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Chris & I are huge advocates of animal welfare. Animal welfare probably factors into our lives more than anything else in our everyday decisions. We rescue animals like it's our job...and it actually was my job when we lived in California.
We aren't vegan. We don't belong to Peta. We don't throw red paint on people wearing fur (although, it's tempting). I have made comments about how "dead animals must be comfy" in passing.
We simply try to live our lives in a way that is mindful of the humane treatment of animals.
When I first saw the feather hair extensions in Steven Tyler's hair on American Idol, I thought they looked pretty cool. It didn't cross my mind that feather hair extensions could be inhumane. I assumed the feathers were gathered during molting or from chickens used for food. As with most everything, I had to start researching it.
Yeah, I have a habit of ruining everything. Feather hair extensions are no different.
These feathers have been long used by fly fisherman as lures. Certain roosters have been bred specifically to produce the extraordinarily long tail feathers, which are too long to be practical on your average rooster.
Then, it happened.
Steven Tyler showed up on American Idol with feathers in his hair.
The people went wild.
The roosters cock-a-doodle-died.
Is it worth it?
It wouldn't bother me so much if the roosters had some other purpose in addition to their tail feathers. For instance, using the hides of animals used for food for clothes or decoration (think: leather) is a more responsible choice than just letting the non-food parts of the animal go to waste. Obviously, if you are vegan or vegetarian for your own ethical/moral reasons, you may feel differently about this.
If you like the look, how about researching some alternatives? I did very little legwork and came up with some cute alternatives to feather hair extensions:
Tinsel strand hair extensions (oooh shiny!)
Alternative Rooster Feather Extensions (cruelty-free!)
Hopefully, feather hair extensions are on the way out the door as far as trends go.
How do you feel about the trend in feather hair extensions? Do you think it's important to consider animal welfare when following a fashion trend? Am I silly for letting this issue ruffle my feathers?
