November 6, 2025 Updated Four Paws directory rates outdoor brands for animal welfare

With the holidays approaching, Four Paws updates its Wear it Kind Brand Directory to help consumers make animal-conscious fashion choices. The guide now features over 300 brands, rating them on their use of animal-derived materials and ethical practices.

Animal-conscious shopping for the holiday season

With the approaching festive season and annual Black Friday promotions, global animal welfare organization Four Paws has updated its Wear it Kind Brand Directory. The annual guide aims to empower consumers to make more animal-conscious gifting choices. More than 300 brands – including 60 recently added – are now listed and evaluated based on criteria such as eliminating fur, replacing wool and down, and reducing reliance on animal-derived materials (ADMs).

A 2024 YouGov survey found that 81 percent of adults across twelve global markets believe fashion companies should reduce the use of ADMs and invest in recycled or plant-based alternatives. The expanding Brand Directory serves as a first stop for shoppers aiming to choose fashion that aligns with animal welfare.

Luxury fashion still lags behind on animal welfare

“For many of us, the festive season means sparkle, style – and giving. It’s the perfect moment to make gifting choices that feel good and do good,” says Ranny Rustam, responsible for textiles at Four Paws.

“By shopping from fashion brands that uphold compassion, everyone can help in protecting millions of sheep, geese and mink who are suffering due to routine mutilations or are being killed for fur. However, the most animal-friendly fashion choices do not involve animals at all.”

The Brand Directory also highlights companies making progress, and showed the most improvement in eliminating live lamb cutting and live plucking. In contrast, many luxury brands continue to use fur without a phase-out strategy – marking the luxury sector as one of the least progressive on animal welfare.

Progress and pressure: focus on wool sourcing

The directory reveals that 94 percent of rated companies have taken action against live lamb cutting (LLC), a significant benchmark given wool’s dominance in fashion. Despite this progress, many brands remain opaque about sourcing. Live lamb cutting, common in Merino sheep farming in Australia, involves cutting skin from around a lamb’s tail and genitals – typically without adequate pain relief. This causes pain lasting days, slow healing, and lifelong scarring.

The realities behind down and fur

Down used in jackets, blankets and similar products is often harvested through live plucking of geese and ducks. This practice can lead to injuries, fractures, and death – repeated every five to six weeks. Birds on breeding farms are particularly vulnerable. Four Paws warns that current certifications are inadequate to ensure ethical standards in down supply chains.

Regarding fur, Four Paws advises consumers to avoid it altogether. There are no production methods or certifications that can ensure humane treatment of animals in the fur industry. Moreover, fur products are often indistinguishable from synthetic alternatives, leading to misleading purchases.

Brand ratings and public transparency

The ranking includes brands across categories such as outdoor, sports and luxury, offering filters for shoppers to compare commitments to animal-free practices. Brands are evaluated for eliminating fur, live lamb cutting and live plucking, with transparent disclosure and certification playing a key role.

“Four Paws is committed to ensuring that animals are not forgotten in the conversation around ethics in fashion,” says Rustam.

“The Wear It Kind Brand Directory empowers shoppers to make compassionate choices with just a few clicks.”

Lead photo: Four Paws