{"id":31404,"date":"2016-12-08T08:07:59","date_gmt":"2016-12-08T13:07:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/?p=31404"},"modified":"2017-02-12T04:30:57","modified_gmt":"2017-02-12T09:30:57","slug":"dog-fashion-sewing-mans-best-friend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/dog-fashion-sewing-mans-best-friend\/","title":{"rendered":"Dog Fashion: Sewing for Man’s Best Friend"},"content":{"rendered":"

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A Glimpse At The History of Dog Fashion<\/h2>\n

Dressing up dogs is certainly not a new thing. In the last 12,000 years, man have regarded dogs as loyal companions and historical documents have shown that dog fashion has been around for quite a long time too. \u00a0Setting the trend were the royal courts of Europe that lavished their favorite dogs with bejeweled collars and beautiful coats. There are many paintings and tapestries from the period between 1450 to 1600 that feature royal dogs sleeping in sumptuous beds like King Louis XI's favorite greyhound dog, Cher Amie, wearing a scarlet velvet collar embedded with 11 rubies and 20 pearls.<\/p>\n

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In a letter written by then Princess Victoria of Britain in 1833, she also made affectionate mention of her spaniel, Dash, that she dressed in a scarlet jacket and blue trousers. By this time, animal fashion has already developed into a lucrative industry with the middle class having the money to pamper their dogs too. Setting the trend is the city of Paris with over a dozen shops selling dog clothes at that time.<\/p>\n

In that same time period and in the book \u201cNos Chiens\u201d, French author Paul M\u00e9gnin<\/a> wrote wonderful details about a pet boutique called Palais-Royal that sold fashionable canine clothes ranging from dog clothes for afternoon visits, for the evening, for the beach and travel attire. \u00a0An example of a beach outfit might\u00a0be a blue cambric with a sailor\u2019s collar, embroidered with anchors in the corners. Travel outfits may have consisted of\u00a0a checkered cloak with turned down collar, belt and a small pocket for the train ticket.<\/p>\n

And today, we can certainly say that the pampering continues as men and women dress up their best friends in shirts, housecoats, raincoats, travel trousseaus and even underwear!<\/p>\n

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Does Your Dog Really Need Clothes?<\/h2>\n

Dogs can be quite tolerant of cold weather, but in regions that experience extremely cold months, it may be a good idea\u00a0to keep your dog warm with a sweater or a coat. \u00a0This is especially true when you\u00a0take them out for a walk or to go on a trip outside for extended periods. \u00a0Without some sort of additional warmth, your dog may be reluctant even to go out to the garden to relieve himself because of the cold. \u00a0I am sure an extra layer of insulation would be much appreciated by your four-legged friend. \u00a0This also applies when you tend to set your home\u2019s internal heating system low and use blankets and sweaters to keep yourselves warm. In both cases, your dog probably needs clothes.<\/p>\n

Depending on the breed, size and age, and especially if your dog doesn\u2019t have a thick and hairy coat, no amount of curling up can allow\u00a0him or her conserve enough heat. And for small and light dogs with naturally short and thin hair coats like Chihuahua, Greyhound, and most Terrier and Pinscher breeds, a sweater is a must if they need to go outside and even when they are just hanging around the house. Dogs with short-cropped hair should also be given sweaters to protect them from cold temperatures. Older dogs that have weaker immune systems and those with diseases that impair hair growth surely need extra sources of warmth too. Believe me, a sweater can make a big difference in your dog\u2019s health and well-being.<\/p>\n

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Large dogs with thick fur on the other hand, like Siberian Huskies, Saint Bernards or\u00a0Malamutes that are endowed with naturally heavy coats do not need additional insulation. In fact, they will be very uncomfortable when forced to wear dog clothes and it can be very bad for their health if they overheat. \u00a0These breeds are often kept outside even in the coldest of climates so they will have no problems with the cold. \u00a0It's not for nothing that they are called “Siberian” Huskies..<\/p>\n

It should go without saying but I'll say it anyway: dogs should probably not wear pants or underwear, only sweaters and coats!<\/p>\n

Sewing Your Dog's Sweater or Jacket<\/h2>\n

Let's say you have decided to sew a sweater for your dog or your daughter's pooch for the coming cold months. \u00a0You should start by considering the best\u00a0material for your project. Although wool is a great insulating fabric, the sweater will probably need to be washed often and can also cause itching making your dog uncomfortable. \u00a0So I would suggest a good blend of wool and cotton or acrylic materials for your dog's sweater.<\/p>\n

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The next thing to consider is to make sure to get the best fit for your dog by carefully measuring its neck, chest and waist. You should also choose a design that the dog cannot easily pull the pieces off and take care that it does not drag on the ground. The aim is to sew a sweater or jacket that is snug but not tight. And because dogs can be quite playful, make sure it doesn\u2019t get caught on anything even during their normal movements. There should be freedom of movement in the areas around the arms and neck without using too much excess fabric. Choose a design\u00a0that can be put on and taken off easily. \u00a0Also, stay away from dog clothes that have to be pulled tightly over the head or you and your dog will both end up struggling a lot.<\/p>\n

Stay away from zippers, hooks and buttons because they can be chewed off and even swallowed!<\/p>\n

Ready to start with you canine fashion project now? Check out some of our recent posts for more inspiration:<\/p>\n

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Read\u00a0the Article<\/a><\/p>\n

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Read\u00a0the Article<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We have featured a round up of sewing for your dog as well as a huge list of dog bed patterns which were very popular with our readers –so I know that I’m not the only dog-lover in the group. \u00a0The approach of the cold months in the northern hemisphere \u2026 Continue reading → <\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":309,"featured_media":32115,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","wds_primary_category":0},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31404"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/309"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=31404"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/31404\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/32115"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=31404"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=31404"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/so-sew-easy.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=31404"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}