A Dog In An Outfit Is Still Just A Dog In An Outfit
People glance at a costume and look away. What makes them stop is a changed silhouette. The Festiva sews stuffed arms to the front so a dog standing on all fours reads as a small figure standing upright, hat and all.
Eight designs on the same body: a cowboy, a captain, a sailor, a pirate, a warrior, a musician, an officer and a striped-shirt doll. Each comes with its matching hat and felt props. The dog’s own front legs go through and the belly stays open. Four sizes.
Why It’s Better
- Stuffed Arms: Sewn to the front so the dog reads as a figure standing upright, which is what makes people stop.
- Eight Designs: Cowboy, captain, sailor, pirate, warrior, musician, officer or striped-shirt doll.
- Hat Included: Each design ships with its own matching hat and felt props.
- Belly Stays Open: Only the front legs go through, so nothing wraps the underside.
- Same Body Every Design: The fit you measured for is the fit you get, whichever one you pick.
- Four Sizes: Chest about 12 to 22 in.
Perfect for Halloween, a party or a costume competition
The reason these win competitions is that they work in a photograph taken from the far side of a room on someone’s phone. A printed sweater needs a caption and a good angle; a dog that appears to be standing on two legs holding a guitar does not. Eight designs means you can pick the one that suits the dog rather than the other way round.
It reads from across the room.
Your Questions, Answered
How do I choose a size?
Approximate chest sizing: S 12-14 in, M 14-17 in, L 17-20 in, XL 20-22 in. S suits a Chihuahua or a Yorkie, M a Pug, a Shih Tzu or a cat, L a French Bulldog or a Cocker, XL a Beagle or a Border Collie. Measure the chest just behind the front legs. All eight designs are built on the same body, so the size is the same whichever you pick.
What are the eight designs?
A cowboy with a felt hat and neckerchief, a captain in a double-breasted coat, a sailor in whites, a pirate with a tricorn, a warrior with a robe and sash, a musician with a felt guitar, an officer in blues, and a striped-shirt doll in dungarees with a felt prop. All share the same body and the same fit.
How does it go on?
Over the head once, then the dog’s own two front legs through the openings in the body. The stuffed arms hang at the front on their own and the belly stays open. About ten seconds once you have done it twice.
Does the hat stay on?
Each hat has an elastic chin loop, so it holds through a photo session. Most dogs tolerate a hat for a few minutes at a time, which is all a photograph needs, and every design works perfectly well without it.
Will it fit a cat?
The S and M sizes fit most cats, and the open belly is what makes it possible. Give it a short introduction over a few days rather than putting it on for the first time on the night, because a cat meeting a costume cold tends to have opinions about it.
How do I wash it?
Turn it inside out, hand wash cold and lay it flat to dry. That keeps the stuffed arms in shape and stops the felt props curling, both of which a machine would ruin in one cycle.
Why this rather than a printed sweater?
Because a sweater changes the color of a dog and this changes its outline. One needs you to explain it, the other gets photographed and sent round a group chat. That is the entire difference, and it is why these are what win the competition.
What’s Included & Key Details
- Type: Standing novelty costume with a matching hat
- Front: Stuffed false arms sewn to the body
- Designs: Cowboy, captain, sailor, pirate, warrior, musician, officer, doll
- Included: Costume body, matching hat and felt props
- Fit: Over the head, two front legs through, belly open
- Sizes: Chest S 12-14 in, M 14-17 in, L 17-20 in, XL 20-22 in
- Material: Polyester fabric with felt detailing
- Built for: Cats and small to medium dogs
- We match your size: Add the chest measurement in your order notes and we pick the size
- Wear: Supervised dress-up for photos, parties and parades
- Care: Inside out, hand wash cold, dry flat
