For fans searching for a sign that Harry Styles has been in the vicinity, feather boas have become something of a calling card. As the pop star nears the end of his two-year-long world tour, local residents and councils worldwide are blaming his fans for leaving trails of dyed feathers behind them following his concerts.
One Cardiff resident told the BBC that the city centre looked like a “feather boa massacre” after the concert on Tuesday night. The public transport on which fans travel is also said to be littered with remnants of the boas.
Feather boas have become synonymous with Styles after he wore three in one night during the 2021 Grammy awards. Fans known as “Harries” have adopted them as their unofficial tour uniform. On TikTok, they encourage others to “BYOB – bring your own boa”.
Shops in Dublin sold out before his concert at Slane Castle in Ireland, while in New York fans were reported to be selling theirs after the show to next-day concertgoers at a profit.
Grazia’s fashion editor, Emma McCarthy, went to see Styles at Wembley. “When we alighted the station, a trail of feathers guided us to the stadium.” Last week, David Beckham and his daughter Harper were pictured there in matching pink feather boas. Meanwhile, the Stranger Things star Millie Bobby Brown was videoed asking fans to borrow one.
While Styles favours £1,400 boas from Gucci, his fans are buying more affordable versions from costume shops or from touts surrounding the venues. To celebrate his final night at Madison Square Garden last September, Styles placed a feather boa on each of the venue’s 20,000 seats.
Styles is due to take a break “for a while” following the completion of his current tour, but environmentalists say the feathers will still be flying around long after his final performance next month in Italy.
Boas are typically made from ostrich and turkey feathers; some animal rights groups are calling on fans to be more aware of feather origins, with some sourced from countries where live plucking is common practice. Peta has a list of “bird-friendly boas” on its site and is encouraging fans to “treat animals with kindness by sticking to feather-free fashion” , said Lisa Lange, its senior vice-president. Many will just be thrown away.
