Winter celebrations dress DIY challenge

Recently I have succumbed to a lovely fashion trend that I completely dismissed before - feather skirts/dressed. I always deemed them not particularly flattering, as most of the models feature a bandeau-style top and a very high (ribcage area) waist line which is great if you need to disguise a 'cookie pouch', but can generally look a bit squared-off.

Opulence England at Asos, £300

The other discouraging factor was the price. Although brands with different average pricepoints offer these types of dresses/skirts, the presence of the feathers bumps up the price signifficantly.

Topshop, £80

 What pushed me over the line of skepticism towards hip plumage was actually seeing one in real life. The culprit was this Warehouse dress, and although I'm not a fan of the top, the texture of the skirt blew me away. What appears to be ostrich feathers hover and glide softly as you move the fabric - mesmerising!

Warehouse, £130

Anyway!

The fact is that I, like many othe DIY enthusiasts, go "ppppft! I could make that myself in 10 minutes, just give me ascrewdriver and some Mod Podge!" whenever I see anything remotely handmade-looking for sale. A common claim is also that it would cost "like, £1.20 to make"..

So here I am, digging for ostrich feather trim on ebay. The idea is to not only create a feather skirt with a flattering silhouette, but to make the top of the dress (prepare yourselves!) warm. Because is it just me, or are the majority of party dresses on offer completely winter-inappropriate?

To be continued..