Shopper

The Owl Trend: Hoo Knew?

In mythology, the owl is a fierce creature, wise and omniscient.

In best-selling fiction, it's Harry Potter's trusted pet and intelligence agent. In current fashion, owls are swooping in from everywhere.

These nocturnal birds of prey are of a more subtle, stylized nature than the grotesque skulls of trends past. But not ready to let go of last year's lovely bones? Topless California's cashmere-soft T-shirt perches a raptor near the shoulder -- a mosaic design, which, close scrutiny reveals, is made of hundreds of dapper dancing skeletons.

For a sweeter take, there's Eleanor Grosch's skimmer shoes by Keds. The graphic artist, who's garnered a rep for her whimsical rock posters, peppered her sneaks with balanced rows of the brown and white birds.

Or what about the retro-styled "wise owl" ceramic bank? The species has long been associated with smarts and prosperity and the cornflower-blue ceramic makes it look like you've been saving for decades.

In fact, much of the jewelry, like Anthropologie's charm necklace or Kris Nations' hand-carved ring, looks as if it's been pilfered from your mother's forgotten cache.

Perhaps our fascination with '70s iconography has simply alighted on another motif of the time. Sure, those macrame hanging owls were creepy, but who didn't love the all-knowing Mr. Owl, who taught us how many licks it took to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop? -- Cory Ohlendorf

Photos by Julia Ewan -- The Washington Post