What is steampunk?

Section II of 9

Steampunk fashion and costume

Eight guides to dressing steampunk, from the Victorian clothes underneath to the brass on top. Tell the finder who the outfit is for and what it is for, and it gives you the two to read first.

8 guides About 103 minutes of reading

Two smiling steampunks in goggles and decorated hats at an outdoor gathering

The guide finder

Which guide do I need?

Two questions. The answer is the two guides to read first, in order.

Who is it for?

What is it for?

Your reading list

A woman with blue hair in a top hat with goggles, a leather waistcoat and puffed sleevesRead firstWomen's Steampunk OutfitsThe blouse, the corset or waistcoat, the skirt or trousers, the coat and the hat, layer by layer, with five outfits to copy.About 12 minutes A steampunk in a top hat fitted with brass gauges, a gear brooch at the wristRead firstMen's Steampunk OutfitsThe shirt, braces and waistcoat, the frock coat, the hat and the goggles, layer by layer, with five outfits to copy.About 14 minutes A black leather plague doctor's mask with a long beak, worn with a wide-brimmed hatRead firstSteampunk for HalloweenChildren's costumes are in our Halloween guide: nothing to trip on, no small parts for the very young, and three ideas.About 13 minutes A bearded man in a top hat covered in gauges and goggles, wearing round dark glasses and a waistcoatThenSteampunk Fashion: The Complete GuideWhat every steampunk outfit is made of, the characters to dress as, and a first outfit put together step by step.About 13 minutes A black leather plague doctor's mask with a long beak, worn with a wide-brimmed hatThenSteampunk for HalloweenThe darker side of the style: the plague doctor, the mad scientist, brass-coloured make-up and a quick outfit.About 13 minutes Two steampunks in a bamboo grove: a man in a gauge-covered top hat and goggles, a woman in a riveted top hat and red round glassesThenA Steampunk Wedding: Dresses, Suits and IdeasThe dress, the suit, the wedding party, the rings and the kinds of place that suit the style.About 14 minutes Brown leather boots and belts with brass buckles on a wooden tableThenA Steampunk Costume on a BudgetWhat a costume really needs, what you already own, charity shop finds and home-made goggles.About 13 minutes A woman in a decorated top hat and red round glasses, with a leather bodice and gauntletThenThe Steampunk Theme in Dress to ImpressWhat the steampunk theme in Dress to Impress, the Roblox dress-up game, asks for, and five looks to try.About 12 minutes Brown leather boots and belts with brass buckles on a wooden tableThenA Steampunk Costume on a BudgetKeeping it cheap: what you already own, charity shop finds and home-made goggles and gears.About 13 minutes Then the pieces, from head to foot

Section II

Every fashion and costume guide

In the order they are best read. Each one is long enough to answer the question properly, with every fact checked and its source listed at the foot.

  1. 5Steampunk Fashion: The Complete GuideWhat steampunk fashion is made of, from the Victorian clothes underneath to the brass, leather and goggles on top, with characters to dress as and a first outfit.About 13 min
  2. 6Women's Steampunk OutfitsWomen's steampunk outfits layer by layer, from the blouse and corset to the hat and goggles, with five outfits to copy and how to stay comfortable all day.About 12 min
  3. 7Men's Steampunk OutfitsMen's steampunk outfits layer by layer, from the shirt, braces and waistcoat to the frock coat, hat and goggles, with five outfits to copy and how to stay comfortable all day.About 14 min
  4. 8A Steampunk Costume on a BudgetHow to put together a steampunk costume for very little: what it really needs, what you already own, charity shop finds, simple alterations, and home-made goggles and gears.About 13 min
  5. 9Steampunk for HalloweenSteampunk for Halloween: the darker side of the style, the plague doctor, mad scientists and vampire hunters, brass-coloured make-up, children's costumes and a quick outfit.About 13 min
  6. 10A Steampunk Wedding: Dresses, Suits and IdeasA steampunk wedding from start to finish: the bride's dress, the groom's suit, the wedding party, rings, flowers and cake, the kinds of place that suit it, and keeping it elegant.About 14 min
  7. 11Steampunk Dresses and SkirtsWhat makes a steampunk dress or skirt, from bustles and pick-up skirts to the high-low hem and the corset built in, with fabrics, colours and how to make or alter one.About 12 min
  8. 12The Steampunk Theme in Dress to ImpressWhat the steampunk theme in Dress to Impress, the Roblox dress-up game, asks for: the pieces and colours that say steampunk, five looks to try, and how to wear it for real.About 12 min

From our complete guide

Your first steampunk outfit, step by step

The order of work from Steampunk Fashion: The Complete Guide, for an outfit that looks right at a gathering, a party or a day out.

Step 1 of 7

Choose your character

Explorer, inventor, aviator, lady adventurer, airship captain or society figure. Write down in one line what they do, and keep it in mind for every choice that follows.

Step 2 of 7

Build the Victorian base

A shirt or blouse, a waistcoat or corset, trousers or a long skirt, in plain natural fabrics and neutral colours. If you own nothing suitable, this is where the charity shops come in.

Step 3 of 7

Add one coat or jacket

A frock coat, a long travelling coat or a fitted jacket. It is the largest piece, so it sets the main colour.

Step 4 of 7

Add the hat and the eyes

A top hat, bowler, pith helmet or flying cap, with goggles on the brim or tinted round glasses. It is the part people notice first, and the part they remember.

Step 5 of 7

Add the workings, with restraint

A leather belt with one or two pouches, a pocket watch on a chain, one brass piece of jewellery. Then stop and look in the mirror before adding anything else.

Step 6 of 7

Finish with boots and gloves

Comfortable boots you can walk in all day, and gloves or a gauntlet if your character would wear them.

Step 7 of 7

Wear it before the day

An hour at home in the whole outfit, sitting, standing and walking. Anything that pinches, slips or falls off will be far worse after six hours. In a corset, check that you can breathe deeply and bend comfortably.

Read the complete guide
A woman in a top hat with a pair of brass goggles on the brim
A woman in a black leather-look corset and a gathered, layered skirt
Brown leather boots and belts with brass buckles on a wooden table

Hats, goggles and the rest

From head to foot

An outfit becomes steampunk at the edges. Each piece has a guide of its own in the next section.

The headTop hats, bowlers and goggles, worn or parked on the brim. Steampunk Hats and Top HatsThe faceMasks, the plague doctor's beak, and round tinted glasses. Steampunk Masks and the Plague DoctorThe bodyCorsets and waistcoats, worn on the outside. Steampunk Corsets and WaistcoatsThe shouldersFrock coats, long travelling coats and fitted jackets. Steampunk Coats and JacketsThe pocketThe pocket watch on its chain, and brass jewellery. Steampunk Watches and Pocket WatchesThe feetTall laced and buckled boots, the leather to match the straps. Steampunk Boots
A woman with blue hair in a top hat with goggles, a leather waistcoat and puffed sleeves The next section, III Hats, goggles and accessories Goggles, top hats, masks, corsets, waistcoats, coats, watches, jewellery, boots. Go to the section

Everything on Steampunks

The contents

Nine sections and fifty-three guides.

  1. IWhat steampunk isThe meaning, the look, where it came from, and how it differs from Gothic and Victorian.
  2. IIFashion and costumeYou are here. Women's and men's outfits, a costume on a budget, Halloween, a steampunk wedding.
  3. IIIHats, goggles and accessoriesGoggles, top hats, masks, corsets, waistcoats, coats, watches, jewellery, boots.
  4. IVHome and decorLamps and lighting, clocks, furniture and ornaments, and a whole room in the style.
  5. VArt and makingSteampunk art and artists, how to draw it, robots and creatures, cogs and gears, props.
  6. VIFilms, TV, games, books and musicThe films, the animation, the games, Minecraft builds, the books and the music.
  7. VIISteampunk events in the UKWhere steampunks gather, with the dates from each organiser's own site.
  8. VIIIAirships and machinesSteampunk airships, and the real ones that went before them.
  9. IXThe Victorian world behind itVictorian fashion, London, architecture and the Gothic Revival.
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