Ladies - what do you think of Standard gowns with feathers?

Generally, I dislike them. I don't like how they shed, I've seen very few with feathers that I've found attractive, and have seen exactly one where I thought that I might wear it.

I'm more of a lace and pearls type though... I tend to find the feather dresses to trendy or different-looking. Classic is for me. :)
 
I'm a feather lover :( i'm not sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing. LOL!!! But i've followed the above advice about washing the dress (and yes it was scary the first time) and have had much success.

It's true as well, about the quality of the dress in terms of feather-application. A well-made dress with shed a LOT less (if at all) than a poor quality one... and i've seen the plucked-chicken results as well hahaha.
 
Funny, when I think of "classic ballroom gowns", I picture big foofy ostrich boa hemlines. And they are FUN to dance in :D
The wimpy plucked-chicken cheap-o craft store knock-off of feather boa on a ballroom gown doesn't cut it through. Blech.

I've never actually washed boas, and haven't had any issue with them looking squashed or sad, but perhaps all of the feather hemline gowns I have are high quality. Yay.
 
hahah good point. The retro look was definitely the boa hemline (and a very high hem-length to boot) could arguably be the 'classic' dress... looking at old videos it does seem that the quintessential standard gown involved ostrich feathers.

But I totally get what FancyFeet is saying, by classic, meaning more simple, clean design.... the way i would use that word in general to describe a fashion or aesthetic.
 
Exactly. I don't like overly fussy designs (it doesn't match my personal style or how I dance), and feathered dresses always seem that way to me.
 
I love feather gowns, so rich and exquisite looking! Feather still very much in, at this year Blackpool, Pro rising star standard winner won a feather dress, lots feather dresses in BP floor and lots Euro designer carries feather dresses in winter garden, especially Italian designers.

Another benefit of feather is if feather on satin chiffon skirt, if dress wrinkles during travel, not so visible.
 
One lady pro at a comp I was in wore a Rhythm dress with feathers and it shed so much in the scholarship lineup another pro asked her if she'd brought a glue gun. I find all feather gowns shed, just some more than others. The fluffier feathers seem to leave little trails of fluff all over the floor.
 
Thanks for all the input everyone.

I surprised the missus with a new custom-designed Dore Standard gown for the Paris worlds this year. (Since the last day of the comp also coincides with our 40th wedding anniversary, it's also her anniversary present.) Cherry red velvet bodice with stones galore. We had a final meeting with the designer this weekend who promised it will be spectacular (she used the term "mannequin worthy") ... it better be considering how much it's costing (ouch).

It will have limited feathers - ostrich feathers around the hemline.
 
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