How much does this dog (coat) weigh in the window? The Rise of Pet Fashion Fashion

I just want to stay very strong with my brand and continue to be a positive light for people. The more I can be recognized as a fashion icon, the closer and closer this dream comes to, ”influencer Boobie Billie said recently. The initiate. Billies almost daily stream of selfies shows her glamorous sitting in runway-ready poses, dressed in Jacquemus, Ganni and Chanel, to her 257,000 Instagram followers. It should also be noted that Billie is a dog. A Greyhound-Chihuahua mix, to be precise. I don’t wear dog clothes she said Daily women’s clothing, on the eve of launching its own fashion line including scarves and silk handbags, explaining: It’s a serious fashion brand without the serious attitude, of course.

Call it a collective collapse of a pandemic, but Billie is the face of petcore: the growth of clothing options for your pooches and moggies. As the fashion industry grapples with declining sales and grapples with its cultural stance, labels such as Versace, Thom Browne and, on Main Street, Arket have all released pet clothing.

Sales of pet clothing have increased during the pandemic – according to eBay, there has been a 45% increase in searches this year. Now, Dsquared2 has announced plans to release a line of dog tailoring, including bandanas, lumberjack shirts and leather leashes. While online fashion store Ssense has collaborated with designers such as Ashley Williams and Marine Serre for an exclusive range specific to pets. No wonder that in May, James Cordens Late Late Show replaced the cover of the Met Gala with a Pet Gala.

Brigitte Chartrand, vice president of women’s clothing purchasing at Ssense, told Womens Wear Daily that customers are increasingly interested in their own style and matching it with their dogs. Indeed, the lockdown has brought owners closer to their pets physically and psychologically, with more owners working from home and spending more time with their pets.

Anthropomorphic trends in the UK pet market have never been more apparent than in 2020, says Mark Waddy, director of MTW Research. He cites the pet snack market and the popularity of human-flavored treats like dog ice cream and dog chocolates, dog fragrance as other examples of anthropomorphic-induced consumer trends. One of the more recent trends would be dog drinks such as beer and wine made especially for dogs, he says. Pets are fully established as the primary member of the family in most pet-owning households.

He adds that during the Covid-19 pandemic, pet owners are increasingly walking their dogs with a focus on pet clothing. And the trend isn’t just limited to designers – there are affordable pet clothes to buy from H&M. Eric Musgrave, former editorial director of Drapers, agrees. In addition to frenzied staring boxes, cleaning the attic, and sorting through all those digital photo folders, playing dress up with your pets is a way to spend the long days, he says.

Pet stores, unlike clothing stores, remained open during the shutdown period so there was little decline in sales. By 2024, it is expected to reach 40 million, according to MTW – an economic projection that was made before the crisis but looks likely to hold up given the current buzz.

With petcore showing no signs of slowing down, it should be noted that the RSPCA does not oppose the dog clothing category as a whole. There may be obvious benefits for dogs who wear certain forms of clothing, for example, to help them stay warm in cold weather and to improve visibility at night, a spokesperson explains. However, the organization emphasizes that clothing should be chosen with meticulous care, always putting the needs of dogs above aesthetics. Clothing should allow dogs to behave normally so that they can use the toilet, exercise, drink and eat. It should not restrict hearing, sight or their ability to communicate with other dogs and people.

As human clothing trends turn to practical and sloppy sweatpants and socks and sandals – dogs may soon appear sharper than their owners.