Designer Going to the Dogs

One of Charlotte Tarantola's new doggie sweaters

The age-old problem for designers is what to do with those dribs and drabs of fabric leftover from cutting a dress or pair of pants out of a large roll of textiles.

Los Angeles womenswear designer Charlotte Tarantola has solved that problem by taking her surplus fabric and fashioning it into little sweaters for dogs both big and small.

Tarantola said the inspiration for her new canine line came during a visit to the factory where overrun and irregular panels were stored, waiting to be destroyed to keep her designs safe. She realized there was plenty of fabric left over for some fancy sweaters for pooches.

So her new line for dogs launched for the Fall/Winter season with plenty of knitwear to go around. The sweaters come in extra, extra small to medium, fitting four-legged friends weighing just under 5 pounds up to 20 pounds. The sweaters retail for $38 to $42.

Proud pet owners can share photos of their dogs wearing Tarantola's creation on her Facebook fan page.

Hope those cats don't feel left out in the cold.