Feathered Hair: It's The 80s All Over Again…With A Twist

Feathers have been fashionable for centuries, coming in and out of vogue. A few years ago, feathered headbands were popular, but the trend has morphed into feather earrings and hair extensions. They’re the hot accessories of the summer — so much so that even the stodgy New York Times has taken notice, though it was scooped by the Seattle Times.

If we have Ke$ha to thank for making feather hair extensions popular, we have to credit Beyonce for taking it to the next level. She went metallic, putting sparkly streamers in her hair. To us, this all feels like a rad throwback to the 80s when feather clips were all the rage and “Jem and the Holograms” (which is back on The Hub!) rocked metallic hair.

Feather and metallic extensions are an easy way for girls to spice up an outfit, either subtly or dramatically. They can do it themselves or have them placed professionally, which means the cost can range from a few dollars on up. A quick search on Etsy for feather hair extensions brings up feathers and kits for as little as $.50 per feather or as much as a few hundred dollars for a colorful collection.

Metallic extensions, also called hair tinsel, are a little harder to find as the trend is just emerging. We expect it will be full-blown by midsummer — in particular, it’s an animal-friendly alternative to feathers, and an option for girls who want to stand out from the crowd, which is what this trend is all about.