The Evolution of Plumes

As marching shows and uniforms have changed over the years, so too have plumes. Mainly white or black in the past, now plumes seem endlessly customizable to match the latest fashion and to surprise audiences.

- Frank Dimaria

There’s no doubt about it—Yankee Doodle was a dandy. Never afraid to take a fashion risk and excessively conscious about his appearance, he stuck a feather in his cap because he knew the plume was an integral accessory of the 18 th-century male wardrobe.

In Europe it would be hard to imagine d’Artagnan and The Three Musketeers swashbuckling through Paris and beyond without outrageously large plumes flowing from their hats.

For generations the plume has adorned the shakos and helmets worn by America’s marching bands and drum corps. Once an afterthought, like the candles on a birthday cake, today the plume adds a bit of drama but also serves a purpose.

FORM AND FUNCTION

Audiences see the form created by a marching band or drum corps on a football field by connecting dots. “Two points determine a line,” says Michael Cesario, design director at Fred J. Miller Inc. and artistic director at Drum Corps International.

To follow a line, the audience must connect two points over and over again until the form leaps off the field. “The plume and the shako are the connectors,” Cesario says.

Without the plume, form would be difficult to see. The plume and the hat allow the audience to follow a curved line.

Christopher Payne, marketing manager at Band Shoppe, agrees that the plume helps the audience see the line, but it also adds another element to performances. “The plume has gone from being plain to being a part of the show,” Payne says. “Plumes help bands and corps to convey a story in a unique way. These days performances are theatrical, and the plume adds to the whole production.”

HISTORICAL CONTEXT