chic—environmentally friendly style that is taking fashion magazines and runways by storm.

Unlike leather products, vegan shoes, belts, and bags don’t require harmful chemicals to keep them from, um, decomposing. Leather is also an environmental no-no because tanneries pollute groundwater and streams and because raising animals for their flesh and skin wastes massive amounts of resources—not to mention that it sentences animals to cruel deaths!

Are you still scuffing around in the skins of dead animals? Maybe it’s time to get in step with fashion—and compassion—and treat your feet to a pair of pleather shoes!

Order now!

When I was in elementary school in the ’80s, I remember that the three R’s were all the rage. No, not “reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic” from my parents’ day (I never understood why they were called the three R’s in the first place), but “reduce, reuse, and recycle.”

My heart goes out to the patient parents of my classmates, who became “enforcers” of the three R’s, and listened as their well-meaning children scrutinized their every move—pointing out things like turning off the water while brushing their teeth and shutting the lights off when leaving a room.

These tidbits of advice still ring true today—perhaps now more than ever in these tight economic times when every little bit helps. To meet the demand of conscious consumers, “green” products are popping up everywhere. These days, there are just so many more things we can do to take heed of that old classroom advice, like making toiletry bags out of billboards!

Yes, that’s right—one of my new favorite ways to show my green side is the new toiletry bag in our catalog, which has been crafted out of a Pam Anderson PETA billboard. They are cute and funky and have that DIY feel that I’m always a fan of. And they come with essential goodies made from recycled materials (a toothbrush and razor with refills from Preserve).

So take a piece of PETA’s history (and Pam Anderson’s “Give Fur the Cold Shoulder” billboard) with you on your travels—it’s sure to receive compliments and is nothing short of a great excuse to dive into a conversation about animal rights!

PETA recently became partners with the online information hub for women: Divine Caroline.

Divine Caroline is a lifestyle site for women, by women. It is fueled by stories, information, and the personal experiences of experts and everyday people.

We will be posting our articles there as well as continuing to post on PETA Living, but on our Divine Caroline page, you will also be able to check out our product reviews and other helpful ways to share animal-friendly tips and information.
Divine Caroline is free to join, read, write, start forums, and pass things along to your friends. Check out our profile, and if you have your own already, become our friend!

Enter to win!

Whether you are just getting started or a seasoned animal rights activist, The Animal Activist’s Handbook: Maximizing Our Positive Impact in Today’s World, co-authored by PETA Vice President Bruce Friedrich, is an essential addition to any animal rights library.

The authors, Matt Ball and Bruce Friedrich, have dedicated their lives to ending animal suffering and building a ground-up case for reasoned and impassioned activism that makes the most difference possible.

Ten lucky winners will receive The Animal Activist’s Handbook. Just enter by April 30. Enter to win now!

Bettie Page Clothing

Yo, Daddy-O! We have a peachy keen prize to offer you from the fabulous retro-clothing retailer, Bettie Page Clothing. One lucky winner will snag a $200 gift certificate for its online store!

As if that news weren’t terrific enough on its own, it is also pretty stellar to note that even though the company has to-die-for fashion, no animals actually had to die for any of Bettie Page Clothing’s designs. All its designs are fur- and leather-free, so you can buy with confidence.

Now is your chance to win. Just leave a short comment below telling us about your favorite animal-friendly fashion item. One winner will be chosen at random.

The contest ends on May 22, and we’ll contact the winners by May 27. Be sure to read our privacy policy and our terms and conditions, as you’re agreeing to both by commenting. Good luck!

Need some retro inspiration? Check out our ads featuring Jenna Jameson and Dita Von Teese.

This contest has now ended.

photoeverywhere / cc

The following post is a guest post by PETA Files writer, Christine Doré.

Easter is meant to be one of those great holidays in which Christians share quality time with their families and celebrate their religion in a festive and peaceful manner. But somewhere along the way, the message got skewed and animals have paid the price for it.

Growing up, tradition was an important part of my family. Despite the family bonding that happened around Easter, I always felt as though some aspects of our Easter tradition just didn’t quite fit the compassionate message that Jesus seemed to stand for.

As far back as I can remember, my mother would wake me up every Easter morning, and I’d excitedly get dressed in a pastel, floral getup—the kind that includes frilly socks and a pink woven wide-brimmed hat. I’d slip into my purple wool cardigan while my mother donned her massive black mink coat.

We would then go to church and come home for the long-established Easter egg hunt (using real eggs that we’d dyed the day before). Afterwards, my sister and I would tear through our Easter baskets, which were filled to the brim with milk chocolate coins. Easter dinner would typically consist of a gigantic roast, potatoes with turkey gravy, bread and butter, dirty rice, and seafood gumbo.

Years later at 13, I began questioning everything. I asked myself why we ate foods that cost animals their lives and why animals were killed to make coats. I began to research how animals are exploited and quickly went vegetarian after I discovered the gruesome truth that I had searched for.

Now as an adult, I still celebrate Easter but put my own twist on the traditions so that no one has to suffer for my celebration. On Easter morning last year, I slipped on a cute lavender summer dress with a cotton cardigan. I donned my new pleather wedge heels and walked a few blocks to church. For Easter dinner, I cooked up a savory vegan gumbo (a recipe that my mother was excited to come up with from scratch!), and for dessert, I enjoyed a vegan dark-chocolate bunny that my parents had mailed to me.

Cruelty-free Easter? I think the peaceful Jesus that I’ve grown familiar with would agree with that sentiment.