Os-ten-ta-tious
: marked by or fond of conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display
It's not widely known, but the word 'Ostentatious' actually has its roots in the most pretentious, showy, gaudy animal in the world:
The Peacock.
An Ostentation is the term used to describe a group, or flock, of male peafowl...more commonly known as the peacock. And, in our opinion, there is no animal on earth that better encompasses the meaning behind the word.
Male peacocks' tail feathers are beautifully adorned with 'eyes' of blue, purple, green, and shades of burgundy, and can grow to almost four feet long! That is over half of the peacock's overall body length, and the size, decoration, and colors of these tail feathers is how the female of the species (a peahen) choose their mate.
Check out a beautiful video of a pompous peacock displaying his plumes.
(On a side note: Ladies, wouldn't it be great if the males of OUR species took even HALF as much pride in dressing up for us as the peacock does for his lady?)
The iridescent sheen of peacock feathers has been used as adornments on everything from clothing, to jewelry, to home decor for millenia. Recently the trend of using these pretentious plumes has re-emerged as Boho Chic has become popular again.
Peacock feathers are a beautiful, natural element, and when combined with crystals, charms, and sterling chains, like this Fancy Peacock Feather Necklace, they can go from the beach to the boardroom.
So, next time someone says something you're wearing is ostentatious, remember this fabulous pheasant, this haute couture bird....the peacock and instead of feeling insulted, just smile and thank them!
: marked by or fond of conspicuous or vainglorious and sometimes pretentious display
It's not widely known, but the word 'Ostentatious' actually has its roots in the most pretentious, showy, gaudy animal in the world:
The Peacock.
An Ostentation is the term used to describe a group, or flock, of male peafowl...more commonly known as the peacock. And, in our opinion, there is no animal on earth that better encompasses the meaning behind the word.
Male peacocks' tail feathers are beautifully adorned with 'eyes' of blue, purple, green, and shades of burgundy, and can grow to almost four feet long! That is over half of the peacock's overall body length, and the size, decoration, and colors of these tail feathers is how the female of the species (a peahen) choose their mate.
Check out a beautiful video of a pompous peacock displaying his plumes.
(On a side note: Ladies, wouldn't it be great if the males of OUR species took even HALF as much pride in dressing up for us as the peacock does for his lady?)
The iridescent sheen of peacock feathers has been used as adornments on everything from clothing, to jewelry, to home decor for millenia. Recently the trend of using these pretentious plumes has re-emerged as Boho Chic has become popular again.
Peacock feathers are a beautiful, natural element, and when combined with crystals, charms, and sterling chains, like this Fancy Peacock Feather Necklace, they can go from the beach to the boardroom.
So, next time someone says something you're wearing is ostentatious, remember this fabulous pheasant, this haute couture bird....the peacock and instead of feeling insulted, just smile and thank them!
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