Posts with tag pets

There are people out there who might think dressing your pet in a costume is sick and twisted. Those people probably also think it's ridiculous to wear a crazy wig to dinner with your friends, or include a feather boa for a night out. And you know what those people are? Boring. We like to dress up, and so do our dogs.

The options for dressing your fashionable and furry friend are nearly endless, but we've got a few favorites. Some are classic, some are a little more current, but they're all grrr-eat in our book. And yes, we might have gotten into some of the candy for the trick-or-treaters and we're on a goofy sugar high. What of it?

We love all of the amazing independent designers out there and we wanted to find out more about what makes these creative types tick. If you do too, check out more of our Indie Designer Interviews.

Some artists are just so filled with the urge to create that they can't stick to just one medium. Such is the case with today's featured indie designer Tammy of Unique Garden (all natural bath and body products), uniqueXpression (handmade jewelry), and Unique Treat Dog Bones (organic pet treats).

Just like us, dogs can suffer from dehydration and heat exhaustion. They do their best to stay cool by panting, but since they can't exactly sweat, it's tough for them to beat the heat.

There are all kinds of contraptions on the market that use space-age polymer technology and old fashioned evaporation to help you do right by your best friend. From cooling vests to crate fans, to simple travel water bowls, it's easy to keep your pet cool. And that makes you cool, too.

I have two dogs and I love them like they're my kids (other than the whole sticking them in a crate thing -- I hear you're not supposed to do that with human children). However, when I saw the following headline, I thought that maybe, just maybe, this couple had taken things a little too far:

Hair of the dog: The animal lovers who turned their dead pets' coats into woolly jumpers.

Thanks for that, Daily Mail.

But, actually, it's not as creepy as it sounds. Beth and Brian Willis learned from their breeder that their white Samoyed's fur makes great clothing, so while the dog was still alive, they had a sweater knitted from the fur she had shed. It's apparently extremely warm and durable and softer than alpaca. They went on to have clothing knitted from their other dog's fur, too -- I'm sure she was feeling left out.

According to the article, making clothing from the fur of long-haired dogs is fairly common (Did you know that? I didn't!). I guess it makes sense -- instead of clogging up your vacuum with dog hair, create some furry fashion. I'm just not sure I'm ready to wear my pooches in any form, no matter how cozy it might be. How about you?

It's Christmas time, doggie style. Let's face it. Dogs are cool, way cool. Dog owners and pet lovers treat dogs with the same respect that humans get on the holidays, which means receiving gifts and lots of them. This holiday season dogs have it made because the selection of cool pet gifts is out of this world.

Style me pretty: Forget the standard flee bath, there are a lot more beautiful options available for dogs these days. For a luxurious coat bathe your pooch in Keihls pet wash and for nails that shine, paint them the perfect shade of pink with a bottle of Juicy Couture dog nail polish. Now that your pet is picture perfect turn them into a work of art with a custom Warhol inspired painting.

Eat, sleep, and play: Ah the life of a dog! Don't just gift them with the average squeak toy from the supermarket, give them something more fun to chew on like a leopard print bra or a "Chuicy Couture" bag. Don't even think about handing your posh pet a milk bone; doggie candy canes and cookies are a much better choice. Once your dog slips into it's food coma lay them down on something soft and bright like this "Fat Boy" dog bed.

Apparently, there isn't a thing -- not a thing -- that you can't do to pamper your puppy, even luxuriate it with "beauty" products.

Juicy Couture's beauty and fragrance division has a line specifically for pets! There are things that work for dogs like shampoo and conditioner, Pawlette wipes and moisturizer for their paws, and Pawfume. There's aso a house spray to take care of any "fragrance" that your dog may leave behind (not that she ever would!). Thank goodness there aren't any cosmetics, unless you consider claw polish as makeup. Because you know it just isn't right for dogs to go without a proper mani and pedi.

The gift set shown, called Doggy Jet Set, includes Pawfume, Pawlettes, and fragrance mist. It's $80 at Saks Fifth Avenue.

I like to joke about how celebrities like Paris Hilton use their pets as accessories, but I figured the world agreed that animals are not, in fact, there to make you look good, but rather living, breathing creatures that most-likely couldn't care less about how you look (or how they look while you're holding them).

That, however, hasn't stopped the people behind Pet Fashion Week from creating an enormous trade show dedicated to making you and Fido look as stylish as possible.

This past weekend saw runway models, exhibitors, and plenty of fashion-forward pets -- all flooding the W Hotel in New York, hoping to get the inside scoop on the pet lifestyle industry.

Does this seem a little over the top to anyone else?

[via Catwalk Queen]

I was actually late coming into the office yesterday because of the Today Show, which always entertains me in the morning. I don't actually watch the Today Show for news because very rarely will I find actual "news" there (I prefer watching CNN for the news). What I did find in place of news today was a very old woman discussing her dog wig company.

Yes, you read that correctly -- wigs for dogs!

Why a dog would need a wig is beyond me. Dogs are covered in fur! Dog clothing is one thing because that can be pretty cute, but wigs?! It was pretty amazing watching the segment because Al and the gang could hardly contain their laughter. There were dogs with comb-overs, blue wigs, braids ... you name it.

I wish I could give you a more informed post, but I was laughing way too hard to actually hear the interview. I think the photos speak for themselves. I managed to find a gallery online today, please be sure to check it out.

I love cats, like a lot (I mean I am Fashion Kitty), so I am thrilled to pieces over this absurd Hello Kitty cat costume ... or as Gizmodo calls it "Hello Kitty, goodbye dignity."

Leave to the Japanese to come up with the "Hello Kitty transformation set" (that is the loose translation) which is fully equipped with a bonnet, a bib, collar, and a tote to carry around your very embarrassed kitty.

Sure this "outfit" may be degrading to cats and some may even argue that it's cruel, but seriously why should dogs have all the fun? Dogs have it just as well as us fashionable humans do; designer clothes from Juicy Couture, Louis Vuitton beds, diamond studded collars ... you name it they've got it. Cats, however, they have catnip and this lousy cat stroller I saw online.

As a cat fan I want to humiliate my cat and dress it up in ridiculous outfits, so let's hope the Japanese are about to start a trend here.

Just in case your little Paris Hilton pooch wouldn't look good dressed as a sci-fi bad guy, here's another option that I'm completely in love with: the dock-in-a-dog jacket.

Plaid might be back (kind of), thanks to the whole 90s-grunge-ala-Nirvana resurgence, but I'm still not a huge fan of wrapping tartan fabric around a Bichon Frise. However, the little jacket turns your dog into a walking boombox -- so now the entire neighborhood can rock out whenever you take Bruiser for a walk. Amazing.

At the moment the dock-in-a-dog jacket is only a concept, but it won't be long before you're able to buy it. Although, if you do get one, I'd be careful before cranking out the big bass -- something tells me that can't be good for Fido's innards.

Any Paris Hilton fan knows that a well-groomed purse dog can make for a fantastic fashion accessory. However, if you want a pet that'll make you look good, steer clear of this animal. The Chinese Crested and Chihuahua mix has recently been voted the ugliest dog on the face of the Earth.

Not only is Elwood completely hairless (except for that little comb-over puff in front), he looks disturbingly like one of those little goobers from the movie Gremlins. I'm also worried that he's part of alien race secretly plotting to take over the planet.

I can't imagine he'd have a home unless Elwood's owner thinks he's cute, but let's hope she doesn't feed him after midnight, or he might spawn a batch of even-uglier gremlins, all hell-bent on Earth's destruction.

Then we'll all be doomed.

A woman in Lakewood, Colorado gives new meaning to the phrase "cat lady." Suzanne Owens and her cat Smokey collaborated to create a cat hair sweater. Using Smokey's shed fur, Owens collected five pounds worth of cat hair in plastic bags. The loose fur was then sent to V.I.P. Fabrics in California for conversion into yarn. One of Owens' co-workers then knit the cat hair yarn into a dove grey cardigan sweater.

Yuck! I don't know about you, but wearing a sweater made from cat fur really grosses me out. Aesthetic hesitations aside, as far as animal fur collection goes, the cat brush and plastic bag method seems to be about as humane as it could get. One can only hope that PETA approves of this use of animal fur.

Spring/Summer Collection? Winter Collection? Coats? Accessories? Definitely sounds high fashion, doesn't it?

It is.

For dogs.

Molly and June was born out of the creative mind of designer France Simard, and inspired by her pups, Molly and June. Tired of the mass-produced, low quality "clothing" from pet retailers that she was forced to dress her dogs in, France created her own designs that are both functional and fashionable. Molly and June even goes so far as to providing a sizing chart that goes beyond just the usual small, medium and large.

Of course, high fashion, whether for people or pets, doesn't come cheap. A very Kate Spade-esque pink and brown Spring coat is $120. Must be why the tagline for Molly and June is "Spoiled Rotten."

Pet owners with a sense of humor will love these cute pet charms from the Pamela Barsky Boutique. Emblazoned with domestic pet quips like "So much to smell, so little time" and "I love long wet kisses and walks by the beach," these tags will surely add a little humorous bling to Fido's collar.

Also check out the Log Dog -- an adorable squeaky dog toy made of corduroy and silk screened cotton fashioned into the shape of a log.

The pet charms are $12 and the Log Dog is $14. Both are available at the Pamela Barsky online Boutique.

If you are looking for an inexpensive gift for the cat-lover in your life, you should check out the Bad Cats page-a-day calendar available at Amazon.com. Based on the hit book, Bad Cat: 244 Not-So-Pretty Kitties and Cats Gone Bad, the page-a-day-calendar gives you a new misbehaving four-legged friend every day of the year.

Page-a-day calendars are usually not my thing. For whatever reason, I always forget to pull off the pages, so inevitably half of the year and half of the calendar goes unappreciated. However, looking at a few of the sample shots, something tells me I would have a hard time resisting the urge to peek ahead at the next day. When it comes down to what gets me excited about the passage of time, I suppose there's nothing quite like the promise of an especially photogenic feline friend in the thralls of bad behavior.