Dark Feathers
Not every beautiful hairstyle calls for bright colors and sparkling gems. Some of the most striking looks are built from darker, more dramatic elements: the kind of beauty that belongs to candlelit rooms and evening gatherings, where shadows are as important as light. This hairstyle belongs firmly in that second category.
Pinned into the side of this updo - above the left ear, at a slight angle - is the hair ornament that gives this entire look its character: a gold butterfly from which rises a tall spray of dark reddish-brown ostrich feathers. These feathers are full and generous, spreading upward in a dramatic plume that adds significant height to the updo.
Dark feathers like these were especially fashionable in the period just before the First World War, when millinery and hair ornamentation reached a kind of peak of theatrical drama. Feathers from peacocks, ostriches, and other birds were enormously sought after, and the millinery trade was one of the biggest industries of the age.
The gown completes the look perfectly: a high-necked black lace bodice with elaborate embroidered details and a dark fur trim at the shoulders. This is evening wear at its most elegant, and the dark feather plume rising from the hair ties the whole look together with a kind of theatrical finality.
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See also: Vintage Hair