Kimberly Baum browses the large fabric houses in New York City seeking inspiration for the next big clothing design.
Maybe you've even paused to admire her work out on the street, noticing the polka dot, Mod-style slicker she designed as the customer wearing it lifted his leg on a tree.
As president of Waggin' Wear, a dog clothing manufacturer, Baum keeps up with all the latest trends in canine couture, a segment of the lucrative US$35.9 billion pet-product industry.
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Pink on pooches continues to be big. Layer on rhinestones for an opulent look. Leather is classic. Shearling coats are hot.
"Bling is very in, and people want to bling their dog," Baum said.
As few as five years ago, it wasn't considered cool to dress your dog. People who did, typically did so out of necessity because lean, short-haired dogs such as greyhounds and Chihuahuas shiver in the cold.
But with beachwear, pajamas and T-shirts moving in beside simple sweaters and coats on sales racks, dressing dogs isn't so much about utility anymore.
"People are having fun with it," said Lisa Neal, owner of Healthy Pet Center in North Greenbush, New York, "It's because more and more pets are family members."
Empty nesters still driven to nurture, fuss over the family dog once their children are grown. Young professionals who delay having children or choose not to have them at all are opting to become dog-parents instead.
So, suddenly, Rover has a wardrobe.
Now, Neal can barely keep tiny terry cloth bathrobes in stock.
Target, known for its high-fashion, low-price women's apparel, offers an expansive line of dog clothing in its pet aisles, from corduroy coats to denim dresses.
And Baum, whose clothing is sold in 300 stores including Harrods of London, said trade shows are flooded with dog fashion designers who sell their outfits over the Internet and in exclusive pet boutiques.
"The only positive impact Paris Hilton has had on the world as far as I can tell is a lot of places are carrying little dog bling kinds of clothes," said Cynthia Klopfer, a Ballston Spa, New York, dog owner who used to have more trouble finding outfits for her 5.5kg to 6.3kg Italian greyhounds.
With Hilton, dogs became fashion accessories. For Klopfer, who said she's a single woman who likes to spend her money on her pets, dressing up her one greyhound and five Italian greyhounds is just another way of giving her animals special attention.
So she didn't think anything of laying out US$300 to have a Renai-ssance-style gold and burgundy coat with moleskin lining, matching collar and leash custom-made for her Italian greyhound Lily. Nor did she think anything of carrying a coordinating purse whenever she and Lily shop at outdoor antique shows.
"When she knows that I'm going into her little coat closet, she gets all excited," Klopfer said.
Besides, as someone who helps find new owners for homeless Italian greyhounds, she said people flocking to get a better look at her dogs allows her to talk to them about the breed and plug animal adoption.
Dog clothing and jewelry have become so popular, she said, that you can find the items everywhere from the gift shop at Cracker Barrel restaurants to special displays at costume jewelry shops.
"Over the last couple of years, it's gotten to the point where we have pleather jackets," Neal said.
At Neal's store, dog fashion runs from US$10 for a basic sweater to US$20 to US$35 for a leather jacket (most sizes are determined by measuring down the dog's back from collar to tail).
Designer pieces can cost more than US$100 at some specialty shops.
The most fashion-conscious dogs seem to be small breeds, who don't fuss when their owners decorate them with tiaras and feather boas.
Larger dogs like greyhounds tend to be a bit more reserved in their look, preferring sedate blues and reds or checker patterns, Baum said.
Some customers have even requested adult clothes to match their animal companions.
For the sake of convenience, most owners look for dog apparel that can easily be taken on and off, in case it gets in a pup's way when she's out in the yard, taking care of business.
As for trends, Baum said, they typically keep pace with human fashions. Purple appears to be the next big color. And there's even a hot new trim for canine coats and sweaters. Faux fur.
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