After all of the searching high and low in store after store and scrolling on countless websites you have found the perfect Westminster ensemble. Congrats! This is an exciting event and we want our dogs and ourselves to look fantastic. But what do you if an accident happens to your clothes? Here are some of my go to "fix it" items. Please share pearls of what you cannot leave without when preparing for big events
Hairspray - for the obvious hair fixes but also can be used to reduce static on skirts or dresses. Also, a quick temporary fix for nylon runs
Bobby Pins & Extra Hair Ties - I believe in having bobby pins everywhere! They can fix hair styles and they provide quick fixes on attire in a pinch like a busted button
Safety Pins - lets face it these are some the best fix it items. They can fix hems, broken zipper pulls, visible bra straps, busted buttons, seam splits, the ideas are endless!
Clear Nail Polish - will fix snags on nails when a file won't do. It also can fix runs on nylons or if very carefully applied can fix knit runs - but only try this on the inside of the garment
Baby Wipes - for those oppsie spills. Dab. I mean dab don't rub to help lift spills
Extra Nylons - nylons can remove deorderant residue
Double-Sided Tape - can fix hems and too low of tops on the fly
Wrinkle Releaser - if you don't have this little amazing product go buy it!!! It's perfect for getting those last wrinkles out without ironing. I use it on everything I hang when I get to the hotel room
Blister Healers - these are my favorite for blisters or even preventing them! Make sure you apply when skin is clean and dry and they will stay on for days!
There are countless of other fit it items, these are my go-tos. Please share your own and good luck to everyone who is going to Westminster!
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.
Recap - Great show clothes can come from a variety of stores such as department stores (discussed in Part 1), specialty store (discussed in Part 2), and discount stores and online stores.
Discount Stores
Discount stores obtain their inventory though purchasing left over or over purchased merchandise from big department stores. This means that there is a variety of clothes at these stores and they might not have every size available. Most of these stores are set up in sections such as dresses (also contains suits, misses, petites, misses, juniors, active, etc.
A big positive for me at these stores is I can be in and out quickly IF I'm there looking or a specific item (ok this only happens once in a great while because I get there and think oooooohhhh! I need that too). For instance I can march right up to the dresses section (staring at the ground and no where else) and go though my size section in the rack, then walk a few racks over to petites, then finish with the clearance section. If I find something great, if not, I'm out of there! The biggest piece of advice I can give is to know you may not find anything at these stores, BUT that doesn't mean you can't or it won't appear later or at a different store.
Unfortunately most discount stores do not offer online buying options probably due to their inconsistent inventories....so go out and get some exercise and shop!!! Here are a few I love:
These are probably my favorite stores to shop at because I'm VERY thrifty and I like to find great deals! Paying full price for anything is not in my blood!
Thrift Stores
Contrary to belief thrift stores are great places to find hidden treasures!!!! Thrift stores by definition generally sell used goods such as clothes that were donated by others. These stores often are run and operated by a non-profit organization and/or churches.
Hip-hop duo Macklemore and Ryan Lewis wrote a number 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit called, "Thrift Shop." This hit song is about not needing to spend a lot of money to find clothes that make you feel good about yourself. Here is the official CLEAN version of the song.
Some thrift stores are better than others because their inventory depends on what people in the community donates. I have even found St. John Knits at thrift shops when I visited my grandmother out in Palm Springs! In fact one of my favorite dog show outfits came from a thrift shop.
Online Discount Stores
Most people have heard about ebay, Amazon and Overstock, but did you know these are also great places to buy show clothes? Both of these websites offer great deals on new and used clothes (and just about anything else), you just need to know a few things before you buy.
Know your sizes in different brands - Hint: go to a department store and try on suits in a few different brands so you know what sizes fit for better deals online
Check if the clothes are new or used - if they're used check for photos of blemishes and if the garment is from a smoke-free home
Check if it's returnable
Check shipping costs - sometimes the shipping costs can make online shopping more expensive than buying in a physical store.
While on ebay, Amazon. or Overstock use the search button to it's fullest advantage check multiple boxes for sizes (misses, petites, womens, juniors) and brands and even colors to have a search custom tailored for you. I love to shop on these sites because things ALWAYS change, you never know what you're going to find! My Westminster suit from last year was purchased on ebay and I loved it because it was so unique!
This concludes my three part series on where to buy great show clothes. I hope you enjoyed this and I hope this provided a sound starting point for bringing out your inner fashionista!!!!
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