hi i know i asked this question a while ago but just wanted to know now crufts is nearly here ,what colour have you bought and what colour is your dog ,also i have a red bullmastiff black mask what colour should i wear thanks dawn

Hiya i will be showing my Black / Tan American Cocker, i bought a heather coloured suit and beige shoes, well i think its more lilac really but it looks good against her.
I think a nice charcoal grey would be good for you or any of the green shades, bought mine in the sales...saved about £60.............bargain !
Pauline

I bought my Crufts suit waaaaay back in October/November, its a sort of purple colour but not solid, its a bit tweedy I suppose, quite hard to describe really! I wore the jacket for an open show last weekend and got BOB and BNSC with the 2 dogs I took so its got a bit of luck attached to it now :D
I also bought a lovely pair of brown suedey loafers which I have just discovered are no good as my feet are too little for them, so rubbish for running in so I'm looking for a similiar coloured pair of brown smart trainers, at the right price :D
I'm showing my wire, who is russet but not as dark as my smooth girls but the suit looks good with him...but then I could wear a bin liner and he would still look fab :D :D lol

Emily....who is super excited about showing at Crufts for the first time :)

Remember the green carpet that you will standing on as well as the colour of your dog. :) 
Then chose a colour that will enhance your dog, showing off good points and helping to hide the not so good - for instance - if your dog has a good topline, then a contrast colour will show it off.  If your dog's topline isn't good, then a similar colour will disguise it! ;)

Ahh i thought i was ready for Crufts until i read these posts :-)  I bought my outfit a few days back but have now decided it's not the one, LOL  I've been frantically ordering off the internet in the last half hour, LOL

Hi Dawn,
My dog is black, so just about any colour (apart from black!) is suitable.  I've got a chocolate blazer and beige trousers and shoes for Crufts. 

P.S. Don't forget COMFORTABLE shoes that you can also run in!!

Sarah.

thanks for the replys well im on a diet so ive got 3 suits from ebay size 12 , 14 16 i started 16 but ive lost 11.5 lb in 2 weeks so now 14 ive got a browny one ,not suitable ive got a black sort of tweed and a navy one but ive just been to asda and the end of feb they have some lovely light coloured suits coming in ,i was hoping for a pale one so ill have a look there cheers dawn

I feel a bit cheap now, im wearing an old suit (well its not that old and it wasnt cheap) ive only warn it a few times,  to funerals and a couple of job interviews, im going to get my mum to take up the trousers so I can wear it with flat shoes.  Its a pinstripe suit (black with a lilac stripe) its a nice cut and looks nice (not like those dead cheap nylon suits you can get, and it wont actually look nice until ive lost a few pounds either ! ) I wonder if it will be too business like for crufts ? I dont really have anything else to wear and dont really want to purchase a new suit.

Not sure what to wear underneath it, will it be hot or cold ? I cant remember from last year.

The temperature at Crufts is very variable, depending whereabouts you are! If you near one of the exits you could well be in a chilly draught - if you're in the centre of the halls it could be very warm. Your suit sounds fine if your dog's a pale colour - a plain blouse underneath will be good, so you can take off the jacket if you get too hot.

Claire - your suit will look great against Alf - wish I could wear black/navy - but my boy will just disappear.  I did have a grey suit once but that's long gone and probably way to small now - so may need to invest in another!

Something simple underneath - you probably wouldn't feel comfy in a blouse (that's when you might start to look business like maybe?) - I know I wouldn't be comfy handling in a blouse?  Gosh who'd have thought we would be worrying so much!

I can't believe it's so close I must admit getting excited.

Poss. see you tomorrow Claire.

Rach

ring 1 hall 1, same as last year right on the edge so it might get chilly.  I think I will wear a cami top under my suit jacket and take a jumper for when im not in the ring (alf pulling me from pillar to post usually keeps me warm) I only own one blouse and that is strictly for job interviews only :D

I will look out for you tomorrow Rachel and come and introduce myself !

My daughter always wore a 'business like' trouser suit for handling - yours sounds perfect!
I usually wear either a classic trouser suit or black trousers and a contrasting jacket, depending on the dog and my mood. :)

I always travel in 'normal' clothes (I wouldn't be seen dead in my showing stuff outside a dog show!  There's a time and a place......!) and change into my outfit just before going into the ring, so you could take long and short sleeved tops and wear whatever you feel like when you get there.

yes, I was thinking I should get changed when I get there, I was at an open show today and every single person in the ring had at least one muddy paw print on them :p

Get yourself a cheap suit carrier and fill it with all your showring stuff! :)

im thinking im going to need a trolly the amount of stuff im going to have to transport from car to ring !

and you always end up taking twice as much stuff home....all those freebies and samples :)

Off to a carboot sale in the morning and look for a folding luggage carrier! :)  It'll cost you about £1.  You can fix your showbag, suitcase carrier, bench front, handbag (everything that you MAY need plus the freebees) to it with a couple of elastic bungees, and wheel it as far as they want to park you away from your bench!

Can you guess that I've been doing it for over 20 years?????????????? :rolleyes:

Val I dont have time for car boot sales, I have a show tomorrow - isnt that what everyone does weekends

I will keep my eye out for one, I think it would be ideal :)

I have been known to stop for a car boot sale on my way to a show!!! :D

The trolley that I'm trying to describe appears to be superceded by suitcases with their own wheels, so even the Argos catalogue doesn't have them anymore.  It's black and L shaped.  The handle folds down in half and the shelf where you put the baggage folds flat too so that the whole thing collapses down and stores under your bench at shows.  I've used them for years and they really are ideal if you don't have a cage trolley to move your dog.

Yes, I know the type you are talking about, I will have a moosey for one - I quite fancy going to a car boot, I think I have next Sunday free ..........

I've still not got new suits this year as I just don't have the time (work all weekend and at school during the day)  So looks like pink skirt suit for setters last year will become thursday suit.  Friday suit I'm unsure of because I really want to wear black in teh handling but I'm handling a dearhoud who's very dark and for sunday I have a lovely black suit with pink pinstripes which make me look so much slimmer then I am!  Not sure wether to do the trousers or skirt yet, proberbly the skirt!

New shoes I WILL find time to Buy and will be wearing pink shirt with black and black shirt with pink! :)

I REALLY want a light green suit though.... hehe

I didn't show my dog myself in the end last year, so I'll be wearing the same suit as last year, probably the dark blue one. Come of think of it I was half a stone lighter last year, hmm, better check soon if I need a stricter diet over the next 3 weeks! (eek, can't believe it's only 3 weeks away!).

I have a fawn dane black mask and i usually wear grey with a black shirt but OMG have i gone past that hehe i have a purple shimmery jacket with obligatory black trousers (all from the charity shop as they will be covered in slobber/hairs within the hour)
I bought new shoes tho flat black ones

A small garden trolley will transport your show cages and stuff and fold down to store under the benches :D   they cost about £10 from local hardware shops.  Look for bigger wheels rather than smaller tho, cos they're easier to handle ;)

Hi there,

I wondered if anyone could recommend where i could find a suit. It will be to handle the wheatens in who of course are wheaten colour! lol Im looking for a coloured one but i cant find one that i like the fit of! The last two i had were from Dorothy Perkins but they are too big now and DP suit always need altering! I really wanted a bottle green one but maybe not for crufts because of the carpet, i saw a lovely stylish suit in marks and spencers but it was the wrong size. :( So what colour do you recommend? (i also have red hair, clashes with everything!! lol :D ) I need help! Lol

sarah xxxx

A rich brown, from dark taupe to chocolate would be lovely with your dog and you hair. :)

Agree with val for colour.

I saw a couple of nice suits in peacocks the other day.  Must go back to look closer (Don't often go into peacocks being the snobb I can be!)  I also have found nice suits in newlook but think this season is all black :(

Hi there,

Thanks rox and val, i will drag my mom out shopping for a new suit *whispers* and some new shoes!! lol

Yeah rox i have seen millions of black suits but i think that with my wheatens such a strong colour can make them look a bit washed out, where as something warmer and not such a stark tone like a chocolatly brown would be better. I still would really like a bottle breen coloured suit for other shoes appart from crufts, just gotta find when i can get one now. :rolleyes:

Sarah xxxxx

hi asda are getting some lovely coloured suits in the end of feb i asked last week hlh dawn

Oooh thanks for that info dawn...Might pop down to Asda!!!! :D

I am showing my white dog, red lead and navy suit, I got a knee length straight suit to go with the jacket I usually wear as a trouser suit so will be wearing that.

Jackie

should have said its a knee length skirt !! In hall 2 Sammy ring if anyone wants to say Hello, I will have a New Zealand Flag on my Bench !!

Jackie

hi jackie ive never been to crufts before ,so this is going to sound daft but do people put flags and banners and things on there bench ? i dont want to go and my bench look boring is there anything else i need to take ? regards dawn

Hi Dawn
The only people that tend to put things on their benches are the obedience people and that's mainly cards wishing them good luck etc (which is lovely to see), the rest of us just make the dog and ourselves comfortable :)

thanks for the reply im so excited but my bitch is coming into season for the first time so god knows what brock will be like for crufts as he has never been near a bitch in season ,i m new to seasons so havent a clue what to do any tips on keeping his weight on regards dawn

No I dont usually but I have people coming to see me from overseas hence the flag LOL

Jackie xx

Still haven't managed to find any mid-grey trouser suits so it'll be last year's boring dark blue one. Perhaps during this year my bitch will miraculously quality, then I'll be justified in buying new clothes as a dark blue suit is not ideal for a tricolour! :-)

When I showed Loki, (black tri) I wore light fawn trousers, black jacket and creamy white blouse with ruffled front (matched hers ;) )

Not sure whether it was the outfit, the handler or the dog - but we weren't placed :D

Margot

Can anyone give any advice on shoes? I don't usually handle, hate it with a vengenace!, but my pup has all of a sudden become ring shy and we think he will feel a lot more secure with me handling him rather than hubby (long story), so I will be doing the honours at Crufts. And hubby won't stop nagging me. Had me buy a suit, a top, and now he says there is no way on earth I can wear white trainers in the ring, oh no, couldn't possibly! I've got a bad back and wanted to be as comfy as possible. Nor do I want to spend more money, we're moving soon and need to save up, so I suggested okay I bring my leather ankle boots and wear them in the ring, then the rest of the time I wear trainers. Nope, according to hubby I have to have nice new SHOES in the ring, nothing else will do. Opinions anyone?

Marks and spencer footglove shoes! :D I love them so much, have two pairs in different styles/colours and love them, so comfy :)

Cheers Rox, will go and check them out!

I got a really good pair from ASDA they were on £15-£18 they are black and fit like a glove, so comfortable with a non slip sole that is so important.

jackie xx

I would love a nice blue suite, a bit like the darker blue on here, but it's such a hard colour to find as my dogs are one black and white, one brown and hopefully if I can get her to like people a brown and white girl so it's hard to get a nice contrast.  The thing is my dogs do like to be up on their back legs leaning or jumping up and down on you so I always end up with pawprints everywhere

>Marks and spencer footglove shoes!  I love them so much, have two pairs in different styles/colours and love them, so comfy 

Snap me too! :D 

Hmm, must go and have a look some time. :-)

i bet the foxglove shoes are expensive being marks and spencers ?

I think they are around £35 not too expensive..

oh i thought that they woulsd be a lot dearer ,ill go and look im sick of buying cheapshoes from asda or the market and my feet killing me about 2 seconds after putting them on cheers Dawn

mmmm wouldn't be with out my footgloves :)

As staryeyes says it's not too bad at £35.  I have a pair that have taken very heavy use over the past year at shows and work so worth it!