Lifestyle

Dressing for Westminster Dog Show harder than it looks

At the 138th annual Westminster Dog Show, which starts Monday, 2,845 beautiful, perfectly groomed purebred pups will parade around the ring at Madison Square Garden. Their handlers will be another story.

The people at the other end of the leash have long been the butt of jokes for their fashion choices and appearance. The dog-show circuit’s fondness for sequins and rhinestones, dowdy hemlines and rubber-soled flats has long been lampooned in popular culture, from the 2000 Christopher Guest film “Best in Show” to a noteworthy YouTube video entitled “Westminster: White-Women-in-Knee-Length-Suits Group,” featuring clips of unfashionable female handlers at the famed show.

But dog-show insiders say their bad rap isn’t warranted: It’s not easy dressing for a grand event, like Westminster, that requires an awkward combination of sensible shoes and sequins.

“The criticism is unfair,” says longtime Westminster co-host David Frei, noting that people don’t understand all that a handler must be able to do in their show clothes. “They have to run around the ring, have bait in their pocket and get down on the ground with their dog.”

Frei singles out Erin Roberts, 56, of Oklahoma City, as being one of the best-dressed handlers on the circuit. To an outsider, her style is hardly striking.

“The suits I wear, if I were a banker, I’d fit right in,” Roberts says, noting she shops frequently at Ann Taylor and White House|Black Market. If she makes it to the final round of Westminster, she says she might switch to something flashier, like a black sequined jacket to add a little “glitz.”

Other handlers are adamant that the focus be on the dogs. “It shouldn’t be about the clothes, it should be about the quality of the animal,” says Anna Stromberg, a handler from South Salem, NY who will be competing at Westminster for the 23rd time this year.

“It’s the place to shine, so you might go for glittery and silk and satin,” she says. While there’s no official dress code for the show, it’s understood that Westminster is grand ball of the circuit.

As with many things, men seem to have it easier. Armando Angelbello, 59, of Fort Lauderdale, whose miniature pinscher, Classie, won best in breed last year, says getting dressed for the show ring isn’t that hard for him. “When you go up to Westminster, you wear business suits.”

But some in the show scene readily admit that there are many style “don’ts” on the circuit.

Two months ago, Adrienne Owen, 28 and a professional handler based in California, started a blog called “Dress 4 Best in Show” after watching the 2013 AKC Eukanuba National Championship and not liking what she saw.

“There were too many things jiggling and bouncing to not do something to try to help,” says Owen. “I started the blog because handlers and exhibitors should enhance the picture when they’re showing their dog.”

Her blog, and its Facebook page, singles out well-dressed handlers and offers tips such as “knits show everything” and “to drop bloat five days before a big event, stay away from dairy and whole grains.”

She’s blunt with her advice, especially when it comes to televised events like Westminster. “Your butt is going to be on TV. Don’t have panty lines,” she says. “Don’t let it jiggle. Wear Spanx. If you’re well-endowed, wear an appropriate bra.”

This year will be Owen’s 11th time showing at Westminster. While she says she understands it can be “hard” to be chic with a leash in your hand, she believes it is possible. “You can be fashionable without being fuddy-duddy,” she says.