What makes an Occam coat fit a whippet so well? We asked Josie and her whippet Tui what they love about our coats and what makes an Occam design unique.

Josie + Tui the whippet. London, UK 
Josie, a freelance interior designer and Tui the whippet live together in Hackney, London. They are spoilt for choice for good parks and coffee spots. Their favourite whippet friendly cafes are Brunswick Bakehouse, Yellow Warbler and Millfield’s Coffee depending on which park they are heading to. They frequent Hackney Downs, Abney Park and Hackney Marshes where there is a huge whippet community, often bumping into friends along the way.

• Which whippet coat couldn't you live without and why?

Søren! It’s a staple. It’s lightweight, it’s waterproof, windproof.. dries super quick too. Can’t beat it. I think it’s great that I just need to wash her feet when coming in from a muddy walk too. Makes the bath aftermath super efficient!

• Do you use different coats for different days or occasions?
Yes, we mostly stick to Søren and Riley for muddy and cold walks. And Beuys we mainly use if it’s an on lead walk in urban areas or shorter walks in not so muddy places as it’s boiled wool and needs to be hand-washed - we’re definitely a bit more precious about it. She’ll wear that when we go out for dinner too, we’re spoilt for choice of places to go and eat in East London and we’ll always take her with us. Tui’s hoodad works in restaurants so she’s very accustomed to being in those environments.

• We work extremely hard on the fit and comfort of our garments. Can you tell us what you like about the Occam fit?
They are easy to put on and take off, not too snug but not too baggy either, the shape really compliments the whippet form. I like the length of the sleeves on Tui, there is a slight crop, as she has long legs. She’s a size 7 across all pieces she owns so I’m really impressed with the consistency of the fit across the garments.

• Our Judd whippet onesie is made from fabric woven here in the UK and handmade in London. This whippet coat has the smallest carbon footprint out of our range, do you consider sustainability when buying products for Tui?
I would say I definitely consider sustainability when buying products for Tui. I think everybody has to start thinking differently about the way we purchase for ourselves but also for our dogs. I do actively try (emphasis on try – I am not a saint!) to avoid fast fashion, and micro plastic producing polyester fibres. However, anyone can easily call me out on that one, Tui does have a couple of fleeces in her wardrobe that she is seen wearing on insta, fleece is very cheap, 100% synthetic and not good at all for the environment… but at least I’m aware of it and feel 100% guilt right now, oops.

• Do you have any favourite accessory brands you team Occam with?
For collars we have Vackertass, Pear Tannery and Dog and Bone. Tui mixes it up all the time and we like them all. On extra chilly days Tui has been wearing hand knitted snoods I’ve been making during lockdown. It’s been a really nice, meditative activity and fills the time. It’s a slow process but I’ve been embracing it! For me, it’s interesting doing crafts again because it can really put the whole consumerism thing into perspective. Hand crafted garments take so long, I have a huge respect for Occam because it’s a very difficult market out there where consumers are so used to instant purchase gratification and such low price points. With Occam garments you are really purchasing with a purpose, investing in carefully designed, hand made pieces that will last. I have no idea what the solutions are to end the giant that is fast fashion but I guess awareness is most important!

Follow Tui’s adventures here