Affordable Steampunk 3.0: Accents and Thrift Stores

Remember to check out the previous Affordable Steampunk posts. Still re-copying the posts over.

Meanwhile, for our old hats (hohoho) today we'll be discussing a little bit about accents.

~Now, I recently received a very helpful tip about steampunk fashion - equestrian stores hold a lot of very steampunk-y looking items for less expensive than what you can order custom made. I myself have bought clothes from equestrian for their reminiscence of the steampunk style, but the only equestrian store I live near is a little on the expensive side because they hold the monopoly on the market.

~Back to accents - we all know that no industrial/Victorian/Wild West/steampunketcetera outfit would be complete without accessories and accents. Whether it's a set of neat goggles atop your aviator pilot hat, or a set of brass buttons for your vest, accents can change a normal garment to a more classic fashion.

Buttons

~If you find a really nice vest, or cool pants, you can always replace the current buttons with some brass-nobbed ones, or sew buttons on the sides of the pants. Buttons - even classical/Victorian-looking ones - are easy to find at a craft/sewing shop near you, often for inexpensive prices. Don't forget to root through your old junk drawers to see you if can find anything serviceable. You can make a buckle for just about anything, though try to remember - beauty in simplicity. You don't want to over load it. Jackets and coats, pant cuffs, shirt sleeves/cuffs and vests are all prime meat for buttons. 

Goggles

~Much like gears, you've got to find a firm middle ground with the goggles - don't tack them onto every outfit you put on, especially if your current outfit fits more in an aristocratic or formal setting. Goggles are for airship crew (only the crew on the open deck, though!), workers in the steam/welding rooms, wastelanders/desert travelers, and scientists. Goggles are not for aristocrats. (Honestly, though, do what you want, no one's stopping you.)

On to finding them - you'd be shocked at how inexpensively you can grab goggles at a workshop/hardware depot like Sears or Lowe's. (Sears is actually now an everything store, I was just there the other day and they had plaid shorts.) Welding goggles, eye protection goggles and motorcycle goggles are usually decently priced for very good quality - far superior to the cheap plastic ones you paid twenty-nine ninety nine USD for on Amazon.com. Don't stop there, though - motorcycle stores often have really cool goggles for sale at great prices. Everywhere you go, don't forget to hit the clearance rack.

Glasses

Where goggles may not apply, glasses will. You can find inexpensive but comfortable costume glasses both online and in shops. Round frames reminiscent of Harry Potter or the darkened shades that perch on the tip of your nose can be found literally everywhere - thrift stores, costume shops, everyday clothing stores. For whatever reason, it's now cool to wear non-prescription glasses - take advantage of this trend to find yourself a decently priced pair of Victorian era glasses in a store near you. You can attach monocle clips and magnifiers for a neat look.

Jackets/Coats

~Use your judgement on these for what is steampunk and what is not - if you're reading this without scratching your head, chances are you have a pretty good idea of what steampunk looks like. 

The problem with good steampunk jackets is that they're pretty hard to find made-to-order without paying a bunch of money on expensivesteampunkjunk.com or something like that. However, it's easy to find garments that can be modified to suit you in thrift stores and consignment shops. Back to the whole buttons thing - accents can change a garment's entire look. Remember to keep in mind coloring and what looks best on you when choosing your purchases.

The troubles of ordering online

But I will say something about ordering online -
While it's a convenient and often easy way of obtaining steampunk items, it does have a few issues that make it a little leery.
~You get what you pay for. If you find a pair of goggles for two dollars, there is a very good reason they are only two dollars. aside from them murdering you with the shipping
~You usually only have pictures to go by. Sometimes, the pictures look better than the real deal - or are a completely different item entirely.
~Delivering/damages can be a huge problem. Shipping may take a while, especially if you're cheap like me and you don't want to spend a ton on shipping. And there's no telling what's happening to your package from point A to point B.
~They're running a racket with the shipping. I just bought a monocle for 2.95 USD. It's costing me 9.95 USD to ship. And what's worse, they didn't show me that value until I placed the darned order - ugh. When you can, apply for free shipping.

Here are some ways to get around these unfortunate problems when ordering online:~If there are reviews for an item, read them. They'll often tell you what kind of quality and material the items are, how they hold up, and if they're worth your time. My rule of thumb - if there are at least two bad reviews of an item (the item itself, not the shipping/handling or delivery) there's a very good chance I'm not buying it. If there's one incredibly well-written bad review of an item, I won't buy it.
~Try to look at as many pictures of the item as possible. Make sure you know what you're paying for and that you like the look of it. Check out quality, sizing, customer satisfaction rate, etcetera.
~Try to group as many orders together as possible. This will reduce your shipping cost and may even make you eligible for savings and bonuses.
~Leave a review/file a complaint if you're unsatisfied. If they deliver something to you that's broken, torn, not the item you paid for, or the wrong size, do not back down. Contact them, leave a well-written and polite but unsatisfactory review, send e-mails, do whatever - don't let yourself get stiffed.

Hope this helps, I'm leaving for now. Once again, some of my items are coming in - the picture post of how to turn normal items steampunk (COMPLETE WITH PICTURES!) is on its way!