Marabou (fashion)

Marabou (historically spelled marabout) describes a certain type of down feather trimming. Although it takes its name from the marabou stork whose undertail down once provided the feathers, white turkey feathers have been used as a substitute. The advantage of marabou is that it takes dye well, making it a very versatile trimming for dress, and makes an effective substitute for fur. While marabou has been widely used as a fashion trimming since the late 19th century, it is also often used in fly tying for making up the lures ('flies') used for fly fishing.