A Short Note on a Fashion Faux-Pas

This is a wonderful article on the latest "fashion trend" where people put fly fishing feathers in their hair. Honestly, I think it looks like A) you got stuck in the chicken coop, B) you got snagged during a fly fishing trip, or C) you got kidnapped by a tribe of cannibals and are about to take part in their decorative ceremony before they eat you. Take your pick on what "look" you're trying to go for :)

That Article

I didn't think anything of this trend (besides that it looked silly, but so do my fingernails that I painted white because I saw it on a French runway model! I am not guiltless!) until I read that article and starting looking into how fly fishing baits are made. Now I am bothered by this trend.

Now, the author of that article definitely seems to be siding more with the fashion trend than the very valuable, genetically selected, and time-consuming birds that are being plucked to death in extremely high numbers so people can feel better about themselves. Animals being commercialized by fellow animals who forget that they are fellow animals. What's new, right?

Anyway, at least the fly fishermen who use these baits use them for a long time and appreciate the value and sacrifice of these animals. As the article explained, it is a painstaking process to grow out these extravagant feathers, and the birds do not often survive the plucking. Of course the fisherman appreciates the great value these costly baits have!

Now, if you still MUST put feathers in your hair like an African queen with the last name of Smith who lives in the middle of suburbia, then there are cruelty free feathers out there. I have looked on Etsy and there are they there in large numbers. Supposedly these feathers come from show roosters and other foul with nice plumage, but instead of the feathers being plucked off, they are collected after the birds naturally molt. And if you think a bird doesn't produce a lot of feathers when it molts, then you have not been around birds! (We own a cockatiel, and they're not that big!) They are a bit more expensive because not as many feathers are produced as when you pluck them and the birds are kept in very nice conditions (did I mention show birds?) but I would much rather pay more for happy animals!

I'm no PETA fan, but I don't like it when we harm animals for the sake of beauty, even if the specified idea of "beauty" is questionable.

Sincerely,
You're favorite Crazy Tree-Hugger and her Horse!

P.S. I'm going for at least a B.S. in Wildlife Biology at Texas State, so I'll be able to sound more "edumakated" about these issues! YAY!!!!