Beautiful clothes confer beauty or status on the wearer. Cf. early 16th-cent. Fr. les belles plumes font les beaux oiseaux. Identified as a Basque saying by [1583 J. Spondanus in tr. Odyssey vi. 81] apud meos Vascones‥hac parœmia‥: speciosae plumae avem speciosam constituunt, this is a proverb amongst my fellow Basques: beautiful feathers make a beautiful bird.
The faire feathers, makes a faire foule.
[1592 G. Delamothe French Alphabet ii. 29]
Fine feathers make fine birds. As you may see in Hide Park.
[1658 E. Phillips Mysteries of Love & Eloquence 162]
Mrs. Joe‥essayed to pick her to pieces, intimating that she was much indebted to her dress—that fine feathers made fine birds.
[1858 Surtees Ask Mamma x.]
I feel,‥if, indeed, ‘fine feathers make a fine bird,’ then I would just as soon not be that peculiar kind of fine bird.
[1968 I. Petite Life on Tiger Mountain xiv.]
Related to: appearance, significant; dress
Bibliography of major proverb collections and works cited from modern editions is available here.
