STEAMPUNK 101 (text)

[fortuna_tenax]

so i'm sure everyone has seen the prom invitation and noticed the datedness of some aspects. everyone is from a different world, so i've decided to put together a little reference for whoever needs because this year's event is themed. specifically, it's what we call "Steampunk", which was coincidentally HUGE last i saw online back home, and if you're gonna go you might as well know what's going on, right?

steampunk is, at least in my home world, a popular fictional style and aesthetic inspired by a specific era and it's industrialism. fashion resembles that era but modified with a clockwork or steam work aesthetic with a retrofuturistic anachronism. gears are common in accessories, as are pipes. that doesn't mean you can't just go crazy though- there's a finesse to it. it's not super practical buuuuut themed fashion rarely is, and it's not meant for long-term wear anyways. colors usually include neutral tones bc... steampunk is bronze, i guess. honestly i find that to be Super Boring though. make it vibrant and colorful.

one | two

the above links are some basic steampunk sketches. they're designed after worker's uniforms but with a flair to match the aesthetic. the clothing is meant to be easy to move in while the gears, plating and harnesses evoke a fantasy almost- the reasons behind all of those addons can differ for all kinds of reasons both in a crafted steampunk story and out. airship workers (or as they're imagined to be, since my world only has them in fiction), noblemen and women, and "dashing rogues" are the main inspiration for these types of costumes, so shipwrights, victorian noble fashion and mix-and-match sets are common to see in steampunk circles. (sidenote, genuine surprise that there's anything like victorian fashion. but here's a couple references too. 1, 2, 3)

one | two | three | four

as you can see, corsets will crop up a lot, as will goggles and and waistcoats. this is to invoke that era i mentioned earlier, but most modern day corsets will be safe to wear. corsets are also visible for a flair, despite... historically being not that. for the aesthetic. same with the skirts pulled up like that. steampunk stories tend to be full of action so even the most beautiful of women in all their finery need to be able to throw punches and kicks with ease. if not invoking the working man or the nobleman, men's costumes tend to resemble military uniforms.

weapons like old fashioned guns and swords are common accessories for the above reason. chains are also common since rather than having purses (or pockets in some cases), it was common to attach everything to a bundle of chains at the waste and use those for carrying items like keys, watches and more so you'll see those too.

i said earlier that steampunk calls from a certain era, but it also calls from a certain culture back home. american and european, to be specific. if you don't know what those are dwbi. but other cultures have been taking the aesthetic and making it their own too, so you definitely have a lot of variety there. here's some more examples. like. PLEASE have fun with this honestly

one, two, three, four

aaaaaaaaaand thats a brief look at steampunk okay bye have fun. don't fall off the ship.

EDIT: a couple people asked, so i'm also attaching a series of stores both online and otherwise for shopping and perusing. idk if they'll take commissions on such short notice but they can definitely help you put things together from existing pieces and sets.

also PLEASE look up and adhere to corset safety! just because modern corsets have less evil in them doesn't mean you can't fuck up somehow.

( as promised, there is a series of links to stores, and a couple references for corset safety. )

Comments

text ◇ @dragon.type

[fatefulprince]

[ <sub>Corrin:

1. only read like, the first part of the message because his attention span is garbage
2. is from medieval Europe fantasyland and is. CONSTANTLY AMAZED BY ALL OF THESE MODERN THINGS</sub> ]

Haha it's cool that someone thought, "Let's mix clocks and clothes together"
That's really interesting!
Modern times are so fun!
By the way, what's a gun?

[fortuna_tenax]

( okay yeah she should have expected this. )

a gun is a sort of weapon. with a burst of an explosive powder, it fires small but deadly projectiles through a metal pipe, basically. you probably won't find any real ones here though. it can come in a variety of sizes.

[fatefulprince]

Really? That sounds awful! [ _{says the guy who literally wields a sword ... just not here though} ]

Will there be any on the ship? You said they were accessories!

[ _{I'M SORRY HE'S SO STUPID} ]

[fortuna_tenax]

( ............................ not a lot of braincells in this one, huh. )

if there are, they'll be only for decoration and nonfunctional, if not fake entirely.

text;

[songofthedawn]

...you know, most of this just looks like modern Ishgardian fashion. Less the gears and such, at least. This is a common type of costuming where you are from?

[Time to make a few adjustments to their dress plans...]

Re: text;

[fortuna_tenax]

it's meant to evoke a certain period of fashion from like, a couple hundred years ago my time in my world. historical fashion is a common interest, and people like to reimagine or fuse it to other aesthetics.

[songofthedawn]

Interesting! I shouldn't be surprised, there's been fads of old Allagan styles all the time at home. But it's strange to see something this much like home in a context like this.

Are there other periods of your history that are drawn on to similar purpose?

Text

[neverbreaks]

[ That sure is a lot of information, but Luisa finds it all interesting. She didn't think there wasn't anything like this back home. ]

So do we have to dress up like this in order to attend this prom thing?

[fortuna_tenax]

i doubt it's 100% required, the hosts are nice guys and just want people to be comfy and have fun. you won't have to do anything.

[neverbreaks]

Oh okay. That's a relief. I'm not sure I'd know where to get that kind of stuff anyway.

[ She's at least seen regular dresses in shops, but nothing...quite like those. ]

text

[divinereaper]

[ hey look who has access to both arms again. ]

i've only heard about steampunk through my cousin but this? this is so cool!!!

also do you have more images of those kimono/steampunk fusion ones? asking for science. [ read: i want more. ]

Re: text

[fortuna_tenax]

let me look

here, here, here, this article... it's kinda hard to find some to be honest. i hope it helps though

[divinereaper]

it does! like, im japanese, so when i saw that, and all the information you left, it's gotten me super hyped to go and make my own outfit! not to mention it's going to be on a literal airship!

[ naoto feels like clarifying, since to him it sounded like babble. he's going to do that. ]

in other words, it's helped me not look like an idiot at the prom thing, plus i can be myself. no complaints from me!

text

[epitaffio]

This is kind of a lot...
So where are we supposed to get clothes like this?

[fortuna_tenax]

oh i should put some links up in the post. but here's a quick list for fast access at least since we're on a bit of a time crunch.

( attached is, indeed, a small list of webstores and costuming shops. )

good luck!

[epitaffio]

Oh, thanks.
Wow, I've never even heard of most of these places...

[bloodyroses]

That looks like a lot of layers, also word of advice to anyone reading this: PLEASE wear a shift or a T-shirt or SOMETHING underneath your corset unless you wanna chafe like hell. I saw a movie on the TVs you guys have here where this girl was getting ready for a ball and they had her put the corset on over bare skin? What the fuck? Is that how the folks in this world seriously think they're supposed to go on?

Also, they're always kind of a pain in the ass unless you've got a big bust.

[ Then they're actually kind of supportive. ]

Where are we supposed to get clothes like this, though? I don't know how to sew beyond like, putting a button back in its place

And this doesn't look like most of the things I've seen in shops OR my own world

[fortuna_tenax]

re: the last point- another person asked the same and i'll be editing links to some online stores and stuff in a sec!

but yes absolutely. more modern corsets are much more comfortable but definitely have a layer between!!!!

[bloodyroses]

I have attended way too many of these kinds of fancy parties to be excited about the dressing up aspect.

If nothing terrible happens I'm at least looking forward to getting absolutely wasted?

[zukeini]

Holy cow, so it's really a steampunk theme.

Geez. I haven't dabbled since college.

[fortuna_tenax]

tbh it was never super my thing but like

i live with too many medieval men to think that everyone will know what this is and i know part of the fun with themed events is to, well, go with the theme and stuff.

thought i'd help out a bit.

[zukeini]

Hah, and I know exactly what medieval men you mean. I'm with you, it's a bit much. But I'm not much of a get dressed up primp and proper kind of person either.

But I know these guys go all out or go home.

[fearinahandfulof]

[That is a lot of words, not all of which Cassandra understood, and certainly not in that quantity. So she's going to start small.]

dwbi?

[fortuna_tenax]

it means 'don't worry about it'

[fearinahandfulof]

[Cassandra thinks about that some more.]

Wouldn't that be dwai?