Long before Milan, Italy challenged Paris, France for the title of the world fashion capital, Paris stood alone in determining the fashion trends for the upcoming seasons across Europe. But in the Victorian ages that began in the 1860s and spanned the years through the early 1900s, fashionable women in London, England also kept their fingers on the pulse of Paris fashion houses.
It was the fashion purveyors of London who began to explore a fascination with the ostrich feather dresses as a fashion statement.
It all began with baronial funerals in London during the middle-1800s. The hearses of the time were, of course, pulled by teams of horses. These animals were dressed in black livery to match the sombre occasion and adorned in dramatic headdresses of black ostrich plumes.
When the funeral parade of the Duke of Wellington was witnessed by more than 1.5 million people all through the streets of London, many people noticed the horse’s splendid headdresses and soon, they were a much-requested funeral item.
Fashion Craze of Ostrich Feathers
The ostrich feather craze spread from the funeral industry to the military to the fashion industry, as by this time, the couturiers of Paris had also picked up on the public’s fascination with them.
The feathers adorned hats, jackets, boas and ostrich feather dresses. As they became popular, they grew in value and, for a time, threatened to cause the ostrich population of South Africa to become extinct. But colonial farmers found that ostriches could be easily kept and farmed, and the ostrich feather industry soon began to blossom.
The feathers could be easily dyed any colour and looked exotic when applied to fashion items like hats and dresses, and they added a touch of majesty to military uniforms.
The fashion craze also brought about some advancements in the ostrich industry. When penned up, ostriches tended to trample their own eggs. This became such a problem that it was seen as the possible ruin of the industry. An inventive ostrich farmer named Arthur Douglas saved the industry by creating the world’s first ostrich egg incubator, to the relief of fashion houses all over Europe.
Because of its port facilities, London became the centre of the ostrich feather trade as shiploads of sorted feathers would arrive weekly from Cape Town. Monthly auctions would be held to sell the feathers. They were sorted into different classes according to size and whether they came from the male or female ostrich.
Retro Fashion Reminder of What Once Was
The ostrich feather fashion craze lasted until 1885, when, like many fashions, it went out of style for the times. But, thanks to people’s embrace of the past in retro fashions, it still can be found in beautifully crafted ostrich feather dresses today.
Experience the splendour and elegance of the Victorian era in the many styles and colours of ostrich feather dresses in Silk Gazar by Ivan Young. Order these exquisite creations online for immediate delivery.
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