10 Fashion Questions: Heidi Gervais

Heidi Gervais
Cobble Hill, BC

1 – When did you first realize you loved fashion and clothes?

       I think it's a necessity   

2 – If you had all the money in the world which designer would you always buy?

      St. John

3 – What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory?

      My St. John 

4 – What is your biggest pet peeve about dog show fashion?
      Inappropriate shoes - bad shoes that ruin great outfits

5 – Who always looks best at dog shows?

      Amy Rodrigues & Adrienne Hill

6 – Who is your go to designer or what is your go to store?

      Macy's, eBay, Tahari and the NFL Shop   

7 – What time in history would you have liked to have been around for because of the fashion?

      Downtown Abby Era in England - love the clothes in that show!  

8 – What does your “every day” consist of?

      Patriots hat, t-shirt, jeans and flip-flops  

9 – What one thing do you think people at dog shows could improve on regarding fashion at dog shows?

      SIZE UP!

10 – What was your favorite outfit you wore at a dog show?

        My St. John that was bought at Saks Fifth Avenue for me before the Sporting Group at 
        Westminster when I showed Marley

Duplicates, Copy Cats…OMG She’s wearing my outfit!!!!

So you’ve found the perfect outfit for Westminster and you are so excited, so over the moon about showing it off at that the Super Bowl of dog shows. However, as the day dawns and the show begins, you realize that others have also found your perfect outfit.  How do you handle that?  How do you feel about wearing the same outfit as other people at such as prestigious event?

 

The go-to suit designers only release a limited number of new, glitzy, sparkly, and glamorous suits to the general purchasing population each year.  With this in mind, many handlers are searching for that perfect Westminster suit in a very limited market. Many of these dream suits, dresses, and other dog show appropriate fashion are distributed and sold by the same major retailers across the US like Macy's and Dillards.

Due to time constraints, lack of available appropriate dog show fashion, and other variables, many women end up buying and then wearing the same Tahari or Kasper suit at major shows like Westminster as others handlers.  I’m going to share my tips and ideas to allow yourself to stand out from others who have chosen your same outfit.   ACCESSORIES!!!!!  Solid color suits are most common amongst suit designers and are the easiest to accessorize.  A simple black or neutral suit can be transformed with a bright, bold necklace, scarf or shoes.  If you fell in love with a beautiful black lace suit, for instance, consider pairing it with an unexpected necklace and earrings in a bright or bold color.  Instead of just turning to your typical pair of black shoes, wear a patent nude or metallic pair.  Matchy, matchy is no longer the “in trend” and unexpected tid bits are part of the fashion norm.  Embrace this fashion trend, and add pops of color to neutral outfits to update your look and classic  pieces.

Think outside the box and remember accent pieces are very on trend.  Dog shows have adopted this concept with leads for our dogs.  A few years ago you would have never seen green, blue or pink leads on dogs, but now it’s seen on a majority of dogs.  Maybe these bold colors are just accent’s for a primary tan, brown, black or white color, but we’re individualizing our dog’s equipment, so why not think outside the box for your own look? 

 

As always, please send me your “same outfit” stories.

10 Fashion Questions: Andy Linton

 

Andy Linton

Vancouver, WA

1 – When did you first realize you loved fashion and clothes?

I never conscious thought I liked it, It’s just part of the job    

2 – If you had all the money in the world which designer would you always buy?

Calvin Klein men’s suits and Hugo Boss Suits    

3 – What is your favorite piece of clothing or accessory?

I like the way Hermes ties tie so they’re my favorite    

4 – What is your biggest pet peeve about dog show fashion?

           General inappropriateness

5 – Who always looks best at dog shows?

            My wife- Amy

            I like banker, business professional looks

6 – Who is your go to designer or what is your go to store?

I’m cheap so I like the Rack for normal shopping, Saks for special occasions    

7 – What time in history would you have liked to have been around for because of the fashion?

I like the era of the 3- piece suit and pocket watch    

8 – What does your “every day” consist of?

Sweatshirt, jeans, flips – in warm weather t-shirt, shorts and flips    

9 – What one thing do you think people at dog shows could improve on regarding fashion at dog shows?

Not so many bright colored sport coats for men, and not such tight fitting clothes for 

women    

10 – What was your favorite outfit you wore at a dog show?

            25 years ago I bought a very expensive tailored suit and I had my shoes all shinned looking 

and feeling great!  At the Mission Circuit I was in the ring, slipped on a hot dog ripped the suit and scuffed the shoes so bad they were unwearable.  That was a great suit!

Best Dressed: AKC/Eukanuba National Championship

The AKC/Eukanuba National Championship in Orlando marked the first anniversary of Dress 4 Best!  Thank you for your continued support!  For the first time I had help locating the best outfits of the weekend!  Thank you Jenna Watson for your outstanding contributions!!!!

Keep looking great into 2015!!!!