Kinship’s Best in Show Pet Product Awards | Best Clothing and Accessories · Kinship

Skip to main content

Wear

Dress your dog or cat in the latest street style and designer lewks. At the very least, they need a coat for the winter. At the most, they could use a graphic sweater (or five!).

by Kinship
October 28, 2022
Woman sitting on a chair with a dog, surrounded by flowers
Zaida was just adopted, but you can meet more adorable, adoptable pups like her at Imagine Peace for Pups.
Photo: Robbie Augspurger

Your pet literally walks through life in their birthday suit. And while this is socially acceptable, there are times they need a little more coverage than their fur can provide, as gorgeous as it is. After all, dogs do have to go to the bathroom out in the elements, where their toe beans might freeze on the ice or just feel very unpleasant when the driveway is wet with rain.

Sometimes, you just want your dog or cat to look stylish — and these days, is that a lot to ask? Below, we’ve listed some chic ways your pet can walk through life looking like they’re a Hadid rocking up to a Fashion Week show every day.

Check out adoptable pups like Zaida here.

Best Dog Sweater

silver linings sweater in blue and green

As Judy Garland and Barbra Streisand once sang, “Happy days are here again,” and this Little Beast sweater is a great reminder of that. The blue “Silver Linings” cloud sweater is among the brand’s cheerful options that will have your dog looking like they belong in a cozy fall rom-com.

What’s more, Little Beast puts a lot of thought into how their products are made — from start to finish. Founder Jisu Kim Kim shares with Kinship that Little Beast sources all their goods “from small, family-owned factories in Korea and Vietnam, where we have personal relationships with the team.”

She launched Little Beast to give millennials high-quality, design-focused, and tasteful products for their dogs. Inspired by her background working at contemporary artist Takashi Murakami’s studio and her dog, Molly, Kim started a dog clothes brand featuring soft, comfy, bright-hued fabrics pretty enough to catch the attention of a Gen Z TikTok star. The brand’s collabs with Wray  and  Lisa Says Gah are definitely proof enough of that. —Rachel Davies

Best Raincoat

pink colorblock raincoat

“Your dog’s clothing is an extension of your own style and personality,”  Ware of the Dog founder Jackie Rosenthal tells Kinship. We couldn’t agree more, which is why we fully endorse this brand that is cute without being cutesy, colorful without being garish, and interesting without being intrusive. These impressive qualities come as no surprise; Rosenthal cut her teeth at Comme des Garçons, Nina Ricci, and Lanvin.

This water-repellent, colorblock coat is the perfect way to protect your pup from a seasonal downpour. It’s also one of Rosenthal’s favorites, which is probably why the brand has offered it for nearly a decade. The coat’s bright colors and lined hood adds an ’80s twist to an otherwise classic garment — we can practically hear Kate Bush playing in the background. Its adjustable velcro closures and flap pocket add a practical touch for the pup who likes to carry their own treats. —Charles Manning and Avery Felman

Best Bandana

colorful bandana for dogs

There’s a lot to love about  The Foggy Dog. Most of their products are thoughtfully designed and sustainably manufactured in small factories in the USA, the dog beds and toy stuffing are made from 100 percent recycled plastic water bottles, and the company even donates a pound of food to a shelter for every purchase made. Of course, none of this would matter if the products they made weren’t beautiful, which they are. And playful. And whimsical. Sort of like Kate Spade in its heyday — back when Kate and Andy were still in charge.

The San Francisco-based brand’s best sellers are their bandanas, which are so lovely that founder Rose Shattuck often spots pet parents wearing accessories themselves. “They wear our bandanas as headscarves,” she says, noting that all of the company’s fabrics are “human-grade” and made of natural fibers, “so there’s no reason for people not to wear them.” She even makes matching scrunchies. This new plaid flannel design is perfect for fall, and features a vegan leather tag. It’s time to grab your button down and take a twinning hike with your pup. —CM

Best Dog Coat

brown carhartt dog jacket

When Carhartt was founded over 100 years ago, becoming a fashion trend was likely not something the company had in mind. But the simple design and cozy feel of heavy-duty work clothes have catapulted the line into a millennial and Gen Z style staple. At this point, you’re just as likely to see a celebrity (or Kinship’s former cover star Taylour Paige) walking the streets of New York in a Carhartt hat as the construction worker drilling into those streets. The obvious progression was an option for pets — because our pups are nothing if not style icons. 

The Chore Coat, in classic Carhartt brown with a corduroy collar, is made with firm-hand duck canvas to keep your pup warm during those chilly winter romps. It also has fully adjustable hook-and-loop chest and neck tabs to ensure things stay in place during rough-and-tumble time at the dog park. As an added touch, there are two rivet-enforced pockets (similar to those on the human version) that complete your dog’s “mini-me” look. —Sean Zucker

Best Dog Puffer Jacket

mint colored puffer jacket for dogs

No matter the time of year, the fact remains: Your dog’s bathroom is the earth. And when the earth is covered in snow and ice, it’s time to bundle up. Maxbone’s waterproof puffer has a removable hood, water-resistant fabric, and an adjustable cincher, so your pup feels secure inside their snug puffer.

“I’d never had a pet before, and I wanted to give him the best of everything,” Maxbone founder and CEO Parisa Fowles-Pazdro tells Kinship of her dog, Macintosh. “But when I started looking, it was all Petco and PetSmart or Goyard and Louis Vuitton, with nothing in between.” The fix? Fowles-Pazdro started Maxbone and has since launched impressive collabs with the likes of Christian Cowan, Ouai, Bala, Kule, and Away. Come on — this Christian Cowan x Maxbone feathered jumper is a forever classic.

Speaking of chic: with fashion these days, the more sustainable, the better. Maxbone made their foray into sustainability this spring with this eco-friendly, light packable jacket that’s made with water bottles and recycled nylon. On top of this, Maxbone also donates inventory to charities, including Road Dogs, a nonprofit organization.

Fowles-Pazdro continues: “We always do what we can to help [dogs] — whether that’s hosting events, with 100 percent of proceeds going to them, or donating products we believe every dog should have.” This coat is perfect for the pet who wants to give back and keep it green. —AF

Best Cat Sweater

colorful checkered vest

If you’ve been wanting to twin with your pet but weren’t sure how to replicate your wardrobe on a much much smaller scale — and you didn’t pick up knitting during the pandemic — these checkerboard vests by Lirika Matoshi are the answer. Sign. Us. Up.

Adored by the down-to-earth influencer crowd and local cool girls, Matoshi’s designs run the gamut from dreamy, pastel-dyed knitwear to novel takes on classic appliqués that make us nostalgic for our childhood back-to-school clothes. Her miniature sweater vests for both cats and dogs are also sustainably made-to-order and hand-crafted with fair wages by women workers in the designer’s home country of Kosovo. Now we’re just hoping for the cat version of her TikTok-famous “ Strawberry Dress.” —AF

Best Decorative Collar

colorful beaded collar

Susan Alexandra Korn ’s Instagrammable beaded purses, charms, and jewelry — resembling everything from martini glasses to pizza slices — have caught the eyes of  Gigi HadidEmily RatajkowskiPete Davidson, Euphoria  star  Chloe Cherry, and hundreds of others who prefer cheery maximalism to doldrum minimalism.

But it was the designer’s rescue Chihuahua, Pigeon, who inspired her line of “fun, fabulous, sparkly” dog accessories. “Pigeon is my eternal muse, so of course I had to adorn him,“ Alexandra tells Kinship. “I used to put necklaces on him for shoots and then I was like, “Wait, why don’t I literally just make dog necklaces, a.k.a. collars and leashes?”

Of course, these collars are intended for decorative purposes and not as replacements for safe, sturdy walking gear. Ceramicist Katie Kimmel, known for whimsical dog art, gave Alexandra’s beaded dog collars the ultimate endorsement when she said her pups, Pony and Muffin, only wear them on “the most special and elegant occasions.” —RD

Best Dog Hoodie

colorful hoodies

Twinning with your dog is a widely accepted fashion do,” and you and your pup can claim your next matching set with House Dogge ’s interspecies hoodies (here’s the human version). The cotton/poly fleece blend is absurdly soft and cozy and come in bright colors that will add a boost to any gray day. You can also customize your pup’s version with up to seven wool applique letters: add their name, a nickname, or a superlative. “Smelly” always works as for those days someone might be resisting a bath — the people deserve a warning!

They’re so comfy that the custom option landed on “Oprah’s Favorite Things” list in 2020. Inspired by her late Old(e) English Bulldog(ge), Wubbi, founder Angela Medlin tells Kinship she started House Dogge to change the “perception that eco-conscious and eco-friendly products are bland” and “to show that eco-friendly products can be colorful and have texture — their quality can be elevated.” We love to hear it. —SZ

Best ID Tag

not all who wander are lost buy I am dog collar

Bored with the pet ID tags on the market, LA-based designer Rachel Jones founded Trill Paws, a line of pop culture-inspired dog accessories that are anything but basic. From tags embossed with tongue-in-cheek sayings like, “Not all who wander are lost, but I am” and “Straight Outta Rescue” to tags shaped like a taco and crying Drake (classic), you can be sure your dog is always on trend. Trill Paws also regularly donates tags to rescue organizations including the Take Paws Rescue and Rescue City in NYC. —Heven Haile

Best Birthday Party Hat

green felt crown

This party hat is made by millennial-favorite brand Modernbeast, a women-owned brand that designs sustainable pet clothes, accessories, more and donates 100 percent of the profits to animal rescues. Sparked by the idea to create the Newman’s Own of pet products (good thing they went for a variation, because dogs can’t really have salad dressing), Modernbeast has a mission to turn fashion and fun into philanthropy. “I think it’s just important to always keep in mind that you could be doing good for others versus just making money,” Modernbeast co-founder Hope Reiners shares with Kinship.

As Reiners puts it, the Modernbeast team is “constantly trying to improve on becoming more sustainable and not creating more waste.” The stuffing for their dog beds are made from recycled 7-Up bottles, and their toy bones are cut out of wool. The excess is used to make these felt hats, which are perfect for your pet to wear at their over-the-top, totally deserved celebration. Speaking of, the pups who splashed around at Kinship’s 2022 pool party looked like total royalty in their pawty crowns. A dog party with a costume moment? Yes, please. —Rebecca Caplan

Best Dog Backpack

dog backpack in polkadot

If you’re anything like us, you spend an inordinate amount of time on the Internet looking at pictures of dogs wearing human accessories. While most of these dogified fittings present no practical value, Charlie’s Bag is an adorable and functioning backpack designed specifically for your favorite trail buddy.

With zippers that open to actual storage space, this bite-sized backpack allows your pup to keep track of all their essentials. Plus, it’s lightweight so you don’t have to worry about weighing them down too much. Doubling down on its utility, Charlie’s Bag is also designed to be a harness (the straps crisscross over the dog’s chest) which fits dogs four to 40 pounds — but don’t test it with a heavy puller. And it comes in multiple colorways, from classic navy for outdoorsy Patagonia types to polka-dotted violet for the fashion forward; theres even a yellow option with a Baja strip if you ever wanted to see your dog resemble me playing hacky sack in college. —SZ

Btw, our editors (and their pets) picked out these products. They’re always in stock at the time we publish, but there’s a chance they’ll sell out. If you do buy through our links, we may earn a commission. (We’ve got a lot of toys to buy over here, you know?)

Author placeholder

Kinship

Kinship editors.

Related articles