This season, the Onakkodi in some homes may be meant for the one with four legs.
Kasavu frocks for Shih Tzus, kurtas for Labradors, skirts for cats and bandanas for pets that would rather skip the full outfit — the family Onam wardrobe now has a place for the pet.
For many pet parents, dressing up their animals for the festival is no longer a quirk.
For Radhika K, pet parent to seven-year-old German Shepherd ‘Lucky’, the outfit is part of making sure her “darling baby” is included in the family celebration.
“When the Onam month arrives, the first thing I do is buy a kasavu mundu for Lucky. I do it just like I do for my children,” the homemaker gushes.
Lucky joins the family for photographs, sadya and the payasam too. “I never want Lucky to be sitting alone while all of us are celebrating. Every other day, he is a member of our family. So why not the same on Onam or any other celebration?” asks Radhika.
Model and zumba/pilates instructor Irene M J gets equally excited as she talks about her Shih Tzu. “I love my pet daughter, Selfie, more than anything in this world,” she says.
“Being in the modeling field, I take her along to maximum shoots, take so many photos, and get custom dresses stitched for her so we can dazzle together.”
Last year, Irene arranged an Onam-themed photo shoot for Selfie featuring a traditional outfit. “It was so cute seeing her in a small pattu pavada. This time also, I am planning something similar with her,” she says, adding that the little one loves decking up and being the star attraction.
“When she gets dressed up, she senses something special is going on, so she comes and stands with a lot of interest and poses for the shoot.”
And where there is a novel Onakkodi ritual, the market has followed, with pet stores and independent makers offering everything from simple accessories to customised festive wear.
In Thiruvananthapuram, Bark’ode Pet Hypermarket & Grooming Studio has stocked Onam outfits for pets like Lucky and Selfie.
“We have been doing this for the past couple of years. The demand has only been increasing,” says studio manager Deepak V S.
“Earlier, most of the outfits were gender-neutral. Now, as demand and specific requests have increased, we have separate options such as dresses for female pets and mundu-shirt sets for males. This year, we are focusing more on the traditional kasavu theme rather than colours.”
Apart from outfits, the store also stocks Onam-themed accessories such as bead necklaces, chains and clips.
Dona Denny, founder of Pawsome pet-parent collective, sees the practice as an extension of the memories people already associate with festivals.
“When we think about our childhood and Onam, dressing up is a memory in itself. For me, it was the pattu pavada,” she smiles. “Pet parents want to make memories with pets whom they consider their children.”
At Pawsome’s Onam celebration to be at Kochi’s Forum Mall on August 30, over 100 dogs are expected to be served a pet-friendly sadhya on banana leaves. Of course, many will be arriving in festive attire.
Kochi-based Chewclub is also planning an Onam celebration for pets and their parents, with activities including a sadhya, fashion walk, photoshoot and games.
“The trend became more noticeable after the pandemic,” says Poornima Sethumadhavan, founder of Chewclub. “The pet culture really began to grow and people became more closely attached to their pets. They always wanted to do something special for them. Buying clothes has now become part of that, and the demand is especially high during Onam and Christmas.”
Chewclub curates a festive collection every year, with sizes ranging from XXS to larger options for dogs, and tests the clothes on its own pets before stocking them.
Anu Surendran, who runs a pet outfit store in Muvattupuzha and specialises in customised clothing, has seen the change firsthand.
“Earlier, people had very limited options for their pets. Now they can get an outfit made in the colour, design and style they want,” she says. “Most people who come to me are ready to spend on their pets.”
What makes her smile, however, are the photographs that come back to her. “Customers send me pictures of their pets dressed in the outfits and post them on social media too,” she says.
She has also been approached by people interested in learning the craft or starting similar ventures. “Pet clothing is still a small market in India, but as more people discover that outfits can be customised for their pets, the interest is growing,” says Anu.
In general, pet accessories start at around `200, while outfits can range from `600 to over `3,000, depending on the design and level of customisation. Interestingly, there are some high-end pet couture online options that go up to `10,000 per set.
For Amrutha V Shenai of Furberry by April’s Pet Care, the concept came from a personal need — finding suitable clothing for her Golden Retriever.
“As I like dressing my pet, I could not find any suitable dresses for her since she was a large size. Thus, I tried my hand at designing her clothes.”
Interest from other pet parents encouraged her to make them for sale. She uses cotton and avoids stones, shells and other embellishments that could irritate pets.
At San Boutique, Athira Vasudevan, primarily a maker of clothes for women and children, ventured into pet outfits after a suggestion from her husband, who runs a pet grooming shop. Instagram brought in enquiries, including from overseas.
“One of my clients from Australia called and asked me to customise matching Onam clothes for two puppies and a smaller one for their cat,” she says.
“Matching Onam outfits for pets and other family members are also becoming a common request.”
The market is no longer confined to Kerala either.
Hyderabad-based FurVilla, run jointly by Malayali entrepreneur Anand M and his spouse Sharmistha Deb, introduced its Onam collection in 2022 and now receives orders from across India and countries, including the US, UK, UAE and Singapore.
“This year, the collection features hand-embroidered Kerala motifs such as vallamkali, chenda, elephants, mallipoo and coconut trees,” says Anand.
“We also pay attention to the fabric and keep the outfits pet-friendly and comfortable.”
That attention to comfort is indeed important. Dr Anandu Nair of Anchal Pets Hospital, which also has an accessories and apparel section, says such clothes should suit the animal’s skin and allow easy movement.
“This is not a utility item. Pets may wear it only for a few hours, but it is important that the fabric is skin-friendly and does not cause irritation,” he says.
Dona agrees. Her Cocker Spaniel, she adds, has “zero interest” in dressing up and can find even a hair clip irritating.
“I think it is totally a matter of comfort. If they are okay with it, let them be. But if it is too uncomfortable for them, let us not pester them,” she says.
This story was reported by Parvana K B and Nidhi Vinod for TNIE - Kerala.