I've been roaming the costuming websites, blogs and discussion groups for years and one day, I started to notice a certain word: Steampunk. At first I paid no attention to it. I thought it was probably an obscure reference to some Anime I didn't know. Eventually though, curiosity got the best of me, and so I began to research the Aesthetic Phenomena that is Steampunk.
So what is Steampunk? The simplest explanation I can come up with is Victorian Futurism: it is a mixture of late 19th century / early 20th century fashion, industrial revolution (steam power) technologies and Sc Fi. As in many things, it began as a literary genre, in this case in the 60's, highly influenced by Jules Vernes and H.G. Wells.
What does this mean for costumers? Top hats, goggles, pocket watches, brass buttons, spats, vests, jackets and for girls, short bustled skirts, corsets and bloomers.
The one thing that can make any period costume Steampunk is the addition of clock gear (which you can easily find on eBay).
So what is Steampunk? The simplest explanation I can come up with is Victorian Futurism: it is a mixture of late 19th century / early 20th century fashion, industrial revolution (steam power) technologies and Sc Fi. As in many things, it began as a literary genre, in this case in the 60's, highly influenced by Jules Vernes and H.G. Wells.
What does this mean for costumers? Top hats, goggles, pocket watches, brass buttons, spats, vests, jackets and for girls, short bustled skirts, corsets and bloomers.
The one thing that can make any period costume Steampunk is the addition of clock gear (which you can easily find on eBay).
Need an example? My favourite Steampunk outfit to date is Alisa's Pirate Steampunk outfit.
It has everything I mentioned and it looks awesome. There are just so many details and layers, it is truly impressive.
For a more detailed view, you can also watch this Costume Tour she made of this outfit.
Want to add some Steampunk jewellry to your outfit? You can make your own or, if like me you have no talent for this sort of craft, you can buy it. There are many talented artists out there who make beautiful pieces from an array of materials.
Gold Steampunk Ironman Inspired Pendant by Matthew NixMatthew Nix from The Watchman's Shop over on Etsy is one of them. He makes beautiful Steampunk pieces (rings, pendants, money clips) from metal and fused glass, and he never makes the same piece twice!
If Steampunk is something that might interest you (costume wise), I suggest you watch the Threadbanger Steampunk Week videos. There are many interesting ideas, and their projects are quite easy to make!
And if you are really into Steampunk, head over to Steampunk Magazine for more information, stories and patterns on what has become a real Artistic Movement.
If you believe in the Many-worlds Theory, who knows, perhaps there truly exists a Steampunk world.
Thanks so much for featuring my costume! :) I'm fairly new to the whole "steampunk" thing as well, but one thing I'm learning is that once you figure steampunk out, you're hooked. There are so many cool interpretations and awesome things you can do with it!
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