Costume Tips: Creating Your First Steampunk Costume

Steampunk fashion and costumes represent the aesthetic of a steam-powered society, often based upon the looks of Victorian England and the American West. Steampunk costumes can be formal or informal, fantastic or practical, though most costumes include a set of goggles or other elements lending to the sci-fi subgenres fictional origins.

Many steampunk enthusiasts pride themselves on exemplary costumes. The evolving aesthetic is a prominent aspect of steampunk sub-culture. This can make the prospect of building your first steampunk costume seem expensive or overwhelming, but a basic steampunk costume is achievable with a few simple guidelines.

Price

Complete steampunk costumes generally range from $125-$700 in purchase or materials. This greatly depends upon the types of clothing already in your wardrobe. A male owning a morning suit may need to simply invest in a top hat, monocle or pocket watch.

When budgeting for a steampunk costume, prepare to spend half to three-quarters of your budget on one major costume piece such as a dress, suit or corset. The majority of your costume does not have to be extravagant, but at least one main costume piece should identify you as distinctly steampunk or Victorian.

Eye on the Aesthetic

You can find inexpensive steampunk costume pieces at thrift and retail stores-you just have to keep your aesthetic in mind. While items like vintage typewriter keys and skeleton keys become more in-demand due to steampunk's increase in popularity, you can still score some good finds.

Here are some of my recent inexpensive finds, helping me look steampunk for less than $25 per item:

• Black velvet and faded lace dress at second-hand store: $10

• Brown and red patchwork jacket at thrift shop: $10

• Black military-style jacket with brass-like buttons, new at Target: $24

• Brown fitted zipper bomber jacket with zipper and 'flap' design, new at Target: $24

• 'Press' newsboy hat made from new Halloween boys' gangster hat: $7

• Assorted gold and brown ribbons to decorate hat or line clothing, new at Walmart: $1 per roll

• Lacy Victorian-style tights, new at Walmart and CVS: $7 per pair

• Padded goggles, new at Halloween store: $14

• Costume jewelry, donated and inherited from friends' parents and grandparents: $0

• Brass flower ring, new at Claire's: $7

• Clip-in hair extensions/highlights, new at Hot Topic: $8

Colors

Many steampunk cosplayers and role-players tend to wear browns, blacks, whites and greys. These colors reflect the airship captain, mechanic, businesslike and mad scientist steampunk archetypes. While they are acceptable, they are by no means required. Steampunk fashion is partially based on the Victorian aesthetic, and Victorian women were not as reserved as we sometimes think when it comes to fashion and décor.

Victorian women enjoyed bright and bold colors in addition to the more common drab. Stripes were also popular during the era.

Simple costumes are just as accepted and necessary as more elaborate ones. Over time, you may alter or add different costume pieces to make your steampunk costume more unique and reflective of your purpose.