Affordable Steampunk 1.0: An Introduction.

Affordable Steampunk 1.0: An Introduction.

I'm copying these over from my Tumblr account, which is under the same name. I will continue posting my other Steampunk Fashion posts, but not all at once.

I notice a lot of my friends, online and IRL, mention that they love the steampunk fashion but think it's really expensive.

And they're right. Straight-up, pre-made, brand-name specially designed steampunk items are fairly expensive most of the time. It's the same principle that the alternative retailers like Hot Topic rely on; they have the monopoly on the market, and they know we'll pay for it.

But I have news: steampunk is actually fairly easy to do at a low budget.

I dress steampunk daily, and most of my outfits fall under the 100 USD mark. I tend to use exotic world looks as well as the Victorian-inspired styles one typically sees in steampunk fashion. I find ways to modify inexpensive garments without spending a lot of time or money. This is something easy that anyone can do if they're strapped for cash - steampunk doesn't have to be expensive.

So for the shoes:

Boots are coming back into fashion. If you walk into Target, Wal-mart or similar stores you can find some really neat, alternative style boots that can be easily rendered to look steampunk. For example, I bought a pair of brown, heeled boots from target for twenty-two US dollars (compare at some of the prices for steampunk boots, the lowest starting at sixty-five USD!) and simply replaced the buckles with gears that I found in an old clock. And for the people who like to yell that "GLUING GEARS ON SOMETHING DOES NOT MAKE IT STEAMPUNK AUTOMATICALLY," yes, you're right. But putting gears on something also doesn't make it not steampunk automatically, and in this case it worked quite well - the gears serve as buckles for tightening/loosening the boots as I see fit. Gears are something that deserve a firm middle ground in steampunk fashion - it's okay to have them, just don't overload with them.
You don't even have to alter some boots you find - they'll simply make a great addition to your outfit, steampunk or not, at a fairly decent price. Boots with buckles, straps, notches and laces are becoming popular again, and they're pretty easy to find at decent prices if you know where to look.

Hats:

Have I told you about arts and crafts? Seriously, run up to Michael's, Joann's, or a craft store near you, and you can find all sorts of goodies, from attachable charms (they have gears, keys and vials!) to hat fabric, fabric dye, and the tools for making an ordinary hat special. You can buy yourself a basic, solid color top hat, aviator hat, or anything you think you can make work and completely re-vamp it to have yourself a steampunk hat. I recently attached a spectroscope to a hat. You can't actually wear the damn thing because it falls off (good job me!) but it was easy to do and it looks cool. Sticking feathers in hats is easy and fun - use softer colors like brown or cream to add a neat look to a Stetson or a bowler. Throw the right pair of goggles on top of a hat and it looks good.

Accessories:
Brass and faux-metal accessories that have a unique, world look to them are getting trendy, fast. I recently entered an accessory store and found bracelets made of brass keys, bronze cuffs, pocketwatch necklaces, fascinators and other items that can be easily rendered steampunk or already encompass the look. They're far less expensive than the pocket-watches and jewelry you'll find at a steampunk convention or online at a steampunk shop. Check out accessory stores near you to see if they have items catering to your distinct taste.

One more thing - 

Thrift stores are your best friend from now on.

You'd be amazed at the crazy things you'll find in a thrift store. Make a date out of it.
If you look at something and think, "You know, with [such and such] that could be a great steampunk style," then it's probably not a bad idea to get it, if your budget allows for it. There are all sorts of things [shirts, pants, vests] that don't initially scream STEAMPUNK! but with the right accessories and garments could really make your outfit unique.
You can also find a lot of junk in thrift stores: goggles, old clocks, weird science stuff, junk you can take apart - and all at fairly low prices, depending on the store.

So steampunk is either an expensive or labor-intensive fashion- I'll admit, it's not the easiest thing to maintain. But it's fun and rewarding when you have a unique outfit at a fairly affordable cost.

I will be adding the other posts with more suggestions on where to look or what to look for soon. But in the meantime, I hope this helped anyone who read it. Steampunk may be a unique and difficult concept to work with, but it doesn't have to strain your wallet as much as your imagination.