DOG FASHION – Camille Thomson

Floof, Furbaby, Chonk, Good Boi or Gurl, Poochie, doggo… whatever you call yours, Man’s best friend has become more integral to life than ever. But there’s a craze that has taken over the dog world that opinion is still divided on and that’s fashions for Dogs.

We’re not just talking about a fancy collar or a once-a-year costume. We’re talking about a daily curated wardrobe with accessories.

Adorning our pups can be dated all the way back to the Ancient Egyptians who had kept dogs for many reasons, including sacrifices. But Around 1570-1069 BCE.it seems that collars for their dogs had developed to include gold and silver and bearing an inscription of the dog’s name. A distinction that was not given to cats, who are more commonly associated with Egypt (think of those giant Sphynx).

The most well-known of these collars was found in the tomb of an Egyptian nobleman and depicts dogs hunting ibex and gazelle and includes the name of the dog, Tantanuit.

The practice of Bejeweled collars acting as status symbols continued through the ages appearing in lore from the Roman Empire through to the French monarchy in the 1400s.

By the early 1800s the British Monarchy had progressed the fashion to full replicas of suits that humans wore… in dog size.

Here is where real capitalism steps in. Because the upper elite were using their canine pals to project their wealth, those who could manufacture these miniature designs of dresses and suits had a ready market.

Throughout the 1900s, animal fashions waned as there were two world wars and recovery from recessions, but as affluence increased, so did the influence of celebrities and fashion. Once these celebrities brought along their pets, and styled them, the craze of fitting out your pooch also took off again.

As we entered the new century, carrying your dog around and making sure it was as well dressed as you kept gaining pace. Celebrities such as Paris Hilton and Lady Gaga sported bedazzled Chihuahuas and French bulldogs in coats. Fashion houses such as Ralph Lauren and Adidas began to make canine versions of their human lines such as Sweaters or hoodies.

Now we can agree that there are some breeds that require an additional coat for dogs that have less hair and insulation, such as the stylish Lucy the greyhound who lives in Canberra (pictured above) or Jinx from Sydney (Pictured below). Many might question the need for round sunglasses or sequined dresses or even costumes that serve no utilitarian purpose to increase the comfort for the Dog.

With a few years of social distancing from other humans and lockdowns at home, we have all become more attached to our Fur babies so this trend of dressing our dogs like mini versions of ourselves may not fade very soon. Perhaps the best we can all hope for is that there is moderation in what we spend to deck out our pets and make sure they aren’t embarrassed to be seen with us in public