(An unpaid review)

Having nothing to do with ReviewMe.com, I've NOT been asked to review the site/services offered by blogdaughter Machelle of Quality Weenie on her canine clothing site StylinDoggies.com, but I'm doing it anyway as a public service.

Topics addressed in this review:
WHAT THEY DO
WHO THEY ARE
HOW'S THEIR REPUTATION?
IS THE SITE USER FRIENDLY?
ABOUT THE PRODUCTS
IMPROVEMENTS I'D LIKE TO SEE
WOULD I USE STYLINDOGGIES.COM?
CONCLUSION

WHAT THEY DO

StylinDoggies.com is a site that sells fashionable attire and accessories for dogs.

WHO THEY ARE

The site is run by fashionista puppies Lance and Maggie, with Machelle locked in her attic sweatshop, sewing together the various items for some pathetic piece-rate wage.

HOW'S THEIR REPUTATION?

Not much out there on Google yet, but the site's only been up about a week. Pamibe says she likes the look of the necklaces & bandanas.

IS THE SITE USER FRIENDLY?

Yes.

StylinDoggies.com has a simple, uncluttered, two-column design with an easy-on-the eyes pawprint background. It has large, easy-to-read text throughout the pages, and intuitive categories listed in the sidebar. Each category page contains a large, clear picture of the item type being modelled by either Lance or Maggie or both. The navigation sidebar appears on all pages.

All items feature color/pattern swatches so you can see what you're getting, and clear instructions for ordering.

All payments are made through PayPal, so you can use either a credit card or funds from your PayPal account.

ABOUT THE PRODUCTS

First I should mention that I'm not personally a "dress your dog" enthusiast, since my dogs have thick arctic coats and clothing would be superfluous. However, for folks who think that doggie dress-up is a GOOD thing, I have to admit that Stylin' Doggies DOES offer styles, colors, and patterns that you won't see elsewhere, and does so at prices that seem reasonable, especially considering these items are made to order.

I also like the fact that she warns on every page that ALL doggie fashion accessories can be a potential choke hazard and should only be worn under supervision. It's an excellent point that doggie dressers everywhere should keep in mind.

The best feature of the doggie tops is that they're designed to be boy-dog potty-proof, and have been extensively field-tested in this area.

Now, even if you're not a doggie-dresser, there's more than just clothing items to be had, so every dog owner should at least take a look at StylinDoggies.com.

Here's a list of the categories:

Sweaters

Dresses

Shirts

T-shirts

Fancy collars

Necklaces

Bandanas

Bedding

Snuggle Sacks

I'd never heard of Snuggle Sacks before, but they seem perfect for small dogs who like cozy places.

IMPROVEMENTS I'D LIKE TO SEE
There are a few more items I'd like to see in the sidebar:

* A link to a "Contact" page, or just have an active mailto link. There's a mailto link on the home page, but you never know what page a customer will be on when the urge to e-mail will strike, so it would be good to have that always handy.

* A link to an "About Stylin' Doggies" page.

* A link to the return policy.

* A link to an FAQ page. Of course, the site's too new to have any ACTUAL questions that have been asked a lot, but try to imagine yourself as a curious & confused customer who's not familiar with the products, and make up a list.

Also, it might be helpful to alphabetize the categories to make browsing even easier.

For the Bedding page - is there an extra charge for certain large sizes?

T-shirts - should mention that customers need to specify the appliquee in the comments section of the order form.

Fancy collars - I'm a bit confused over which color is for the ribbon & which is for the collar. My suggestion would be to have either the ribbon or collar color on top for every picture, and mention something about that on the page. Since the "Princess" one is the only one with words, I'd suggest using that ribbon/collar orientation for all the items, and just flip the rest of the images that are currently "upside down".

Finally, after some happy customer e-mails start coming in, consider posting some "what people say about Stylin Doggies" comments either in the sidebar or on their own page with a link in the sidebar.

WOULD I USE STYLINDOGGIES.COM?

If I were the kind of person who dresses dogs, I would. Some of those patterns are quite eye-catching, if not downright attractive.

CONCLUSION

StylinDoggies.com is an excellent place to browse and shop for doggie clothing and accessories. With vibrant colors and practical designs, it's the kind of place your dogs would shop for themselves if they had opposable thumbs and a credit card.

Posted by: Harvey at 01:25 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
Post contains 805 words, total size 6 kb.

1 i'm glad you did this! I am hoping her business takes off. She is very very creative.

Posted by: Bou at August 13, 2007 07:57 PM (2zVEj)

2 You are a WONDERFUL reviewer, Harvey! And yes, snuggle sacks are perfect for the type of small, burrowing breeds that like to frequent earth dog trials... dachshunds, terriers... Zoe must have one. I'm thinking Christmas.

Posted by: pam at August 14, 2007 07:04 AM (l6NIn)

3 Fancy collars are a piece of elastic (you know underware has it) and 2 different colors, patterns of ribbon tied onto it. No colored elastic and you should even see the elastic. The samples show the 2 different colors, patterns of ribbon that goes onto the elastic. Thanks for the review! Your the bestest! I will see where and how I can add on the suggestions.

Posted by: Quality Weenie at August 14, 2007 07:44 AM (grH7t)

4 Ok that should be "you shouldn't even see the elastic"

Posted by: Quality Weenie at August 14, 2007 07:46 AM (grH7t)

Hide Comments | Add Comment