“Panache” takes flight from the Latin root “pinnaculum,” meaning “little wing,” and “pinna,” meaning “feather.” The modern usage of “panache” is “flamboyant confidence” — think of a glamorous runway walk or the contestants on “RuPaul’s Drag Race.” However, in the mid-16th century, a feathered panache was generally found on top of a suit of armor. Usually reserved for tournaments and other ceremonial events, a panache was a status symbol — the size of which indicated the wearer’s wealth, position, and family colors. King Henry IV was known to wear an elaborate white panache into battle as a rallying point for his troops.