Now that we have established exactly what steampunk is (as much as one can exactly define something as slippery as steampunk anyway), it’s time to look at steampunk fashion. Think goggles and brass and corsets and creveats and top hats and nerf guns and bustle skirts and buckles and canes and boots and you wouldn’t be far off.

Recently, such fashion has crept more and more into the mainstream. Look no further than the quirky yet popular oscar nominated actress Helena Bonham Carter. Her look at the Enid premiere was distinctly steampunk. Note the top hat and netting and the vintage necklaces.

And in fashion shoots too.

Two top hats Helena! Nice steampunkesque jacket and brass necklaces…

Heck. Most of what this woman wears is partially steampunk inspired. And even if she isn’t always technically steampunk, look her up anyway. She is awesome.

Moving away from celebs, tv characters have been coming over all steampunk too. Look no further than Doctor Who. Remember the 1996 telemovie starring Paul McGann as the iconic Time Lord? See the creveat and the brocade vest and the brass buttons and the fob watch? Also, the eleventh doctor has been rather steampunk, especially in the TARDIS with the contraptions used. All of that brass!

Or what about Victorian Industrial burlesque singer Emilie Autumn? Note the corset, top hat and cogs on the skirt.

And note the boots and the full skirt here…

Have some steampunk author Gail Carriger too.

But maybe that’s enough pop culture shoehorning for now. Have some images of some proper steampunkers.

And if that’s not enough to help you out, have my 21st costume (steampunk themed of course)

Get experimenting!

Next post: Steampunk fiction

So what is steampunk?

Steampunk.com handily gives us a definition:

“To me, Steampunk has always been first and foremost a literary genre, or least a subgenre of science fiction and fantasy that includes social or technological aspects of the 19th century (the steam) usually with some deconstruction of, reimagining of, or rebellion against parts of it (the punk).”

The writer goes on to say that steampunk has expanded out as a genre to include fashion, music, film, tv and even house design. They also point to an issue within the steampunk genre- that sometimes the ‘philosophy’ of steampunk can praise empire and gloss over its bad aspects in writing an alternative history. In other words, by rewriting history, even in fiction, silences around things such as slavery, child labour, gender inequality and imperialism are created.

The rest of the article is quite good and you can read it here:

http://www.steampunk.com/what-is-steampunk/

But let’s have another definition for good measure- this time from urban dictionary. For them steampunk is;

“A subgenre of speculative fiction, usually set in an anachronistic Victorian or quasi-Victorian alternate history setting. It could be described by the slogan “What the past would look like if the future had happened sooner.” It includes fiction with science fiction, fantasy or horror themes.”

Source: Urban Dictionary

A much less illuminating definition but still helpful!

So what are some contemporary examples of steampunk? Well the Robert Downy Jr. Sherlock Holmes films for starters, Emilie Autumn’s entire ‘brand’ but especially her music in both Opheliac and Fight Like a Girl (she describes her music as Victorian Industrial), her book, The Asylum for Wayward Victorian Girls in the Emily sections and her fashion approach, the bestselling Protectorate books by Gail Carriger (which combine paranormal happenings with steampunk and romance), in Australia books by Richard Harland and Michael Pryor, and if you wanted to get really close to home, a lot of the fashion of the British thespian actress, Helena Bonham Carter, are also steampunk inspired.

Steampunk is everywhere these days! It is fun and inspired and fresh. It isn’t without its pitfalls but it is definitely a genre to watch!

Next post: Steampunk fashion