Fine Feathered Trend

I just saw the above photos and caption in The New York Times and I thought "Of course feathers are a trend. Of course they are on the London runway!" A couple months ago, my Aunt Mary Ellen in New Orleans was telling me about her lifelong love of wearing feathers. And as always, when it comes to style, Mary Ellen is so right. She told me about the parties she attended, making a sensation wearing glamorous and elegant feather boas with the "couture" dresses her mother made. More about that here.

She said she would send me what feathers survived Katrina and the Louisiana humidity. A week later I received a shoebox-size package in the mail from her. The box was so light I thought it might be empty. After carefully slicing through the tape and lifting the lid, I found this beautiful, delicate light lavender ostrich feather boa.

I'm wearing the boa right now as I write this. It's delicate yet impactful; it's elegant yet jazzy; it's enticing with lots of fluttery movement in the slightest breeze and it's rather cozy around my neck. I love it! I recommend getting at least one and wearing it to your next party. The trick is to find a rich full boa and not a cheap skimpy one. I just did a quick search for "vintage feather boa" and quite a few very nice ones popped up. Or, if you would like to add feather trim to something, Mary Ellen's favorite place for notions is M&J Trimming in New York. And I just saw that Mood Fabrics, where Project Runway contestants shop, has a good selection of feathers.

Ready for an evening out, Aunt Mary Ellen poses with one of her fabulous boas.

A page torn from Town & Country that Mary Ellen sent with the lavender boa.
Yes! Love those feathers.