The Well-Dressed Retro Pet

Back when I adopted my first pug, the internet wasn't quite the gushing fountain of retro goodness that we take for granted today.  Finding appropriately retro neckwear for her was a gigantic hit-or-miss affair.  There was no Etsy, for one thing, and back then nobody was marketing anything specifically targeted at the retro-pet culture (I just know there were others out there like myself, frustrated by having nothing but cutesy nylon pawprint collars to put on our dogs).  If I wasn't so sewing-impaired, I swear I would have attempted to conquer that little niche market single-handedly.

Nowadays, though, there's plenty of great stuff out there for pet owners with a retro aesthetic.  My first pug is long gone, but her final years found her sporting some really spectacular collars.  Now it's Marlee's turn (she's the atomic puglet pictured in my last post), and thanks to Etsy and a few other fun places, she has quite a lovely collection o' collars.  It's not really as outrageous as it might seem for a single dog to have literally dozens.  She goes to work with me, and hey, I sure wouldn't want to wear the same thing to the job day after day.  Oh, who am I kidding?  Yes, I'm one of those crazy dog people.  So sue me.  Below, a sampling of the insanity.

We have this one, but in pink:

She got this one for Christmas, purchased from TheModDog, one of our faves.  Not stricly retro, per se, but it certainly has flair:

During summer, I'm all about the Hawaiian or tropical-themed collars.  We got several of these from Furry Baby Fashions.  She usually has at least a few Hawaiian prints available.  BONUS: She does collars for da kittehs too!

Lately I've been putting Marlee in these adorable collars with bows.  I think of this one as her "flirty fifties" style.  Just need some cat-eye glasses and little capri pants (no, I don't put cutesy clothing on the dog -- except jackets for warmth, explained next.  I mean, I have to draw the line somewhere).  The best bows 'n' collars are in the Crazy for Collars store.

And finally, what retro pug would be complete without a fabulous Pug Snuggly coat for those nippy winter days?  I must confess that Marlee has three of them.  But it's so hard to find clothing that fits pugs!  Their bodies are just plain different from other dogs, what with the thick chest and wide neck coupled with their short stature.  Anyway, that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it.  This one is a lovely black corduroy with a cherries print.

And yes, our beloved rescue cat Gidget has her own wardrobe.  Hard to see in this pic, but she's sporting a fetching aqua collar with brown skull print.  Punk Rock Kitteh!



In a future post, I'll go over the available online options for retro pet beds.  Because dogs and cats sleep better on cushions made from Michael Miller pinup girls fabric.  It's been scientifically proven.