The History of Dog Fashion

When you think of dog fashion, do you believe it is a brand new trend, driven by Instagram influencers and pet boutiques? While it might seem like a recent phenomenon, the truth is that dressing our canine companions has deep historical roots. From ancient Egyptian pharaohs to European royalty, people have dressed their four-legged friends to show their wealth or protect dogs from bad weather and environment.
Let’s take a journey through time to explore how dog fashion has evolved across different cultures and times, proving that our love for dressing up our furry friends is anything but new.

Ancient Beginnings
Dog fashion can trace its roots back to ancient civilizations. In ancient Egypt, dogs were highly revered and often adorned with decorative collars and accessories. These collars had the dog’s name or scenes from a dog’s life embossed into leather.

Middle Ages and Renaissance
During the Middle Ages, dogs were primarily seen as working animals. However, noble and royal families began dressing their companion dogs in luxurious fabrics and collars made of precious metals to showcase their wealth and status. The decorative collars from the time of King Henry VIII were often used to represent how many battles a dog survived.
Portraits from the Renaissance period often depict a noblewomen with well-decorated lapdogs, further cementing the idea of dogs as symbols of affluence.

18th and 19th Centuries
In the 18th century, the trend of dressing dogs became more widespread among the European nobility and upper class. Dogs were often seen wearing human costumes, such as coats and capes made from rich fabrics like velvet and silk. The 19th century saw the advent of practical dog clothing, such as raincoats and boots, designed to protect dogs from bad weather.

Post-World War II Era
After World War II, the pet industry and dog fashion evolved from practical clothing to include more stylish and diverse designs. The 1950s and 1960s saw the rise of celebrity dogs, often seen wearing fashionable outfits that mirrored human fashion trends. Joan Rivers was a pioneer in treating dogs as equal family members. She would often appear at an event with her dogs wearing matching fashionable outfits.

Modern Dog Fashion
The celebrity we all remembered to take dog fashion to next level was Paris Hilton. Tinkerbell was the most famous Chihuahua with the biggest wardrobe a dog could have.
Nowadays, designers like Ralph Lauren, Gucci, and Louis Vuitton have created luxury pet lines, offering high-end clothing and accessories for dogs. Dogs now share the catwalk with human models and also have their own fashion shows such as The New York Pet Fashion. Social media has also played a significant role in dog fashion popularity and awareness, with so many Instagram and TikTok influencers posting cool content with their furry friends, such as them wearing matching outfits or dressing their dogs in unique and fashionable apparel providing different styling options depending on the season or on occasion.

Current Trends
Today, dog fashion is a blend of style, functionality and creativity. You can easily find dog jackets, sweaters, t-shirts, hats and dresses for almost all dog breeds and sizes. It mirrors human fashion and directly represents people’s deep attachment to their dogs. Just as fashion allows individuals to express their personalities, dressing a dog becomes a unique extension of that self-expression.
Every stylish dog jacket from Dress Me Like You Do is designed to make that bond stronger, making every walk a statement of shared identity, love and affection.

Conclusion
From ancient decorative collars to modern designer outfits, dog fashion has a rich history. It reflects broader social and cultural trends and continues to evolve, driven by a growing community of pet lovers who view their dogs as cherished family members who also deserve to wear most stylish and functional clothing.