Pet accessories are the latest trend in Bangalore

If you are going shopping this New Year, to get that perfect dress and the right pair of shoes to match, don’t forget to shop for your pet as well.

Now you can dress up your pet in fancy T Shirts, bows, ties, shoes, caps or even glares with many pet shops around the city coming up with accessories for your pets. These pet shops have a huge clientele as many pet owners are keen to kit their pets out with trendy accessories.

“We educate our clients about pet fashion. Pet owners are well aware of what is in trend for their pets and love to dress up their pets, especially during the festive season,” says Prithvi Jaykaran, owner, Glenands Pet Shop.

“People want their pets to look good and smell good during the festive season, just like themselves. Pet grooming sessions now include accessories and perfume,” says Radhiya Hemchandra, owner, Fuzzy Wuzzy. At this store, accessories are available for cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters and even squirrels.

And what with the chilly winter that Bangalore is seeing, woollen clothing for pets are fast flying off the shelves too. “We have several kinds of winter wear for pets. Besides T shirts, hats and caps for the pets, we also have wrap-around skirts, bath robes, bows, belts and hair clips for the furry ones,” says Jaykaran. Talk about being fashionable!

And there’s more. Hemchandra has a whole wardrobe ready for the furry fashion plates. “We have fancy tiaras, non-skid socks (socks to prevent the pet from slipping), summer wear, pretty frocks, jackets, wedding gowns and suits, and even Halloween costumes for the pets,” she says.

And it doesn’t stop with that. Like every fashionista, the well-heeled pets have a thing for shoes too. Well maybe not Jimmy Choos exactly, but shoes nevertheless. “We have special canvas shoes to add to the fad. We provide paw pads to protect the feet of the pet from rough surfaces, excess heat or cold,” says Jaykaran.

Now with all that edgy clothing and accessories (which incidentally include bejeweled collars and studded leashes too), you seriously can’t expect to have your pet go out on a bad-hair day. Standards must be maintained, after all.

And here’s where haircuts come in. Hemchandra customises haircuts for pets upon owners’ requests and some popular hairstyles include a ‘punk’ haircut or a ‘teddy bear clip’. Add to that hair colouring, and you’ve got the complete picture.

Stone-studded collars or ones with paws and bones motifs, some even hand-made, are mandatory of course. And then there are fashionable tote bags. Well, this one’s more for you actually, “these are fancy bags to carry your pocket dogs when you socialise,” explains Jaykaran.

Dog chews, (cake-shaped ones are particularly popular this season) and little doggy diapers too make a brisk sale, presumably for a puppy that’s too young to make a fashion statement. And if you need to draw up a budget for your pet’s shopping list, fret not.

“One can choose from a wide variety of accessories at affordable rates. The collars range from Rs30 to Rs600. Though the designer collars are a little expensive, coming at about Rs8,500. The shirts and the shoes come anywhere between Rs100 and Rs1,000,” says Jaykaran.