The Steampunk Revolution

[puppetmaker]

When I was a kid one of the movie on TV that I looked forward to when it showed on the Wonderful World of Disney was 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea. I loved the way it looked among other things. When I was a teenager I finally read Sherlock Holmes (yeah, I started late on that one) and when Mystery started showing the Jeremy Brett version, I fell in love with the look of the piece. This weird mix of Victorian and mechanical has always been of great fascination to me. It was only in the last couple of years that I have a name for it and it is called Steampunk.

The funny thing is that all of the sudden Steampunk has become popular in geek magazines, in cos-play, and even mainstream fashion. It is probably one of the fasting growing sub-genres in fandom right now. Which makes me both happy and inspired. I like the look of the clothing. I owned clothing that would be considered Steampunk before it was popular to wear such clothing in public. In fact a couple of friends gave me a nifty stocking cap so I would stop wearing my aviator headgear in the cold weather. Hey, the fleece kept my ears very warm.

Ariel's fashion interests are going a different direction. She has discovered through her anime magazines the Japanese Lolita fashions especially Pirate Lolita and Pretty Lolita. There is a lot of lace and petticoats in those outfits. And it is very popular in her age group. More conventions are having Lolita tea parties and the like so those into Lolita fashion can show off the dresses they have gotten. Lolitas get together and have outings as groups to things they enjoy. This form of Japanese is creeping into mainstream fashion as well.

The strange thing is that in my head I can fuse the two into Steampunk Lolita very easily. These would be clothes for Ariel rather than me. I don't wear dresses. Ariel told me that she can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times she has seen me wear a dress or skirt. I may have to sketch this out.

I am grateful that others share my love for the look of 20,000 Leagues.

Comments

[wandereringray.livejournal.com]

Neat!

I only stumbled onto the Steampunk the last month or so. But it's all very fascinating to me.

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

I think it is something that has been lurking in our subcontious but now has a name.

[amber-n-teal.livejournal.com]

That sounds REALLY cool, pretty please share sketches? I'm not saying finished product here, but ideas so we can see what you are thinking? Or even Ariel wearing one eventually LOL!

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

I just may do that. I know about what I want to do and I even know how to draft most of the patterns. If I was going to do an outfit for myself, it would be more of a steampunk suit.

[torenheksje.livejournal.com]

*nods* I can also definitely see Steampunk Lolita. I'd love to be able to dress like that all the time. Not very practical for cleaning the house, though. ;c)

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

Nope. Unless you made an apron for it *grin*

[lunalovegoddess.livejournal.com]

I love the concept of Steampunk Lolita. I've favored Steampunk for a while, actually, long before I knew what to call it. My husband first introduced me to the phrase. He pointed out the airships in The Golden Compass as being Steampunk. We also like the comic Girl Genius: http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/

[puppetmaker40.livejournal.com]

I have loved Girl Genius since pretty close to its inception when I was talking to Phil and Kaja about upcoming work they were working at some convention we were all at and when I saw it in the order book, I strongly encouraged my local comic book store to support it.

[sneezythesquid.livejournal.com]

I love Steampunk. Ever since I first found it with the tabletop RPG "Castle Falkenstein," I have been in love with it.

I really think the Victorian Era is one of the greatest time periods to set adventure fiction.

It's an age of wonder where science was growing by leaps and bounds, yet belief in magic was still strong.

The British Empire covered the globe, but most of the map of the world still had yet to be filled in. There's magic and dark secrets in the heart of Africa and the mysterious Orient.

There's life on Mars, which we can travel to through the ether, to save alien princesses (or princes) while fighting with or against four armed green warriors.

In America, a bloody conflict had pitted brother against brother, and the West was still wild.

It's the era where explorers, Sherlock Holmes, robber barons, mad scientists, Jack the Ripper, H. G. Wells, and wizards can all co-exist.

I'm glad to see it growing in popularity.

[wonderbink.livejournal.com]

There's a whole area in Second Life with a steampunk theme called Caledon. I've been there a few times--it's quite well-known.