Dogs on The Catwalk – Dog Fashion Through The Decades

Photo credit: @mensweardog

Each morning, nothing makes me happier than seeing my baby in his onesie. And, I think even he’s starting to like it! Unlike, those little booties I make him wear in the rain.  

Is that an infant? You might think. No, it’s Jack, my dachshund.

Humans have been dressing dogs for centuries, with the earliest recordings dating back to ancient Egypt. So, canine fashion is not just a recent fad but an exciting evolution of show-and-tell.

Get ready to ooh and aww! We’ve set up the runway to showcase popular trends in dog fashion from various decades that may inspire your pup’s wardrobe.

The 70s: Turtlenecks & Grandma’s Finest Knits

The baby boomers weren’t the only ones experimenting through a decade of relative peace and prosperity. The 70s were also a bit more peculiar for a dog’s life. In a time of bell-sleeves and disco balls, it seems our little fur-ball monsters were popularly flaunting themselves in granny’s crochet sweaters.

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And with the retro crochet trend still very relevant to this day, it wasn’t hard to find countless dog-owners on Instagram bringing back the 70s style.

@barkdiola

Back then, while most of us were rocking out the flare bottoms, dogs were keeping it classy and cozy in turtlenecks.

@mensweardog

The 80s: Ugly Christmas Sweaters

The 1980s were an era of significant cultural progress. We also saw rapid commercialization including of course, the holidays. Popular TV sitcoms, such as The Cosby Show, helped bring ugly Christmas sweaters into our mainstream fashion.

As a result, dog fashion immediately adapted. Since then, our furry friends have taken center stage at every family reunion.

The 90s to Early 2000s: Poofy Dresses

In the 90s to early 2000s, several big fashion icons, such as Paris Hilton, were reigning over the red carpet and reality TV.

However, all paws were up for her iconic sidekick-in-arm chihuahua, Tinkerbell, who stole most of the spotlight. Thanks to these A-listers and their dogs, we now see more and more pups frolicking around off the runway in poofy dresses.

Not to mention, Hilton, along with numerous animal-rights activists, took their voices to the big screens. In turn, animal-rescue events increased in awareness and funding and thus, big gala’s, such as the New York Pet Fashion show, began to take place.

@agirlsyorkie

2010-Present: Everything And More

Capturing the best of the past in dog fashion, we’ve hoped to inspire your canine’s wardrobe or, at least, tickle your bones. But we’re not stopping just yet! There’s a whole lot more outrageousness in today’s dog wear that it would be simply rude not to share.

Hoodies

Trending then and now on the doggy racks are the classic hoodies. While some of us now call it ‘work-appropriate attire’ or possibly ‘someone up to no good,’ our little buddies at home can call it a night in one of their own hoodies.

Panties & Undies

That’s right. It’s a thing – dogs in panties and undies. Need we say more?

Onesies

You might faint a bit here due to overpowering glee. But we can’t help ourselves.

As one of the most important essentials to complete all movie nights, onesies are a godsend, and they are even more trendy on our four-legged babies

Let us speak no more because the next two will bark it all out.

@norman_aht

Practical Outerwear

Although our canine pals come with more layers of hair, they’ve been getting even more geared up for those inclement weather warnings than us two-legged folks. Thanks to the innovation in today’s fashion, outerwear made for dogs is also increasing in popularity.

@norman_aht
@mensweardog

Face Masks

Here to report on our final doggy fashion trend is something that the world didn’t ever see coming – face masks for dogs. 

Since early 2020, the emergence of COVID-19 has certainly altered both human and canine fashion. Now, whether it’s to protect our sidekick from a raging virus or air pollution (@k9_mask), these pet protection masks are forecasted to increase in demand and in style for as long as we have to tolerate wearing them.

Overall, dozens of human styles have certainly come and gone over the years. However, with dogs, they can bring back almost any look at any time as if it never left.