Backstory: The dog wears Prada

Some people now dress their pets better than themselves as canine couture reaches new levels of sophistication.

By Adam Piore | Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor

from the February 21, 2007 edition

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NEW YORK - Stick-thin models with legs that never end are so passé. The latest breed of New York fashionista barely crests your knee, walks on all fours, and harbors an innate aversion to dieting.

Nowadays, the canine clothing industry is booming. In the trend-conscious world, dogs are visiting local fire hydrants decked out in everything from miniature pants and suspender ensembles, to fluffy green turtle booties and party dresses.

"He's a very spoiled baby," crows Ellie Newman, as she pets her 13-year-old Chinese Crested Powder Puff, Mr. Bump, at an Upper West Side dog run.

Mr. Bump wore a down coat from Coach, with a leather shell and black fur piping. Beneath that: an impeccable white cashmere sweater with brown, green, and pink racing stripes. "He's got a wardrobe that is beyond all," Ms. Newman says. "It's a drop-dead wardrobe. We have to take care of our four-legged friends."

Among Mr. Bump's other outfits – a shearling coat, rubber boots, and a raincoat. To Newman, the well-stocked closet is a necessity. "He's an old dog," she explains. "And older dogs need warmth."

Last year, Americans spent $39 billion on their pets, according to the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association (APPMA). That's more than double the $17 billion spent in 1994. At least $750 million went to canine apparel, estimates Bob Vetere, APPMA president.

"The folks who have really turned to dogs in a big way are baby boomers and dual income families with no kids," explains Mr. Vetere. "In both cases, they are looking for pets to be members of the extended family."

The result is apparent in chic pet shops downtown and on the Internet, which peddle everything from leather-lined bomber jackets to tutus – even a Santa Claus costume for a ferret.

Vetere's own Labrador retriever, Dakota, wore reindeer antlers and a Santa hat during the holidays. "My wife," he sighs. "Me and the dog are happy to just throw a ratty old tennis ball around."

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The Big Apple is the center of this burgeoning trend, though Los Angeles is a close second (and it's big in Japan, too). It's become so big that the fashion is now even specific to neighborhoods.

Visit a dog run on the more conservative Upper East Side, infused with old money wealth, and you're likely to see more tweeds, real fur, and diamond-encrusted accouterments. Downtown in the Village, the products are more grungy and urban. Think camouflage raincoats, leather, and crystals.

On the Upper West Side, it's chichi extravagance. Take a typical day at Riverside Park, which runs along the Hudson River.

Carly Alvarez is walking her black and tan King Charles spaniel, Max, who is clad in a paisley and snowflake "fido" sweater. "He doesn't really like it," she confides.

Nearby, Kerri Cowing's Australian shepherd, Sierra, wears a tan fleece coat with fluffy white piping. "If it's cold, there's kind of peer pressure when you're walking around. People say, 'You don't have a coat on that dog?' " Ms. Cowing says. "We didn't have coats in the Midwest."

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