The continuation of my copying-over from posts off of my Tumblr account.
Anyway, first off, I'd like to say this: I do not consider myself an authority on steampunk, nor do
I think my words are the end-all and been-all of steampunk fashion. This is just something I hope can be useful to anyone reading.
Now, to continue; my original post said something about thrift stores.
Oops, thrift stores? I meant to say my favorite place to shop omg.
Ahem, in case you didn't know, thrift/consignment stores are stores that sell items at a far lower price than the norm. Thrift stores sell any and everything - consignment shops usually sell brand-name items for less.
The upshots:
-You can find things at almost ridiculously low prices.
-You can find older, sometimes out-of-style things that are harder to find in any normal store
-You can snag some of the most amazing junk
The downshots:
-Some of it is cheap quality, not-so-gently used, or plain just don't fit. Found an awesome pair of strappy, brown workpants today in a thrift store. They didn't fit.
-You can find a load of garbage instead of what you want.
-You have to look.
That last one is pretty important - steampunk-diving in thrift/consignment shops is fairly time-consuming. Today, I went through four shops before I found anything worth my time. Patience is key.
Another thing, when shopping steampunk; keep your budget firmly in mind, but don't let it cripple you. It's perfectly alright to splurge every now and then, but you must consider what will work best for you -
Do I get the expensive but awesome designer steampunk style boots? Or do I opt for more variety by being able to use the money to purchase three different garments?
Do I get the plain, but less expensive, items that might not work as well? Or do I spend all my money on only two items that I have about twenty ideas for already?
...And so on.
Another thing, when shopping steampunk; keep your budget firmly in mind, but don't let it cripple you. It's perfectly alright to splurge every now and then, but you must consider what will work best for you -
Do I get the expensive but awesome designer steampunk style boots? Or do I opt for more variety by being able to use the money to purchase three different garments?
Do I get the plain, but less expensive, items that might not work as well? Or do I spend all my money on only two items that I have about twenty ideas for already?
...And so on.
There is no right or wrong answer to these questions - just what suits you best. Factors to consider are versatility, compatibility, expense, every-day wear, and whatever else might affect you personally. Is this something you could also wear in a non-steampunk outfit? Is this something you'd wear regularly? Does it fit well? Does the color suit you? Does the fit look good on your body?
Also, a couple protips:
~An added gear does not a steampunk outfit make.
I've seen a lot of people raging about (a) I GLUED GEARS ON SOMETHING EET EES STEEMPINK NAO or (b) HOMG TEENAGERS THINK ANYTHING WITH GEARS IS STEAMPUNK.
In my own humble opinion, there's a firm middle ground - gears are called for when there is an aesthetic use for them. Gears can add a cute, cool or neat accent to any outfit and also be useful; e.g., hairpins, buttons/clasps, buckles. Recently I replaced the buckles on a pair of brown boots with some gears - they make very serviceable buckles for tightening/loosening the boots. So with the gears - you can do it, just try not to overdo it.
~Goggles are not a necessity for every outfit, especially if you're designing a steampunk character. If your character's an aristocrat, they are not going anywhere that will need goggles. Likewise, if you're making a wastelander/desert character you might want to include some goggles so your character can keep the sand out of his/her eyes. Feel free to add them if you like, but they aren't necessary.
~Try to remember that an item needs to be necessary or at least useful. Don't overload with five different pocketwatches and a monocle and goggles and a hat and blah blah blah. There is such a thing as beauty in simplicity.
~An added gear does not a steampunk outfit make.
I've seen a lot of people raging about (a) I GLUED GEARS ON SOMETHING EET EES STEEMPINK NAO or (b) HOMG TEENAGERS THINK ANYTHING WITH GEARS IS STEAMPUNK.
In my own humble opinion, there's a firm middle ground - gears are called for when there is an aesthetic use for them. Gears can add a cute, cool or neat accent to any outfit and also be useful; e.g., hairpins, buttons/clasps, buckles. Recently I replaced the buckles on a pair of brown boots with some gears - they make very serviceable buckles for tightening/loosening the boots. So with the gears - you can do it, just try not to overdo it.
~Goggles are not a necessity for every outfit, especially if you're designing a steampunk character. If your character's an aristocrat, they are not going anywhere that will need goggles. Likewise, if you're making a wastelander/desert character you might want to include some goggles so your character can keep the sand out of his/her eyes. Feel free to add them if you like, but they aren't necessary.
~Try to remember that an item needs to be necessary or at least useful. Don't overload with five different pocketwatches and a monocle and goggles and a hat and blah blah blah. There is such a thing as beauty in simplicity.
Very soon, I'm going to put up the picture post tutorials for Affordable Steampunk. Stay tuned for more!
Miles out.
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