When Did Our Dogs Get So Stylish?

Dog accessories have changed dramatically over the last decade. Collars and leashes that were once chosen mostly for function have become part of a much bigger world of dog fashion — harnesses, bows, bandanas and beautifully designed pieces that reflect the people (and dogs) wearing them.

But apparently, humans have been ridiculous about their dogs for a very long time.

And I mean a very long time.

Dogs and Their Accessories Have a Long History

Ancient Romans kept dogs as companions, gave them names and put collars on them. Roman art even shows dogs wearing collars with decorative elements and pendants.

One particularly loved Roman dog named Margarita — which means "Pearl" — was so adored that after she died, her family had an elaborate marble epitaph made for her.

So no, the Romans weren't putting their dogs in cashmere sweaters and taking them to brunch.

But I'm fairly certain if they'd had Instagram and overnight shipping, things could have gotten out of hand.

Two thousand years later, not much has changed. We just have better accessories.

How Dog Accessories Became Part of Our Style

Ten years ago, buying something for your dog was pretty straightforward.

You needed a collar. You bought a collar.

You needed a leash. You bought a leash.

Today, walk through a hotel lobby or sit on a restaurant patio and you'll see something very different.

Our dogs aren't just tagging along anymore. They're part of the scene.

I've been at brunch more than once, looked over at the next table and realized the dog is better dressed than I am.

And frankly, carrying it off with considerably more confidence.

I don't think the biggest change is actually about dog accessories.

I think our relationship with our dogs changed.

They travel with us. They come to brunch. They're at weddings. They're in family photos. They're sleeping in our beds — often while we're hanging halfway off the side.

Naturally, what we buy for them changed too.

From Functional Dog Collars to Dog Fashion

A dog collar used to have a pretty simple job: hold an ID tag, attach to a leash and don't fall off.

Now we're choosing fabrics, colors, harnesses, bows and bandanas. We have everyday pieces, holiday pieces and the completely unnecessary thing we see and immediately think:

Oh my God. My dog needs that.

Does the dog actually need it?

Absolutely not.

But neither did I need the shoes I bought last week, and somehow here we are.

And yes, Susan, that's why my bank account is overdrawn by $150.

Why We Care About What Our Dogs Wear

Something else has changed in the world of dog accessories.

We don't just want things that are beautiful. More of us care about where they're made, who made them and what the company behind them stands for.

We want beautiful and thoughtful.

We want beautiful and well-made.

We want beautiful and meaningful.

A dog collar, harness, bow or bandana can still be functional. But it can also reflect our personal style, support craftsmanship and even stand for something bigger.

Maybe our dogs didn't suddenly get stylish after all.

Maybe we simply stopped separating their lives quite so much from ours.

We invited them into more places and more parts of our lives.

The accessories followed.

And judging by some of the dogs I've seen lately, they may have taken the assignment a little more seriously than we did.

Different Century. Same Ridiculous Love for Dogs.

The funny thing is, the dogs couldn't care less about any of it.

They're just happy they get to come with us.

And maybe that's the part that hasn't changed in 2,000 years.

A Roman once loved his dog enough to have her name and his love for her carved into marble. Today, we buy ours ridiculously beautiful collars, rearrange vacations around them and somehow end up sleeping on six inches of a king-size bed.

Different century. Different accessories. Same ridiculous kind of love.

And for my dogs?

I wouldn't have stopped at an epitaph. I would've built the entire pyramid.