Owls . . . and other strange trends

I am continually fascinated by trends — why something is so hot and fashionable one moment only to be considered kitschy and dated the next.   Understandably, we all want something different to spice up our everyday surroundings.  But still, I wonder why some things were trends at all.  The fashion trends I went through in elementary and middle school (but often didn’t partake in, thank goodness) are a perfect case in point.  Some examples:
1) Neon jelly bracelets — because nothing makes you look so suave and sophisticated than rubbery, dirt-smudged bracelets hanging around your wrist.

2) Shaker sweaters worn backward.  I remember this trend, and I still don’t get it.  Perhaps wearing the deep “v” of the sweater in the back was somehow a big hand in the face of the adult world; I don’t know.  Maybe it was a way for elementary girls who were already developing to prove that yes, they were in the Big Girls Club now: they wore a bra.

3) Pants rolling.  Woe be to the person with the bellbottoms!  And by “bellbottoms,” I mean “pants that actually allowed air circulation around the ankles.”  Anything that did not hug the leg completely meant “bellbottoms.”  Little did we know that in 5 or so short years, we’d be buying bellbottom jeans.

4) Mall hair.  It was a skill, to be sure.  The pride of teasing the hair into a towering waterfall was an accomplishment attempted by many, but mastered by few.  I get the desire for body in the hair.  I don’t think any of us realized that we looked like a rabid squirrel had died on top of our heads.

Just as clothing and fashion trends change, as do the trends in domestic decoration.  At various times, color has been all the rage, followed by periods of adherence to the stark modern look.  Again, I get the desire for variety.  There are a few trends that I will probably never understand no matter how many gray hairs litter my head.  Today’s “I Wonder . . .” topic?  Owls.

The 60s and 70s were big into owls.  I remember examples of these in my childhood homes.  A quick search on Etsy returns over two THOUSAND results in the “vintage” collection for the word “owls.”  Owls were big, man.  But the question remains:  why?  Done right, home decor depictions of owls can be a lovely reminder of the awe-inspiring power of owls as one of God’s creatures.  Done wrong, owls can resemble something ripped from a recent nightmare:

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He sees you.  He knows it was you who ran over him with the family Oldsmobile.  He’s watching . . . and he remembers.

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Duuuuuuuuude!  It’s a planter.  Y’know — for your “special” plants.

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It’s a towel hanger.  There’s nothing like the sight of a mentally unstable owl to make the hand-washing ratio improve at your next party.

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Resin owls filled with petrified wood.  Ok, that part is cool. But good god, why the turquoise eyes and beak?  After staring at these for awhile, I know without out a doubt that if they asked me to take them to my leader, I would.  In a heartbeat.  Sheesh!

Finally, just in case you’re a little too chipper in the mornings . . .

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You can reach for your Pissed Off Owl creamer.

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2 Replies to “Owls . . . and other strange trends”

    1. Oh my . . . who would have thought that owls would EVER be back? What is it about owls, anyway? Why not snails . . . or walking sticks . . . or sea horses?

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