The use of birds was a major style element in millinery during the late 19th Century and especially during the 1890s and 1900s. Often various avian parts were used to include wings, plumage, and even whole bodies. Recently, in the course of researching something completely different, I came across this illustration in the December 18, 1898 edition of the Los Angeles Herald:

I would like to think that this was meant as satire but given the excesses of the era, maybe not. Either way, it’s a commentary on the excesses of fashion, 1890s sty.e… 🙂