The ostrich fringe and the dress designer

Feathers and fashio

Throughout the world, birds feathers have been used as a fashion accessory and often to great effect. It’s impossible to imagine a Zulu warrior in Africa without animal skins and ostrich feathers. In South America, the Amazonian Indians wear little because of the heat, but they invariably wear the plumage from birds, mostly plumes naturally shed from birds rather than taken from birds that have been killed.

The ostrich is a farmed bird and although the ostrich fringe is created from plumage taken from a bird that has been killed, the ostrich is not simply killed for its plumes but also for its skin and meat. Quality producers of luxury leather items such as wallets and bags will often make high quality products with leather derived from an ostrich.

One of the reasons why the feathers UK regard the ostrich as such a popular bird is that its plumage is distinctive and when utilised to complement a dress, the effect is quite amazing. During the BBC TV series ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ barely a week went by when feathers were not used to adorn a dancer’s dress. The lightness of the plumes and its dramatic effect are the principal reasons why bird plumage is so popular.

The ostrich fringe has many uses within the world of fashion because it can be dyed to any colour and comes in a variety of sizes. Apart from fringes, ostriches contribute to creating the most dramatic effects on stage with feather boas made from ostrich plumes that are particularly big and fluffy and sensuous to the touch.

The size of the ostrich plumage varies considerably depending on which part of the bird the plumes come from; the ostrich feather fringe can be created in many colours and sizes for adorning a dress. Usually the dresses are designed for dancing as that is when the plumage of the world’s biggest bird comes into its own; the lightness of the feathers and the way they rise and fall create a magical effect, as could be seen so often during ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Majestic and very, very big, the ostrich is protected in many places in the wild, where it is surprisingly hard to hunt owing to its long legs, long neck and beady eyes. Lions find it hard prey to hunt owing to the birds’ turn of speed and the fact that it can sustain it for several miles. However, cheetahs have the speed but are too small on their own to bring down an ostrich unless they hunt in packs, which they do on occasion.

Nature has created a bird that provides the world of fashion with the most amazing plumage. If you are looking for an ostrich fringe, you will be buying birds feathers that are beautiful, unique and delightful to the touch, produced by a bird that cannot fly but can most certainly run.