Wherein I become Tim Gunn for the dog show ladies

While it's freezing cold (by LA standards) this Pretty is tucking herself into bed with her trusty laptop and catching up on the Westminster Dog Show. I was so giddy after seeing all the dogs (especially the intoxicating, delightful Frenchies!) but I couldn't help but be distracted by the deplorable outfits I saw loping around the show ring.

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Just because it's expected that dog handlers be frumpy, doesn't make it right. I saw many a male handler sashaying around the ring (if you get my meaning) in impeccable suits, looking just as refined and well-groomed as the dogs they were leading. So why isn't it the same for the female handlers? After all, if you're going to be in Madison Square Garden in front of thousands of people and on TV in front of millions, why wear a frumpy suit and unspeakably awful flats?!

Intense internet research (for about 10 minutes until I lost interest) has led me to find out that there are certain customary obligations when it comes to handler dress. It's pretty much the same dress code for going to church. This I understand (though I do find it funny that the female judges wear the most inappropriately overdressed sequined gowns, but I digress). You want to dress modestly, professionally, and not too flamboyantly in case you distract from the true star: the dog.

So I would like to offer these women a very simple, very easy solution: the pantsuit. This Calvin Klein number is not only chic and professional, it's also suitable for all body-types.

Doesn't this look better than those knee-length skirts with grandma hose and dowdy flats? In this ensemble you can get on your knees, run around the ring, bend over, and do all the things you dog handlers need to do with finesse while you're in front of tons of people without worrying about your outfit. Plus, it looks way better to wear flats with pants than with a skirt. And speaking of shoes, oh god, their choices in shoes...

What makes it even worse is when they handle small dogs like my beloved French Bulldog wearing the most awful shoes. It's all I can see because the dogs only come up to mid-shin. While the camera is zooming in on those wonderful canines as they're prance, prance, prancing around the ring, the terrible shoes also get a ton of camera time. Really sometimes, the ugliness of the shoes has the opposite effect of "dressing for success" in handling terms as it clearly distracts from the wonderful dog. This chick below has it right:

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I don't know if she's showing for sure, but her shoes are classy enough to share a frame with this beautiful creature. Apparently dog handler shoes need to have low to no heel, be indoor and outdoor friendly, and be comfortable enough to run around the ring in. Okay, less than 5 minutes of browsing on Zappos.com gives me these:
Get them here.
Get them here.
Get them here.

Those last ones may ruffle some feathers (Egads! They're turquoise and have flair!), but they were too cute not to post. Okay ladies, now get to shopping!

xx,
N