By April Laissle, CG Lifestyles & People

After Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler starting wearing rooster feathers in his hair to red carpet events, the feather hair extension trend exploded. Today, just about everyone has seen someone wearing these extensions around campus, and most salons in Athens regularly stock them.

Recently, though, there has been debate over the ethical implications of wearing the same feathers that are traditionally used as fishing tackle. Some claim that the fad is putting an unnecessary strain on fly fisherman, while others say that killing roosters for feathers is immoral in general.

So, how can you stay fashionable and not impede on the environment? Here are a few tips on how to wear this trend guilt-free and keep your inner fashionista’s environmental conscience calm.
1) Go online

A lot of places on the web carry what are called “cruelty-free” feather hair extensions. This means that they are made from synthetic materials and are free of animal products, but they look the same as actual rooster feathers. Etsy.com stocks them in a variety of colors for about $10 per feather.

2) Contact your salon

If you would like to get your feather hair extensions professionally done, ask your stylist about the kind of feathers their salon carries. Many salons stock “cruelty-free” feathers and can apply them to your hair for a reasonable price.

3) Create your own

Some organizations have created ways to get the feather hair extension “look” without using actual feathers. People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has developed a DIY version of the feather extension that can be found here.