People who pass by Max's Custom Pet Clothing in North Spokane very well could inspire the newest dog outfit that self-described pet tailor Kathlene "Max" Powell designs and makes to sell in her shop.

Powell, the business's owner and sole employee, says she offers tailoring services for any breed and size of dog or cat, should the latter tolerate being dressed.

"Sometimes I watch people outside and what they're wearing and I think, 'Can a dog wear that?' and that's how I get creative," Powell says. "My favorite is making things (for dogs) that people wear."

Aside from the custom-tailoring services, the store sells a large selection of coats, dresses, sweaters, harnesses, and other garments and accessories for dogs of various sizes that all are designed and made by Powell. The business also carries handmade treats, beds, and toys both for dogs and cats, some of which are made locally by other crafters and are sold there on consignment.

Powell moved Max's Custom Pet Clothing last September into a 600-square-foot leased space at 2904 E. Francis. For about two years before that, she'd been selling her creations at Spokane-area craft fairs.

Powell says she decided to open the storefront at the urging of several of her repeat clients.

"Customers were asking where they could find me more often instead of waiting for the craft shows," Powell says. "During my grand opening, they came and helped pass out flyers and cards."

Since opening the shop, she says patrons have continued to spread word about her services.

Max's Custom Pet Clothing is open from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, she says.

Powell says she taught herself how to sew about three years ago after returning from a tour in Iraq, during which she sustained head injuries when her battalion encountered an improvised explosive device that detonated.

At the time, she says she'd been serving there for three months with the U.S. Navy's Construction Force, but in all, she served more than 20 years with the military, both as an active duty and reservist member. She says she still suffers some debilitating side effects of the explosion.

During her recovery at her Spokane home, the now-retired veteran says she took up sewing because she wanted to learn something new and wanted to find an activity to occupy herself since she no longer could work.

Also, not long after her return home, Powell says she took in Roxie, a rescued puppy mill dog that's partly a miniature Doberman pinscher-Chihuahua mix. The puppy was malnourished and suffering from several other health issues, she says.

Because of Roxie's short fur Powell says she would dress the pup in dog clothes to help keep her warm. She says, though, that she initially had a hard time finding practical outfits at pet stores that fit Roxie, who stands about a foot high and is about 2 1/2 times larger than a pure-bred Chihuahua now that she's fully grown.

Roxie also is Powell's trained medical alert dog, and goes everywhere with her owner.

She helps with the business by modeling some of the outfits, and Powell says Roxie gets dressed up in a different outfit each day.

When Powell first took up sewing, she mostly made baby clothes, but says she decided to modify those baby patterns to make outfits that would fit Roxie because she had such difficulty finding store-bought clothes to fit her. That endeavor then led to her experiment with similar outfits that she sized to fit other dogs, she adds.

"When I was doing the craft shows, the baby clothes weren't selling but the dog clothes were," Powell says. "I didn't make anything that was similar to what was in the stores. I made clothes that looked like they were people clothes but were for dogs."

Designing and creating outfits for four-legged creatures since has become her passion, says the self-proclaimed animal lover who, besides Roxie, has six special-needs cats she's also rescued.

"I'm sewing 10 hours a day, and I'd never sewed before," she says. "I love it."

Powell estimates she recently surpassed her 1,000th pet outfit, and says she's made pieces from doggie bikinis to baseball hats.

She says she also makes dog coats and vests from leather, denim, and camouflage material, adding that she's even reused some of her old military fatigues to make pet clothes.

"I finally used up all my extra stuff and just now have to buy camo," she says.

Max's Custom Pet Clothing is stocked with a variety of garments made for almost any size dog, and Powell says she will make custom outfits when necessary.

"I can make clothes for a 1 1/2 pound dog up to a 200-pound dog," she says. "The other day I made a coat for a Great Dane."

When making a customized pet outfit, Powell says she often has to modify a pattern from a basic set that she's created in varying sizes for one of her designs. She also requests that customers who want custom outfits bring in their pets so she can take measurements to ensure the end product fits. She keeps the measurements on file so that if those customers later want other outfits, they don't need to bring their pets back into the shop.

Most of the garments are made to cover the dog's torso and back, with openings for their front legs and rear ends. Powell uses Velcro or snaps to secure the garments around the dog's underside.

She says the store also has a small section of used pet clothes and that those items all are priced at $1 each. The clothes she's already made that are on display on the sales floor range in price from $4 for a small dog garment up to around $30 for a sweater or coat for a large dog.

The most expensive piece in the store is $40, she says.

Custom orders range from around $12 to $45 depending on the garment's complexity, and Powell says if a customer wants to provide their own fabric she'll give them a 50 percent discount off of the order's total, only charging for her labor.

"I want to keep my prices low so that everyone can afford it," she says.

Powell says because her pet tailoring business is licensed under the category of manufacturing as defined by the Washington state Department of Revenue, she can't resell any products that are made by another company. She can, however, sell pieces made by other people on a consignment basis.

Licensing laws also prevent her from making any pet clothes from fabric or material that has any kind of licensed or trademarked logo or name on it.

She adds, however, that customers can bring in their own materials that, for example, feature a collegiate logo or sports team name and that they wish to use on a custom order.

Powell says about half of her business's sales are custom orders, and the remaining portion are purchases of her premade items for sale at the shop.

Similarly, she estimates that about half of her customers are repeat clients.

Since opening the retail space last fall, Powell says she's been able to cover her overhead costs, but hasn't made a profit yet.

"By next winter, I should be doing great," she predicts. "Right now I'm busy, but I've been able to keep up. Even when the store is open, I'm sewing when there aren't customers."

Powell says she's observed that despite what might be a penny-pinching time for many people, the patrons that come into Max's Custom Pet Clothing don't seem to have much, if any, hesitation to spend money on their four-legged friends.

Powell contends that most people who purchase her pet clothes are doing so in an effort to make sure their pooch stays warm, not because they are dressing their dogs up for looks and fun only.

"Most buy because it's a practical need and they don't want something goofy, they just want a plain sweater or blanket coat for their dog," she says.

She does assert, though, that dressing pets has become more popular in the last decade or so.

"I think a lot of that goes along with the divorce rate; people are single and their dog is their buddy and they want to make them comfortable or happy," she says.