Clebrity Night Shot

Well, they say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. And perhaps value-for-money is too. But I have to say, I find it a wrench on the old pocket book to fork out $200 or $300 for a single designer dog dress, when there's so much choice around in terms of style and cost.

But temptation is always there and the question persists, "Are designer dog dresses really worth all that money?"

The key phrase is, of course, value-for-money. That's something we all like very much, even those celebrities, sports personalities and bankers with money to burn. No-one likes to buy cheap. And no-one likes to have their fingers burned. So how does a simple country girl make a sensible judgment in the cold light of day that a designer dog dress really is a work of art and worth every penny of the offered price?

Well, the truth is, she doesn't. Her heart does all that heavy lifting for her.

Just to consider buying a designer dog dress, or coat or collar, which is not strictly speaking an essential necessity in any dog's life, but which can turn it into the cutest thing you've ever seen, is certain testament to a girl's love for her little daughter and the sheer joy of sharing their lives together.

But there's yet another reason why pampering our pets is such bliss.

It allows pets' mums to indulge in one of their all-time, favorite pastimes; going shopping! Or what cynical husbands and boyfriends call, "going for a little retail therapy."

Whatever! Browsing the online dog boutiques in search of a unique pet fashion garment can be nearly as exciting as personal shopping. Certainly, trying to visualize the garment on the little dog can be just as difficult as looking at ourselves in the mirror with a dress held close. Also, measuring a dog can be tricky and many people get this wrong. So a word of warning.

Try and find an online retailer confident enough in his products to offer a generous Returns Policy that gives you plenty of time to make up your mind that you don't want the goods after all. So you can return them for at least a credit.

Some retailers accept no returns at all, except where they're forced to by law. Some offer 7 days. Some even offer 14 days. And a few offer 30 days. So search out that Returns Policy. It could make all the difference between risk-free buying today and being landed later with unwanted goods.

Having sorted that lot out, you can now get on with all that wonderful browsing.

If you're lucky enough to capture a high-end designer dog dress that's a vision of style and sophistication, by one of the country's leading fashion designers, on offer at $30 or even $300 and you decide you must have it, you'll have answered your own question.

Yes! It was worth every penny! And I'm sure you're going to be doing it all again next week.