In the US and UK the market for clothing for pets is growing. But is it a sensible bit of indulgence or an inappropriate fad, asks Helen Soteriou.

Anyone going into a park during the recent cold weather might very well have seen dogs wearing winter coats.

Clothing for pets is a booming market with spending expected to break the £30m mark in 2012 in the UK, according to market research firm MTW Research.   

In the US, the trend is even more pronounced. While in the UK a retailer like Argos might sell only functional winter jackets for dogs, at a US retailer like Target you can buy everything from a colourful polo shirt to stegosaurus-themed fancy dress costumes.

There is a long tradition of very specific functional clothing for animals. Ancient Greek armies would put leather boots on the feet of their horses to protect them against snow. 

But now less functional clothing is becoming a boom industry, with boutiques offering all manner of exotic outfits.