Why Dog Clothing Sizing Is So Difficult Online, And Should Retailers Can Do About It
For retailers selling dog clothing online, one of the biggest challenges isn’t necessarily the product itself. It’s sizing.
Unlike human fashion, where customers generally know their own size and can often try garments on in-store, buying clothes for a dog online is a very different experience. Every dog has a different body shape, and even dogs of the same breed can vary significantly in chest circumference, back length and overall proportions.
For retailers, this creates a difficult balance: offer enough sizes to give customers a good fit, without tying up too much stock in slow-moving size variations.
The sizing problem behind online dog fashion
When customers shop for dog clothing online, they often have to answer several questions before they can even consider purchasing:
- Which size does my dog need?
- Is the back length more important than the chest measurement?
- What if my dog falls between two sizes?
- Will the coat fit a dog with a deeper chest?
- What if my dog is short-backed or long-backed?
- Can the garment work with the harness they already use?
For the customer, too many uncertainties can lead to hesitation or abandonment.
For the retailer, the solution can seem straightforward: stock more sizes.
But this creates another problem.
If a retailer wants to offer several colours and styles across six, seven or even eight sizes, the inventory investment quickly increases. And not every size will sell at the same speed.
The result is a classic retail dilemma:
More sizes can improve customer choice — but they can also increase inventory risk.
Good sizing isn't just about adding more sizes
We believe the answer isn't necessarily to create more and more sizes.
Instead, the product itself should do more of the work.
This was one of the key considerations behind our new trench coat design at MoonRise.
Rather than designing a traditional dog coat where each size has a relatively fixed fit, we looked at the areas where dogs vary most and asked:
Can we make the garment more adaptable instead?
The result is a trench coat with adjustability across the chest, waist and back length, giving the garment more flexibility across different body shapes.
The back length can be adjusted by up to 10 cm, while the chest and waist can also be adapted to achieve a more comfortable fit.
This approach allows one size to cover a broader range of dogs without simply adding another size to the collection.
Why this matters to retailers
For a retailer, this isn't just a product feature.
It can have a direct impact on how the product is stocked and sold.
A more adaptable garment can potentially mean:
Fewer size variations → lower initial stock requirements → simpler size selection → easier online shopping experience.
This is particularly relevant for smaller independent pet shops and online retailers, where inventory investment needs to be carefully managed.
Instead of asking a retailer to stock every possible size combination, the goal should be to create a product that provides meaningful coverage with a manageable number of sizes.
That's why we deliberately limited the trench coat collection to five sizes.
The objective isn't to offer fewer choices for the sake of it. It's to make each size more useful.
The online customer experience matters just as much
Sizing doesn't stop at the product.
For online retailers, the way sizing information is presented can make a significant difference.
A simple size label such as "M" doesn't tell a customer very much. A useful size guide should help them understand how to measure their dog and which measurements matter.
For dog clothing, the most useful measurements typically include:
Neck circumference
Chest circumference
Back length
Waist circumference, depending on the garment
But even with a detailed size chart, there will always be dogs that sit between two sizes.
This is where adjustable design becomes particularly valuable.
Instead of telling a customer, "Your dog is between sizes, so choose the larger one," an adjustable garment can provide a little more flexibility and help accommodate differences in body shape.
Designing for real dogs, not just size charts
One of the lessons we've learned while developing dog clothing is that dogs don't come in neat size categories.
A size chart is a useful starting point, but real dogs are much more complicated.
Two dogs can have the same back length but completely different chest measurements. A small dog can have a surprisingly deep chest. A longer-backed dog may need additional length without needing a larger chest measurement.
That's why we believe dog clothing should be designed around fit flexibility, not simply a larger number of size options.
The goal is not to make every dog fit perfectly into a predefined box.
The goal is to make the garment flexible enough to work with the natural variation between dogs.
What retailers should consider when choosing dog clothing
When evaluating a new dog apparel collection, sizing is worth considering alongside the usual questions of price, design and quality.
Ask:
How many sizes do I actually need to stock?
How much variation can each size accommodate?
Can the garment adjust to different body shapes?
How easy will it be for my customers to choose the right size online?
What happens when a dog falls between two sizes?
How much inventory am I comfortable holding?
A product that looks beautiful but requires a retailer to stock a large number of slow-moving size variations may not be commercially attractive.
On the other hand, a well-designed product can make the retailer's job easier by combining good coverage, flexibility and manageable inventory requirements.
A better approach to dog clothing sizing
We don't think there is one perfect sizing system for every dog.
But we do believe there is an opportunity to rethink how dog clothing is designed and sold.
Instead of asking:
"How many sizes can we offer?"
Perhaps the better question is:
"How much flexibility can we build into each size?"
For retailers, this can mean a simpler assortment and a lower stock commitment.
For customers, it can mean less uncertainty when shopping online.
And for dogs, ultimately, it means a more comfortable fit.
That's the thinking behind our designs: not simply creating another dog coat, but designing one with the realities of retail, online shopping and real dog bodies in mind.
Still unsure which size range to stock? Get in touch with us, we’d be happy to recommend a size mix based on your customer profile.