Cool Hunting continues its wonderful Conventional Wisdom series by following photographer Arthur Drooker to Merfest, a mermaid convention in North Carolina.
Drooker observed:
"For many attendees, the desire to be a mermaid was spawned in childhood after seeing a movie, reading a book, going to the beach or an aquarium. A mermaid embodied an idealized self: beautiful, graceful and confident."
He also noted that ~97% of the 300 attendees were women, with about 10 mermen in attendance.
Getting "in tail" can cost you. Prices run from $80 for a basic fabric tail to $4000 for a deluxe silicone model.
• Conventional Wisdom: Merfest (Cool Hunting)
