If you follow trends, you have probably noticed a new one that has been sweeping the nation. Hair feathering has become the newest fashion fad, with many girls are jumping on the bandwagon. Will you be next?
If you are wondering where this craze originated, hair feathering, according to native-net.org, can be traced back to the Native Americans. Feathers were a very prominent symbol in their culture, often appearing in their wardrobes and headpieces. However, we owe the recent influx of hair feathering to the most common trendsetters, celebrities, of course. Musician and American Idol judge Steven Tyler, and well as singer Ke$ha, have been seen wearing feathers in their hair on several occasions. But how did they get the idea to put feathers in their hair – something that on the surface seems a little absurd?
Well, as reported by Jenny Elig from The Indianapolis Star, the first group of businesses that saw many teenage girls flocking to their stores (no pun intended) were fisherman. Fisherman use feathers as flies, and fishing stores are the best place to get them. But with the current uprising of the fad, you can now purchase these festive feathers in many different stores. Also according to the article, the trend took off from Colorado, where fly-fishing is popular, then spread to California, where it inevitably hit Hollywood.
But before you go out in search of feathers, maybe you would like to know where exactly they are coming from. According to Elig, the feathers are known as saddles and come from roosters that are specifically bread for the“long fumes”on their backs. The feathers come in a plethora of colors, which are likely to give an edge and flare to any outfit.
Edge and flare is the exact reason 13-year-old Bethany Keith got her feather extensions.“I chose the color blue because it brings out the color of my eyes and makes them stand out when I wear certain outfits,”Keith said.
If you are at all interested in getting feather extensions, act quickly because with the trend quickly gaining popularity, salons and websites are hiking up their prices. But don’t fear, some places like Zoot Cuts in Morton Grove, IL still have reasonable prices, with one feather costing just $12.50. According to owner Beata Magiet, she has seen many girls from the ages of 8-years-old to 25-years-old coming in for feathers of their own, and she’s joined them. “I wear [the feathers] for advertisement. They are so fun and different,” Magiet said.
So, how do they work? The process can take anywhere from seconds to minutes, depending on how many feathers you want. The feathers are clipped and molded by a bead into your hair; no glue is used. You can wash and style your hair like normal. The feathers last anywhere from two to four months and can be taken out with pliers. But, if this sounds too complicated for you, there are always clip ons!
You can find clip on and beaded feathers near you if you go to finefeatherheads.com. Type in your zip code and immediately find many salons and stores near you that sell and do feathering on the spot!