Steampunk Research

Oh quaff! All my beloved 19th century explorers, scientists and writers rejuvenated by a subculture of techno punk/gothic fashion and farce? Dreamy! Actually it's no dream, but a relatively new fashion that's been gaining popularity in movies and clothing styles, and it's called "steampunk".

Steampunk Sailor Gal and Beach Gal

"Steampunk" is a style characterized by a fascinating and unique fusion of Victorian era fashion and technology (i.e. riveted, steam powered mechanics and old world physics) mixed with a modern technological spin and a dash of neo punk. If you've seen The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, Wild Wild West, The Prestige, The Golden Compass, Sherlock Holmes (2009), Tim Burton's Sleepy Hallow, Around the World In 80 Days (2004), or even 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea (1954), then you've been exposed to forms of steampunk. These movies mix a modern day vision of technology with a 19th century means of pulling it off. For example, in Back to the Future when Doc Brown returns to 1985 from 1885 in his converted steam powered hover-train. Too cool.

Dr. Arliss Loveless (Kenneth Branagh)'s steam powered wheel chair from Wild Wild West.

What I personally connect with about the steampunk subculture is reliving the days of my favorite authors and inventors: The innovative exploratory adventures of Jules Verne, the excitement of time travel with H.G.Wells, the breakthrough of inventions by Thomas Edison, the gothic inward musings of Edgar Allen Poe. The 1800s were such a great period of steam-powered innovation and artistic vision. I love the way especially how Wells and Verne thought forward on the technology of their own generations and were able to create these fantastic old world "science fiction" stories, which relates to us even in 2010 because the technology then was so forward-thinking, we still are fascinated today by what they mused about in 1810.

The neo-steampunk fashion of today reminds me of how I felt reading The Time Machine and 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, how I wanted to walk through riveted metallic submarines, touch all the barometers and steam powered buttons and dials of a makeshift time machine, slap on a pair of gaudy metal goggles and get to work inventing something with all these impressive gears and cogs and rivets and copper pipes. How marvelous.

How to Be a Steampunk

To dress "steampunk" you really could utilize any clothing style from the Victorian period from burlesque fishnet tights and high laced boots to posh bustled skirts, fitted jackets and top hats... and then jazz it up with some kind of gadgetry or modern appeal made to look antique. I love this one:

Can you believe it? A steampunk Abraham Lincoln; and he's got a sweet looking jet pack on his back. What a creative costume. The style usually highlights 19th century explorers (rifles, navigation devices), inventors (goggles, dials, buttons) or scientists (vials, forceps, magnification ocular devices), but with 21st century means of making their professions just that much more awesome and incredible. You absolutely MUST have the old school lab goggles when you're going for steampunk.

Borrowed from Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hallow, perchance?

And if you can believe it, some steampunk geeks actually make a profession out of reformulating current technological devices to bear the old world style of items from the Victorian era. Consider the "steampunk desktop computer", or the "steampunk USB drive" for that matter. Complete with rusted copper submarine hatch. Totally awesome. Did you know you can buy assortments of gears and cogs or typewriter keys on eBay? You can make your own steampunk items.

Can we say, Halloween costume inspiration?