Vegan clothing is hotter in Toronto than ever before, but now there's a store that's selling luxury apparel and goods just for dogs.
Wag Swag opened up in Yorkville on July 7, originally an online store designed to fill a gap in the market that founder Heather Skidmore first noticed when she got her dog Ryder in 2016.
"As many dog parents do, I wanted to make sure Ryder had everything he needed for when he finally arrived home," Skidmore tells blogTO.
"As I made and used these items for Ryder, friends, family and strangers on the street started asking where I got them and how they could get one for their pup."
She noticed a gap in the market when it came to luxury dog goods: it was hard for her to find leashes, collars, harnesses and jackets that were not only high quality, but also fashionable.
So Skidmore figured, why not trying making some herself? Her goal was to create the ideal essential, but with a little bit of personality.
This is no Pet Valu, with vegan leather harnesses priced at $85 and leashes starting at $56, but all clothing is under $100. While that might still be more than some humans spend on their entire wardrobe, it's far from the most ridiculous price point when it comes to pet goods.
She also found that in buying harnesses, many of them pulled his fur or choked him, and discovered this was a common issue. Skidmore came up with Wag Swag's signature product, a well-made vegan leather harness, to address this.
"Having opened on Bloor it's been so heartwarming how many customers have taken their time to come back in just to tell me how much they love their new pieces and how much easier it's made being a dog owner," says Skidmore.
The harnesses are waterproof, odour-proof and resistant to dirt, and are engineered to sit well below the trachea to prevent damage on a dog's throat. They make not only harnesses and leashes but also collars out of vegan leather, all produced right here in Canada.
The best part is, they look super fashionable: there's a literal rainbow of colour options from lavender to lime green to fuschia to red, coral, teal, orange and pretty much any colour you care to match with.
A line of rope leashes is really pretty too if you prefer that style, and those even come in ombre and striped colour options.
Clothing includes sweaters and outerwear: think puffer jackets, onesies, raincoats and fleece coats, vests and sweaters. They've even got tie dye kits that come with dog and adult human sweaters so you and your pup can rock matching slouchy DIY looks.
Wag Swag also stocks tons of styles of bow ties and scarves so your dog can look just as sophisticated as you do no matter what the occasion, with everything from leopard, floral and plaid prints to understated wool, corduroy, polka dot and striped accessories.
"As much as people want high quality, fashionable pieces for themselves, they also want them for their furriest family member," says Skidmore. "We believe that dogs deserve the very best."
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