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New York Times Fashion & Style - Steampunk Influences?

Jake von Slatt — Thu, 11/12/2009 - 12:09

Are your ears burning? They should be because the New York Times is talking about you.  David Colman's This just in from the 1890's is a laundry list of Steampunk influence in fashion and style - yet the 's' word is nowhere to be seen!

Not long ago, big brass-buttoned military coats looked a bit extreme. So did high-button, high-lapel vests and slim tweed trousers. And so did guys who tucked said trousers into high, old-fashioned hunting boots. Now these clothes (along with those ever-present beards and mustaches) look like downtown defaults...

I've been seeing more and more examples of creative folks clearly drawing inspiration from Steampunk but shying away from the 's' word.  That's sure to upset some people but I truly have no problem with it.  I draw inspiration from myriads of things and people around me and it would be impossible to site every single thing that touched or influenced me.

As with home design, where curio cases, taxidermy and other stylish clutter of the Victorian era have been taken up by young hipsters, many of today’s popular men’s styles have their roots in the late 19th century.

[Read More for the rest . . .]

Not sure I can forgive the 'hipster' label though!  ;-)  It's also entirely possible that the author has not yet encountered the word 'steampunk' and has noticed it's influence from 'the other side,' so to speak.  If that's the case, well, Hello Mr. Colman!

 “There are all kinds of societies that are about dressing up in period costume and then going back to your oversize jeans the next day,” he said. “This is about style as a way of being.”  [emphasis mine]

And there you go.  Thanks so much to James for pointing this article out, I likely would have never seen it had he not.  If you come across something similar please don't hesitate to send it on to us!

A growing interest in fashion has been one of the very surprising things that Steampunk has brought to me, so I'm excited to announce that The Steampunk Workshop will be covering a lot more of it in the very near future with the addition of artist, photographer, and creative conceptualist Libby Bulloff to our crew!

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Did you catch the DIY in the article?

Sangori — Mon, 11/16/2009 - 10:22

If you missed it along with the steampunk style there was a whole photo gallery featuring the photographer (David Sokosh) who was making the tin types in the shoot and the homemade equipment he uses. Not only was there steampunk style on display, but some real maker flare too. Check it out here:

http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2009/11/11/style/20091112-tin-slideshow...

Also, this isn't the first time the grey lady set her sights on steampunk style. See here: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/30/garden/30prewar.html

And here: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/08/fashion/08PUNK.html?scp=1&sq=steampunk...

There are also a couple of other mentions of some Steampunk styled restaurants in NYC and a review of the Children's book Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld.

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 Thanks!

Jake von Slatt — Tue, 11/17/2009 - 11:07

 Thanks!

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Wow Jake! Thanks for linking

Phog Allen — Sat, 11/14/2009 - 13:08

Wow Jake! Thanks for linking this up. These guys are only about twenty years behind my leanings. I am not really a steampunk per se but I have ALWAYS been a fan of Victorian era clothing. From the gaudy waistcoats of the 1850's to the more austere black frock coat and grey trousers that seemed timeless from 1840-1900. Of course being a blue collar boy I cannot access the clothing shown in the articles you provided but there is a company called Wah Maker that produces Victorian/Frontier clothing that is a decent fit for much less cost than your first born. I have their Frontier coat(really more a short frock coat with skirt that only goes over your arse and not to mid thigh. Though I wouldn't have a problem wearing that either! I also have one of their paisley waistcoats that never fails to get a "where did you get that?!!!" response. 99.9% positive I might add. Another item to look for is the Homburg hat. It more than anything brought about the demise of the top hat for business day wear. A Homburg goes smashing well most Victorian era sartorial pursuits. Again, thank you for passing this along!

Phog

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