Fall -ing Feather

For my communications course I was asked to write about a street trend. I decided to share it with you all for good humour. Now don't get me wrong I do love the trend right now but if you read it I put in a few trend pointers. Is there one trend which anyone just can't stand?

Birds of a Feather.

It’s a sight to see...Women storming fly fishing shops to get their hands on “hackles.” Why hackles? Rumor has it these rooster feather fishing supplies make the best hair extensions. By now you’ve heard of hair feathering. Incase you didn’t, celebrities like Disney’s Pocahontas once rocked them in the early 90s. Now the hip trend has reached an almost ridiculous popularity. Even though I love them, I worry the originality is lost ....

The first person I ever saw wearing the hair accessory was my yoga instructor. My first initial thought was “this must be a yoga guru thing.” I didn’t get it, but I accepted it as her boho yogie style and that was that. As weeks went by I noticed other girls in my class had the trend, even the dude with the dreads next to me had something that looked like a feather coming from his head. I haven’t invested in the hair pieces, yet I cant help but notice their, what-seems-to-be consistent popularity. There is such a variety of bold and natural colors, that they really are a genius way to spice up your hair style. They are an adaptable trend which is why celebs like the painful in fashion (among other things) Ke$ha, to the sweet Jennifer Love Hewitt, have been seen rocking the trend. They are surprisingly easy to maintain as well, you can wash, curl, and even straighten them without issues.

But what I’m asking now is, “where did this trend come from?” Some say the 70s, but I say Steven Tyler. Beaming in his recent spotlight as a judge of American Idol,  Tyler, brought his own uniqueness to the show including, the feather pieces...long long LONG before it was a trend. Regardless of who or what started the craze thousands of women have purchased and worn the feathers all around the globe. 

Not everyone is thrilled with the fad. Animal rights activists like PETA have taken a stand against it claiming it is animal cruelty. It’s not new that fashion tends to create controversy among animal rights activists, but now too we can add fly-fishermen to the list. They are enrage by the dramatic price increase and lack of supplies. 

The world has gone crazy it seems over this 2011 spring/summer trend, making it inevitable that the feather hair extension have risen and conquered the hair market. But ...sadly I have a feeling once winter comes around, and rain starts to drown the city streets of Vancouver, one might think twice about adding a wet bird - I mean feather- to their hair accessories. JC

photos by Blake Vanderhyden