I am probably one of the biggest dog lovers you will ever meet. Like, for real. Our adopted one year old shelter pup is incredibly, and I do mean incredibly, spoiled. She has her own La-Z-Boy dog sofa from Costco, complete with throw pillow and sherpa blankets, 100% real + all-natural treats and food, endless toys, and of course… a Lirika Matoshi strawberry dress to match mine…
Now I will say, my husband thinks I’m 1000% crazy to spoil her that much, but I can’t help it… she’s just so darn cute! I should probably add too that she’s not a small dog… In fact, my husband just weighed her and she is currently sitting at about 71 pounds. Since we’re not too sure what breed she is (we’ve heard Lab, Australian Cattle Dog, Great Dane, Pitbull, and a few more!), we really don’t know when she’ll stop growing. But, that’s a story for another day!
Back to the spoiling… I’ve pretty much dressed her up ever since we brought her home at 3 months old. Not all the time, but definitely for special occasions and, of course, her birthday! It’s hard to fins cute doggie clothes that fit a 71 pound dog, and a lot of times the clothes we’ve found at Chewy or Petsmart run on the smaller side anyway, so her first birthday dress was a *little* tight… (see the pic below!)
Now for the story of the matching strawberry dresses from the cover photo on this post…
I actually discovered Lirika Matoshi’s enviable and infamous “strawberry dress” about a year before it broke the Internet, but went back and forth about the price point until I finally broke down and had to have it. It was when I was browsing the LM site that I saw the matching pup version of this iconic beauty that had long haunted my dreams. I’m pretty sure I actually screamed (and startled my husband) when I saw it. It immediately solidified my decision to buy my strawberry dress and also add on the mini for my little furry girl.
Fast forward a few weeks later, and our mommy and me outfits were on full display at our family Fourth of July backyard cookout! This was such a fun dog mom moment for me, and Princess E tolerated it rather well! It got me thinking about other cute twinsie looks we could do, and led to a lot of Etsy searches to find more adorableness. Check out my favorite mini me options below, along with a few tips to ensure you both look fab!
Top Tips for Twinning
1 | Buy your pieces together.
It really helps when you buy your matching clothes at the same place at the same time to make sure the colors and patterns really are identical!
2 | Fit is everything!
As with just about all fashion, fit is the most important thing when it comes to looking cute, not cringe-y. Most pet clothes, like people clothes, come with size charts that will show you how to measure your dog, and recommend sizes based on their measurements (and sometimes even weight too!). It’s so important to measure before you buy to avoid your pup being overstuffed and uncomfortable, or swimming in their ‘fit!
3 | Keep the weather in mind!
This one might not be too intuitive (it wasn’t for me at first!), but just like wearing jeans in 80 degree weather can make you sweat, dogs can get overheated too! And, since a lot of dogs have a ton of fur, overheating can actually happen a lot quicker than you realize, resulting in one sick pup. If it’s hot out, stick with a light, thin short sleeve tee or vest for only a short time, or ditch the doggie duds all together until the weather is a bit more friendly! Plus, always provide plenty of cool water and shade for any warm or hot weather outing, and remember that rising temps can make for foot burns, whether they’re dressed up or not! If you live in a really hot climate (or even a really cold one), booties are also a good addition to your dog’s wardrobe to help their toes stay the right amount of toasty, no matter the season. Here’s some that got good reviews!
Despite the teasing from my hubby and family, I love occasionally dressing up our sweet pup. She really is like a furry child to us, and is every bit part of our family. Even though she had a bit of a rough start in life, I love doing all I can to give her the best life now that she’s with us. I might be a little crazy, but it’s all part of being a dog mom!
Sending lots of love to all my muses and their furry friends!
Xx Tabi
