WHAT IS YOUR DOMESTIC SHIPPING POLICY?

Shipping domestically is typically by USPS with tracking within 5 business days of cleared payment for a flat fee of $8.50. In an effort to lessen our impact on our environment, The Feathered Head re-uses shipping boxes and selected packing materials whenever possible. If you would prefer not to receive your merchandise this way, just let us know in advance.  

WHAT IS YOUR INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING POLICY (including customs, duties, VAT & taxes)?

The Feathered Head is proud to offer international shipping to many countries around the globe. There are a few things to be aware of, however: you, the buyer, are responsible for any VAT, tariff, duties, taxes, handling fees, customs clearance charges, etc. required by your country for importing consumer goods. Risk of loss and title for merchandise shipped internationally will pass to you upon our delivery to the carrier. Your order may be subject to import duties and taxes, which are determined by the customs agency within the destination country and levied once a shipment reaches your country. Although charges are not always incurred, assessment of duties and taxes will be based on the value of the order and the tax-free threshold, if it exists, for goods imported into the destination country. The Feathered Head has no control over these charges and cannot predict what they may be. In most cases you will be contacted directly by customs or post office to arrange for the payment of any charges that may be due.  Customs policies vary widely from country to country; please contact your local customs office for further information. 

We offer reliable and cost efficient international shipping via DHL Express for the lowest price available to us, which we then pass on to you. We request that our international clients contact us PRIOR TO ORDERING at info@thefeatheredhead.com for a quote based on the item being sent and the destination address. If an international order is placed online without contacting us prior for a quote, a flat shipping fee of $75 will be charged. Any cost differential will either be refunded (if actual shipping cost is less) or invoiced to the client (if it is more) prior to shipping. Packages are insured and trackable.  Standard shipping transit time is typically up to 6 business days, but not guaranteed.  Occasionally items can experience customs delay of several weeks, which is beyond our control.  

Your privacy is important to us, and we know that you care about how information about your order is used and shared. We would like our international customers to be aware that cross-border shipments are subject to opening and inspection by customs authorities.  Also, we may provide certain order, shipment, and product information, such as description, to our international carriers, and this information may be communicated by the carriers to customs authorities to facilitate customs clearance and comply with local laws.  If the order is a gift, the package is marked “Gift,” but the retail cost of the item is still stated on the customs form. Customs authorities require us to state the value of the gift item directly on the package.

WHAT ABOUT INTERNATIONAL RETURNS / REFUSED SHIPMENTS?  

Any shipping, duty, tax, or importation fee or charge associated with an international return is solely the responsibility of the purchaser. The Feathered Head will not cover any charge associated with shipping any item(s) back to the United States and reserves the right to refuse returns in the event that any duty, tax, or importation fee is requested upon delivery back to our facilities. If all shipping, duty, tax, and importation fees have been covered by the purchaser and a return is received in good condition from outside the United States, we will issue a refund to the original form of payment for the merchandise only. Any shipping, duty, tax, or importation fees that were paid upfront on the original transactions are non-refundable.

If you decide to refuse any shipments from The Feathered Head, you are responsible for the original shipping charges to you, any duties, taxes and/or customs charges that are incurred on the package (on both the original and return shipments), and the cost of returning the package to The Feathered Head. This amount will be subtracted from your merchandise credit.

WHAT IS YOUR DOMESTIC RETURN POLICY?

We want you to be 100% thrilled with your purchase but due to the fragile nature of vintage products and feathers, we do not as a general practice accept returns.   However, we will bend over backwards to make sure you are satisfied with your experience with The Feathered Head.  Any problems or concerns must be addressed within 5 days of receiving your merchandise by contacting us by phone (424-234-8070) or by email (info@thefeatheredhead.com) and we will consider it on a case-by-case basis. We regret that we cannot accept returns for size or color. Refunds will only be given if an item has been misrepresented or is damaged, with notification to us in 5 days. If the item warrants a refund we will issue a refund to your credit card or Paypal account in the amount of the purchase price and tax (if applicable) minus shipping charges. In some cases it may take up to 10 business days for your refund to be processed by your credit card company and we are not responsible for delays on the part of your financial institution. We cannot be responsible for any returned packages lost by shipping companies so please use delivery confirmation or tracking.

If you need to cancel an order, please contact us via phone or email as soon as possible. If we speak to you before 12:00pm PST on the day your order is shipping, we will catch it and issue a full refund. Please leave a voice mail with your name, number and order description if you aren’t able to speak to us directly and we’ll contact you to confirm your cancellation.

WHAT IS YOUR FRAUD PROTECTION POLICY?

As part of our order processing procedures, we screen all received orders for fraud or other types of unauthorized or illegal activity. For our client's protection, we reserve the right to refuse to process an order due to suspected fraud or unauthorized or illegal activity. If such is the case, we may reject your order or our Customer Service department may call you at the phone number you provided (or use your email address) to confirm your order. Bank regulations require that the billing address of the order match the billing address associated with your credit card so please do not be offended if we contact you.   International orders are charged at the time the order is placed.  We also reserve the right to cancel any accounts or refuse to ship to certain addresses due to suspected fraud or unauthorized or illegal activity. We take these measures to protect our customers as well as ourselves from fraud or other unauthorized or illegal activity.

“Vintage” in wine terminology refers to grapes that were grown and harvested in a single specified year.  So grab a glass of vino and read on. As it relates to accessories and clothing, vintage is a generic term for "old" things, or put more euphemistically, items that originated in a previous era and thus have perceived value to us. 

As a point of distinction, typically, clothing which was produced before the 1920s is referred to as “antique” and clothing from the 1920s to 1980s is considered “vintage”. Retro, short for retrospective, usually refers to clothing that imitates the style of a previous era. Fashion goes in cycles; at times people are drawn to designs that are modern or contemporary. At other times, like now, we turn to history for inspiration or comfort. Also playing a role in the current popularity of vintage is the increasing interest in sustaining the environment; we at The Feathered Head strongly believe in reusing, recycling and repairing rather than throwing things away (see our shipping policy). TheFeatheredHead.com offers many one-of-a-kind pieces that are entirely vintage or comprised of vintage parts. As such they have had a previous life and may show signs of age-appropriate wear. You buy a vintage item because it has an historical patina and perhaps some imperfections. Most condition issues visible to the naked eye will be stated in the item’s description but we cannot guarantee that every irregularity and sign of age will be noted. Nor can we guarantee the longevity of any item. Please note the vibrant colors of some feathers and fabrics may fade over time or become discolored. If your item becomes damaged at any time, please let us know and we will do our very best to repair it. If you have a question about any item or would like to see additional pictures prior to purchase, please contact us at info@thefeatheredhead.com.

WHAT EXACTLY IS A FASCINATOR?

A fascinator is a headpiece commonly made with feathers, flowers, jewels or beads that attaches to the hair by a comb, headband, barrette or clip. The word originally referred to a head covering similar to a shawl made from wool or lace. The term had become virtually obsolete by the 1970s. In the early part of the 21st century, “fascinators” started to make a comeback, particularly with the help of Kate Middleton, but the meaning had slightly changed. The new definition refers to a hair ornament that often accompanies mainly formal or party attire but is frequently seen these days paired with casual-wear as well. A fascinator may be worn instead of a hat to occasions where hats were once traditionally worn, such as weddings; brides increasingly choose to wear them as an alternative to a conventional bridal veil, particularly if their gowns or outfits are less fussy or non-traditional. As an evening accessory it is sometimes referred to as a “cocktail hat”, even when it doesn’t fit the standard definition of a hat. Stylish and fun, a fascinator can be worn on the front, side or, to showcase an updo or chignon, the back of the head.

HOW DO I PROPERLY WEAR A BIRDCAGE VEIL?

Place the veiling in the general area you would like it. Once the positioning is correct, place bobby pins along the edge of the veil into your hair to secure it with the amount of "pouf" or "bunch" you like.  Two or three bobby pins are normally sufficient.  Some people like fullness at the crown while others like it worn flatter against the face on a slant.  There is no "right" way to wear it.  It is simply a matter of taste.

WHAT ARE FEATHERS, ACTUALLY?

Have you ever wondered why birds have the incredible coloring that they do? It's not as complicated as you think; the three primary functions of bird feather colors and patterns are: 1) to identify themselves in a flock; 2) to camouflage themselves and 3) to attract a mate. When you think about it, those are also pretty much the reasons why we humans desire feathered hair ornaments!

The often brilliant colors of feathers are produced by light refraction and/or the presence of various pigments, including melanins, carotenoids an porphyrins. Brown to black melanins not only add color to the feather but also make it denser and more resistant to breakdown by sunlight. Yellow, orange or red carotenoids are synthesized in plants and taken up by the cells of the feather follicle as it's developing. Red and green porphyrins are pigments that are produced by cells in the feather follicle as well. The bright blues and greens of many parrots are produced by constructive interference of light reflecting from different layers of the structures in feathers. White feathers lack pigment and scatter light diffusely. Down to the microscopic level, you can begin to appreciate the complexity that makes birds such a unique part of the animal kingdom.

A bird's feathers undergo wear and tear and are replaced periodically during its life through molting. New feathers are formed through the same follicle from which the old ones were fledged. Molting is not the same for every species of bird, and even differs from individual bird to bird. The season of the year, the temperature of the environment, nutrition and egg laying play a significant role in determining when a bird will molt as well as how long it will take to complete. All birds molt at least once a year and this process normally does not affect their ability to fly. Some may even molt up to three times per year. At The Feathered Head we endeavor to obtain naturally molted feathers whenever possible and support vendors who agree with our cruelty-free philosophy. Of course, with vintage and other specialized pieces it is impossible to know the feather's source. But we are sensitive to history: during the 18th, 19th, and even 20th Centuries, the international feather trade was booming. So much destruction was caused by market demand for extravagant head-dresses and exotic plumes as adornment for fashionable women in North America and Europe that a major campaign against it by conservationists led to the Lacey Act in 1900. Many credit this Act with causing the fashion to change and the feather market to finally collapse. Bird populations rebounded. Still in effect today, The Lacey Act protects both plants and wildlife by creating civil and criminal penalties for a wide array of violations. It most notably prohibits trade in wildlife, fish, and plants that have been illegally taken, transported or sold. In the United States, the use of certain feathers for religious and traditional purposes is governed by the Eagle Feather Law, which limits the possession of eagle and hawk feathers to certified and enrolled members of federally recognized Native American tribes.

DO YOU HAVE A FEATHER-RELATED POEM TO FINISH THIS DRY POLICY SECTION STUFF?