The streamers are decorated with a variety of materials including ribbon rosettes, rhinestones, feathers, caribou, fringes, glitter, and sequins. The matching streamers identify members of a marching club. He points out that Uptown clubs like his carried umbrellas, while Downtown clubs carried baskets. Today club members may carry fans, umbrellas, walking canes, or baskets. Mr. Stevenson remarks on the changes in the second line over the years.
Streamers are part of a uniform, which identifies the club that is parading.
Years ago, marchers in jazz funeral parades wore dark suits and simply took a long piece of ribbon, draped it over their shoulder, and wrote the dead man's name on it. Today, second line clubs wear coordinated outfits for their annual parades, and streamers that are highly elaborate and imaginative. Fans are made of plywood covered with ostrich plumes, which are very expensive. The umbrella was the most traditional part of the second line outfit. Once second liners carried plain umbrellas and little else, but today the umbrellas are highly decorated with feathers, sequins, and other materials.