Dressed up dogs = heck yes! Here’s 3 important things to consider when picking the perfect outfit to reflect their style this Halloween.

October! It’s here! Cool air = pants weather = hiding my pasty legs. What’s not to love.

There’s the leaves, the desire to eat hot things again and last but first in my heart: HALLOWEEN!

In case you haven’t picked up the mic I’m constantly dropping:

I love it when our pets dress up like people.

Sometimes that’s costumes, but I prefer a dog wearing an outfit that magnifies their already-big personalities.

I do live in Milano after all. Home to all the big names that dictate next season’s top style.

In fact, last night I heard something interesting. I was in a taxi on the way to a Halloween party (Dante’s Inferno themed….) dressed as a fabulous mermaid (didn’t get the memo, obviously) and the driver shed some light on Italian men. According to him, Italian men spend twice as long in front of the mirror as Italian women do.

He said it. Not me. From the looks of the Dante party, I’d say it was pretty even, honestly.

If I can’t slap on makeup in under 2.7 min flat on the average morning, it’s not for me. (Halloween aside, mermaid makeup can be pretty involved.) So that much holds true to most men when compared to me.

There is something to that though. When anyone goes the extra mile to get dressed up, it’s an extension of who they are and how they want the world to see them. That same sentiment can apply to dogs as well. Some dogs would disagree about the use of mirrors, though.

Dressing up your dog isn’t only for looks, but can also serve many useful purposes.

It can keep a short-haired dog warm in a brutal winter, or keep a soothing tongue away from a healing wound. Who’s to say they can’t turn those useful outfits into FABULOUS GLAM?!

When choosing the perfect outfit for your pet, here’s the top three things to consider.

1. Fit

This is always Numero Uno.

Your dog’s comfort and safety is always top priority.

It’s important that their movement isn’t restricted. Make sure it’s not too tight (no choking, please) nor too lose (no tripping either!). They will usually tell you when it’s too much, but it’s our responsibility to err on the side of caution and not push it. No matter what this season’s trend says.

2. Function

Coats keep your dog warm. But if they’re just to make them look cool, make sure it’s not too hot outside. Nobody likes to wear down coats in spring. Well most people anyway (looking at you Sicily…).

Shoes can be useful for both hot city pavement or snowy, jagged trails. Watch where their paws rest on the inside to ensure that fit is right. My personal “no heels” rule probably applies here as well.

My pups are actually big fans of rain coats. Without them, Mucca becomes a sack of potatoes that somehow forgot how legs work. It also helps to keep the wet dog smell off of the dive-bombing, dog-drying platform, I mean “couch.”

When Nola got spayed, she was much more comfortable in a dog onesie than she was in a lampshade cone. It was super cute and did the job of preventing her from passing tongue cooties to her healing bits. The breakables on the not-so-sturdy end tables thanked me, too.

And finally:

3. Fashion

I’m sorry. I know dressed up dogs aren’t for everyone. I’ll never understand it. At all. Because: cuuuuuute! But to each her own.

I’ve had my dogs since they were wee pups so they’re used to wearing clothes. For us, it’s a way to bond. My squeals of joy are usually met with kisses and wagging tails. Bonus points if we don matching outfits.

If they don’t like something (not in the harmful, uncomfortable way – use your smarts people) then we work on it. We do some positive reinforcement. Which means they’re gaining confidence. Using their noggins. And gaining treats.

So naturally, Halloween is my jam.

Here’s a lil’ gallery of all the dogs I’ve had, looking fly on the hallows’ eve. Just cell snaps, but C’MON!

Nothing beats looking at images of my own dogs dressed to the nines, in their personal style. To me, it’s a visual representation of them, ENHANCED.