A dog show judge speak his mind regarding choice of outfit in the ring

Many of you probably know the judge and poodle breeder Mikael Nilsson. He has a
successful podcast called “Vinn Mer” (“Win more”) which is available on Spotify. One of the
many topics raised is this about how to dress.

A much debated topic and one that there are many opinions about. The best way to dress
also varies depending on which breed you are presenting, but we at Canis Certo have taken
the opportunity and thought of capturing some quotes from Mikel Nilsson and his episode
“Dressed for Victory” to see how a judge views the matter.

The show sport began in the British Isles and has later spread to other countries. The usual
dress at an outdoor show back then was a tweed jacket. Other influences that affect our
choice of dress for the show ring come from professional handlers in the USA and they
usually wear a suit with a skirt for women and a suit with a tie for men. Then there is a lot of
preference and taste that further determines whether you want something sparkly or don´t
like sequins or sparkling stones at all. Some want to look elegantly sober and others really
want to go all out with details. The occasion also determines of course.

So what does Mikael say, should you care so much about how you look, it´s the dog that will
be judged anyway:

"-That´s how it is with clothing, it radiates something, and it´s important to radiate the right
things. You want to be someone who fits in and doesn´t seem strange."

"I think you have to see yourself and your dog when you show that there will be a team, a
team that is coming together. And no matter how much you demand that the judge be
objective and judge only the dog, it becomes almost impossible to do so because the handler
is there too, he or she fills out such a large part of the visual impression and the overall
impression changes quite a bit depending on what you are wearing, so I would like to do the
dog justice and that means dressing in an appropriate way. If it stands out in any way, it will
be wrong.”

Furthermore, Mikel goes into more detail about what he as a judge believes you should
consider when choosing your outfit:

“- If you imagine a visual overall picture and that this should be a team, then I think it is an
advantage if the handler is in a solid color behind. If you choose between a suit or a divided
outfit with maybe light pants and a jacket or different colors on the skirt and top. Then I would say that it is better to choose everything in one color because it seems less messy. In the same way, it is better if you have unpatterned clothing so that it gives as calm impression
behind as possible. As soon as it´s messy behind, and dotted and striped and lots of
patterns, it tends to get a bit messy and that´s usually not the best.”

“- Then it´s also important to be critical of the contrasts between the dog and the color
behind, and that usually means you need to wear fairly light clothes. As soon as you get a bit
further away, it can be harder to see the dog, it´s not in your interest as a handler that it
should be difficult for the judge to see the dog.”

Appearance is one thing. Function is another important part so that it feels good and that you as a handler don´t have to correct your clothes after you´ve run or bent over. Mikael highlights some important points to think about:

“- I think it´s important to be dressed comfortably, because as soon as you´re pushing and
pulling and especially if you´re dressed in clothes that are too small, we all tend to get a little
bigger as we age and then you either have to sew the clothes out or buy a larger size. As
soon as you become uncomfortable, it becomes more difficult to move balanced and freely,
and then it seems to inhibit you as a handler. If you choose to wear a skirt as a woman, make
sure it is not too narrow, because it should not be so narrow that you cannot move forward.
At the same time, it must absolutely not be too wide that it interferes and that it flutters and
even flutters over a small dog. It may also be a good idea to check that the skirt is not too
short. It should feel appropriate and you should feel comfortable both squatting and bending
forward over the dog.”

“- It is always good if you can reach your pockets easily if you have a brush or a comb with
you and maybe treats for the dog.”

As a final point, Mikael really hits the nail on the head and raises a couple of questions that
are really worth thinking about:

“- The thing about clothing is that it radiates something and it can radiate many different
things depending on the situation. Imagine what a person looks like who seems successful?
What does a person look like who seems to be someone who knows well what they are
doing? How is he or she actually dressed? Yes, the level of ambition you have can actually
be shown through your clothing and that often means that you may have to dress in a way
that makes you look like a handler and that you look like a winner and then you often end up
wearing a jacket and a tie or a skirt suit.”

If you are looking for a suit that is right on target on all the points that Mikel Nilsson
addresses, we can please you that our suits meet the criteria that Mikael considers
important. We work with overall impressions that are calm and solid in color. We have the
same color on the dress and jacket and have designed the suits for the sport, which means
that they have the stretch required for you to be able to move freely in the ring and of course
all suits have two pockets made for a toy, brush or sticky treat. You can easily wash the suit
in the machine at 30 degrees gentle program or handwash (it it has stones) if you have been stained by your dog.

Welcome to find your favorite suit!