Steampunk

Steampunk grew out of a literary concept of an alternate history.  Specifically, imagine that the lords and ladies of Victorian English Society had many of our current technological advancements and pursuits, but had to accomplish those advancements with their own level of technology.  What you get are great machines powered by steam and pipes and furnaces and coal and in some cases even bottled lightning as a form of electricity.

Airships captained by pirates and entrepreneurs rule the skies.  Laboratories churn out gunpowder as well as bottled lightning.  Rogues ride motorized carriages while wearing goggles to keep the dust of the roads from their eyes.

Getting into steampunk costuming is all about the visual style, which is often characterized by a dominance of cream, khaki, and shades of brown.  Steampunk uses Victorian and Edwardian fashion as a base and then adds some "punk" as you'll see below.  Here are some fantastic examples of all things steampunk so you can start to get a feel for this style.

Through all the costuming and archetypes you’ll find some similarities based on gender.

Besides the information below, please visit the galleries and Pinterest boards (on the right-hand side of this page) for even better examples of steampunk at actual conventions worn by real people. You can also check out our recommended shopping list, which has other useful links to places you can shop online.

Male

Typically, the men carry some sort of armaments; knives, swords, and guns of various old styles are the most frequent, but I’ve seen mini-trebuchets and pikes as well. Top hats are extremely common.

 
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Female

Most female steampunk costumes require a corset, which is worn on the outside. Corsets are often main feature-pieces of the costume, but not always. There are various types of corsets, including underbust and overbust.

 
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Both

Goggles, compasses, looking glasses, pocket watches, etc. are used to accessorize and complete an overall steampunk look. See the inspiration and purchase section at the bottom of this page for more info on places to find these types of items. 
 
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Archetypes are important for a starting point for your costume.  Remember, it can be as elaborate as you’d like, or as simple as a single piece atop your regular clothing, but here are some great options to get you going.

Aristocrats

Lords and Ladies are common in Steampunk settings.  A simple corset and gown is really all you need as a woman.  Men: a frock coat or set of tails and perhaps a cane if you’d like.  Top either one off with a set of goggles and off you go!  As stated above anything considered "period" as in Victorian Era is welcome, as is anything technological that appears to be powered by steam or through some fantastical means.
 
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Aviators

Men and women both serve as pilots in this alternate history. Riding leathers and piloting gear is welcome.  The "Amelia Earhart" look is very popular among the ladies and many men adorn their leather jacket and pants with a scarf to give it that windblown look.  Gadgets, gizmos, and other accessories like maps and compasses make excellent additions.
 
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Explorers

Dr. Livingston, I presume?  The world was a mystifying and dangerous place and was as often charted by ground as in the air.  Old time explorer clothing can be seen at any steampunk convention and allows the distinguished to regale passerby with tales of adventure in the wild bushes of Africa as they first discovered the ancient treasure of the lost kingdoms.  Blunderbuss is the weapon of choice.  Maps and compasses again are great here as well as goggles for seeing in the brush.  The safari-style hat is unique and does wonders for the look.
 
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Military

The Queen's airship forces constantly chase airpirates.  The Queen’s Navy submerse themselves underwater in something known as a "submarine" in order to protect her interests.  And of course, infantry, calvalrymen, cannoneers, demolistionists, mercenaries, officers and a great many others serve in her armed forces.  Weapons here are pretty crucial as well as the normal accessories you can see in all the others.
 
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Engineers and Inventors

Mechanics and engineers are extremely important players in the world of steampunk.  Without those intellectuals, the whole world would collapse.  They build the airships, submarines, guns, gadgets, gizmos and are responsible for all the modern conveniences.  Inventors can be scientist types in labcoats touting their latest invention, or greasemonkeys in jumpsuits covered in oil stains bearing tools.  Alchemy is an alternative for many of the innovations and you can usually find someone peddling potions and tonics in most steampunk settings.
 
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Wastelanders

With so many flying ships bustling around the world, many are bound to crash or fail in remote areas.  Wastelanders are like scavengers, picking on the refuse, but there is a great deal of coin in it for those willing to venture into the most dangerous of areas to pluck their prizes from natives and monsters alike.  They are resourceful and wily, clever and unscrupulous.  Costumes are dusty and torn, tatters hanging from previous battles.  Weapons are key here as in military style.  They are often prepared with rations and canteens for long weeks away from civilization while scavenging.
 
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Circus

It's difficult to find the true boundaries of the steampunk style.  Recently, circus-inspired steampunk has taken center stage, showing that there is no end to the uniqueness and creativity of the genre.  Like many of the steampunk archetypes above, the circus is populated by entrepreneurs and people looking for a fresh start.  This particular archetype tosses the traditional brown and cream of steampunk to the side in search of bold red stripes and black polka dots.  A common motif for men is the ringmaster look.

  
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Inspiration & Where to Purchase


Please visit the galleries and Pinterest boards (on the right-hand navigation near the top of the page) for even better examples of steampunk at actual conventions worn by real people. They're far more inspiring than the ones that could be specifically found for the archetypes above. You can also check out our recommended shopping list, which has other useful links to places you can shop online.

There are a ton of places on the Internet to get instructions on how to craft pieces if you’re inclined to do so. You can also purchase premade items that you don't already have lying around in your garage on places like etsy.com and Amazon.com by searching for "Victorian" or "steampunk" or steampunk followed by an archetype mentioned above. (NOTE: When purchasing from etsy, you should generally allow three weeks for creation and shipping of your items since they are generally handmade.) Goodwill and other second-hand clothing stores often turn up excellent old-fashioned pieces that can add to a costume.

PLEASE don't hesitate to ask if you have any questions about an idea you had for a costume. This is something are passionate about and are very excited to help anyone who wants to join in the fun.
If you're comfortable buying from one of the places below, you may also find these links helpful.  We've bought from etsy and Amazon for steampunk plenty of times, but haven't tried any of the shops below.


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