There is honestly nothing I love more than my dog. I tell him that at least once every 30 minutes, just in case he somehow forgot I said it to him. He is the love of my life, my everything, the glimmering ray of sunshine in my otherwise boring and mundane day-to-day life.
I've always been in love with animals ever since I can remember. Whether it was collecting stuffed animals as a young child because of how cute they were or stopping to pet every single dog I saw on the street (at almost 30 years old, I still do this on a regular basis), I've always had a major soft spot for four-legged creatures. After all, in my eyes, they're a lot better to be around than their mouthy, rude, two-legged counterparts (aka humans). Plus, they don't argue with you about what to watch on Netflix or complain about the laundry not being folded perfectly. No matter what, they're always down to party, nap, play, snuggle — you name it, they just want to be around you while you do it. That's true companionship right there, folks.
I adopted my terrier mix, Jones Pickle Copernicus, about a year and a half ago. It truly was love at first sight, and we've been inseparable ever since. He's the closest thing I'll have to a kid in the near and foreseeable future, so you bet your bottom dollar I spoil the absolute heck out of him. I already splurge on toys, blankets, and organic treats for him, so is it any wonder that I would also splurge on adorable outfits for him, too?
Spoiler alert: It's not.
Anyway, with all the outfits he has (jackets, T-shirts, bow ties, etc.), I figured we must have some of the same stuff. And since parents wear matching outfits with their kids sometimes, what's the big deal if I dress like Jones for a week, right? Right.
Here's the rundown of my stylish New Bork Fashion Week, inspired by the one true muse in my life.
Introductions
This is me, Olivia. Hi!
If I had to describe my style, it would be "Studio City mom of two kids with trendy baby names heading to brunch who was born in the wrong decade" — aka, I wear a lot of high-waisted light denim, white tops, and some '70s-inspired dresses when I'm feeling fancy and girly. I also wear a lot of wide-brimmed hats, because you can never be too careful about protecting your face and scalp from an unwanted sunburn, am I right?
This is Jones. His full name is Basketball Jones Pickle Copernicus Jakiel, but he also goes by Boopy, Chunk Boi Thicc, Moofin, and during the spooky months, he only answers to Bones. Usually, he's wearing some type of shirt, bow-tie collar, or jacket if it's cold out, but this is him in his natural state.
Jones' Wardrobe
Since it's easier to dress myself based on what Jones already has, I gathered a few of the outfits that he really likes to wear:
- Winter coat
- Striped shirt from his French toast costume
- Red flannel
- White shirt with cheeky messaging on it
- Hawaiian shirt (not pictured, since it was at my parents’ house at the time I took this photo)
- Green polka dot bow tie
- “Chill” beanie
- Blue hooded raincoat
What I noticed when I laid out all his clothes is that the boy definitely has a color palate he sticks to. Like mother, like son, apparently.
What I'm Workin' With
Since they don't make high-waisted denim for dogs and that's the majority of my wardrobe, I had to do a lot of creative styling on my end. I decided to assemble my outfits based on color and material, since that seemed like the easiest way to go about this. In my closet (that I just organized, shout-out to my girl Marie Kondo), I found:
- Brown corduroy pants
- Blue sweater
- Denim jacket with sheep-wool trim
- Red flannel
- Black-and-white striped dress
- White T-shirt with cheeky messaging
And I borrowed:
- Tommy Bahama shirt from my dad’s closet (not pictured), because what dad doesn’t have an array of Hawaiian print shirts to choose from?
Look 1: Stripes
OK, first outfit: stripes. Can someone illustrate this picture so I can write a children's book based on this look? French Jones and the Case of the Missing Baguette has a nice ring to it.
This particular look got a standing ovation from my mom, who is known for matching literally every aspect of her outfit, down to the color of her shoes, earrings, and eye shadow. I'd say it's pretty spot on!
Look 2: T-Shirt
This is his casual Friday look, OKAY? I like dressing Jones in T-shirts for a few reasons. He has dry and itchy skin sometimes, and wearing a soft, protective layer keeps him from scratching his little belly and elbows so much.
The quote on his shirt is from Jingle All the Way and was what he wore as his Christmas PJs this year. Every year, my mom gets us custom-made shirts as part of our holiday pajamas, and this year, I came up with the idea of having holiday movie quotes that describe all of us. I got "FRAGILE" (must be Italian), because I am, in fact, fragile AF.
I found this cheeky shirt I made into a crop top last year, and it says, "Pass the f***ing vino." I figured Jones' shirt has a message about food, this one has a message about wine, they're both white with black lettering — so we're basically matching, right?
I didn't feel comfortable wearing this shirt out in public, so I gallivanted around my parents' house and sunned in the backyard with Jones, all while waiting for someone to pass me some freakin' wine.
Look 3: Brown and Blue
Whoever said brown and blue were boring is seriously disturbed. Brown and blue may seem like a dreary, mundane color combo, but can you argue with Jones' cute face? Didn't think so. I like to call this his Eddie Bow-Wower look.
I actually love this look because it's warm and functional. Jones wears the coat that inspired this outfit on his morning walks, because contrary to popular belief, it does get cold in Southern California, and that's not just my wimpy opinion. You wouldn't go outside with a coat when it's 40 degrees, right? So it's perfectly justifiable for a 20-pound little butterball to wear a coat, too, thank you very much. And for me to wear these pants.
Look 4: Denim
There's literally nothing I love more than a good denim outfit. I'm not above wearing a full-on Canadian tuxedo, and since Jones doesn't wear pants, this denim vest is his own take on a full denim outfit.
Do I look like I'm about to take over a rodeo? You betcha. Do I feel more comfortable and more myself than I ever have before? Also, you betcha. Did I wear this look inspired by Jones out to a rosé lunch? YOU BETCHA.
Look 5: Tropical
Allow me to introduce you to the myth, the man, the legend: Tommy Bark-hama. Someone, please, get this boy (and me) a mai tai, stat! And a one-way ticket to Margaritaville, while you're at it. Thanks.
I borrowed this shirt from my dad's closet, because why wouldn't he have an array of Hawaiin print shirts to choose from? Every dad does. And who doesn't love a dog in a Hawaiian shirt? Who doesn't love a person in a Hawaiian shirt? Why don't people wear this stuff more often?
Oh, right… because it's not Halloween and we look like tourists. I guess this look isn't suited for "everyday wear," but to that I say, WHATEVER.
All in all, I had a blast doing this, and I'll probably wear more Jones-inspired outfits as the years go on. Some people may think it's a bit over the top and ridiculous, but I am a firm believer that if doing something makes you happy and makes you feel good, and as long as it's not harming others or yourself, then what's stopping you from doing it? Case in point: I'm heading out to Target (sponsor me) in my sweet matching duds with Jones right now, and I already KNOW we'll be the most stylish ones there.
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