Fashion at its best is FUN! This week’s list celebrates the union of pop culture, personality and style.

1. Costumes

A costume lets you play a character. It takes you outside of yourself, inviting you to look at life with the eyes of a child and suddenly you’re breathing a different kind of happiness. Pet fashion has taken this to a joyful extreme, making every season costume season. I have three favorites who do this with whit, creativity and style.

 

Izzy the Frenchie always makes me smile.

I don’t know which came first, the sassy personality or the clothes that define it, but every look tells a story.  Full disclosure, she’s a client of mine. But some of my favorite looks aren’t the extravagant gowns I make her but the simple pieces her doggie daddy puts together.

 

Fashionista drag dog Miss Pickles the Pug takes the world by storm.

This dog shares a joy for life that inspires and delights.  She went from neglected fat dog to world famous pop culture princess. The thing I love about her is her fearless way of capturing life in all its imperfect forms, employing paper, props and the simple draping of cloth to make a statement.

 

With Pudge and Stanley, it’s all about character

Whatever the season or social event, these two bring it to life. Again, it’s storytelling.  There’s a movie I love, Amistad,  with a line I live my life by.  The plot centers on a trial determining the status of a ship of slaves. Their lawyer goes to John Quincy Adams for advise and he asks, “…who will win?”  Adams responds, “that’s easy, the one with the best story.”  All of my costume animal favorites have mastered the art of telling a story.

 

2. It’s sweater-weather!

In the winter some dogs, especially small dogs,  need coats and sweaters, and that’s where pet fashion began.  Sweaters are still one of my favorites, especially hand knitted sweaters.  No matter what a pet wears, I like the focus to be on the dog, with the clothes simply being an invitation to  look closer and see the life behind the eyes.

 

Sweetness personified defines Lovemartini.

This three pound senior shares her joy, one post a day. I especially love when she’s wearing a sweater her grandmother made her.  A burst of yellow in a sweater made with love not only warms this darling diva, it warms the hearts of all who follow her.

 

Tuna goes to Paris and takes us with him.

When it comes to style, I personally love everything French and Tuna captured the vibe with this Iconic striped sweater and beret. Every pup should have a black and white striped pullover. It works with a full spectrum of color, and you can accessorize it in a million different ways, making as many unique statements.

 

Izzy, fringe and Oreos…

I adore this look and the contrasts it evokes. It begins with a play on texture: the fringe, the pearls, the sophisticated look… then the contrast: refined elegance gazing longingly into a tower of gluttonous delight.

 

2. Twinning

#TwinningTuesday. It’s catching on. Dogs twin with dogs.  Dogs twin with people. Woofie once twinned with a Patty Play Pal doll. Some say it’s silly.  Humanity needs more silly.  We’re stressed, angry, stretched to the limit—–in need of things that make us smile.

 

A ray of sunshine with Little Lola

I first saw her and I fell in love with her charm. We became fast friends, and I became her stylist. She finds fashion everywhere, traveling the world, mimicking pop culture icons. She has a couple of humans she regularly twins with. The humans present the outfit and we translate it into dog.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvLZE4H8ic/

Ralph proves that boy dogs can do fashion too.

I love this look: a human sweater, matching a pup sweater in vivid stripes, topping it off with a striped leash. This look is so simple, yet so dramatic. I call it fashion poetry.

 

This family of dogs are a must-follow.

These four special needs French bulldogs keep fashion simple mostly with t-shirt dressing, bandanas and bow ties. They often twin with each other. I especially love these tees, not only because make me smile, but because they share the power of statement dressing.